‘The Aussie brides have been sliding into my DMs’
After his stint on Married At First Sight, which aired in 2018, Ben Jardine,
37, quickly became known as the bad boy of the series. The ex-property developer, who now has a career in acting, was matched with Stephanie, 33, and, at first, the pair had an initial spark. But after the cameras stopped rolling, the arguments began. They decided to live apart, and just weeks later they split – with Ben describing their marriage as a “chore”.
He faced a public backlash, with rumours emerging that he’d had a secret 20-year-old girlfriend, and broke up with Stephanie by announcing it during a radio interview. Then, when he later appeared in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Ben announced he was expecting a child with a mystery woman. His daughter was born in November 2018.
But Ben tells Closer that he thinks he’d have fared better on the Aussie version of the show. Ben, who is currently single, says, “I think the Australian version is great because at the weekly dinner parties, you get a real insight into the marriages. It’s more real. A lot has been said about me, but I never did anything to intentionally hurt Stephanie. If viewers had been able to get to know us better, they’d have seen how I upset I was that it clearly wasn’t working out. It wasn’t just Stephanie who got hurt.”
NAUGHTY
But it seems as if Ben could easily find the next Mrs Jardine without the help of matchmakers. He reveals that he’s had other brides from MAFS get in touch – even Australia’s “most hated bride” Ines has contacted him. Model Ines caused choas when, despite being married to ex-stripper Bronson, she went behind his back to have a steamy affair with another groom, Sam.
Ben laughs, “Ines is a naughty girl! We’ve both been through a similar process, so we have a lot in common, but I’m a good
❛ I KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF ME, BUT I NEVER CHEATED – I’M LOYAL ❜
boy and I don’t want to get too involved. A lot of people from different series message me, but I never know what their intentions are. I usually just ghost them. I’ve got a twoyear-old daughter now, and she’s my main focus. I want to concentrate on being the best dad I can be.”
FLIRTY EXCHANGES
And Ben insists that, despite their flirty online exchanges, he doesn’t agree with Ines’ scandalous behaviour. He says, “What Ines and Sam got up to was awful. I know what people think of me, but I never cheated on Stephanie. I’m a loyal guy and you’ve got be faithful to your partner, no matter what. They shouldn’t have gone behind everyone’s backs.
“The psychologists on MAFS told me I was a ‘rescuer’ – I’m drawn to women I think I can save. Maybe that’s why I found it so easy to chat to Ines, but she’s too much for me!”
And he admits that if the UK version had weekly commitment ceremonies, his marriage might have ended sooner. He explains, “Stephanie was gorgeous and had a heart of gold but, after the honeymoon, it became obvious we weren’t meant to be. I tried to tell Stephanie it wasn’t working, but she didn’t want to listen. If we’d had to commit ourselves to each other every single week, she might have had to face up to how things really were, and I might have ended it sooner.”
For now, Ben wants to focus on raising his little girl. He says, “I’ve had to fight to get access to my daughter, but she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m open to finding love, but she comes first.”