Bye Jono, hi Jamie! RAY’S NEW MAN
The party boy’s moved on
Chhristchurch groom Ray Wedlakerleft MAFS MA with enemies and no husband, bubut the straight-talking party animal saysays he’s happier than ever thanks to a nnew man! He’s datidating Christchurch event manager Jamie SmithSmith, 25, who he met three months ago at a netball social gathering.
“We got to know each other well as friends,” says Ray, 31.31 “Then I was going on MAFS to get marrimarried to the love of my life, so I thoughthought, and Jamie was heading off for a holidaholiday in America for a month.” WhWhen things crumbled with his on-air groom Jonathan Trenberth, 31, and Jamie returnreturned from the US, Ray got in touch to see how his trip went. A week into MAFS airing, tthe two were dating.
“ThoThose first couple of episodes were the mosmost difficult part, seeing someone
I was beginningbe to develop feelings for so romanromantically involved with someone in such a public way,” recalls Jamie.
But the fireworks soon crashed. Jamie ccontinues, “The show struggled to build ththe whole story around Ray’s personalitpersonality. There were times Ray was being cheeky or mischievous, but when you’ve only got that 1010-second clip, it can come off quite conniving. That’s not the experience I have with Ray. HHe’s very forthcoming with his opinions, aas most of New Zealand would agree, and I like that!”
Ray says as well as being genuine, loving and family-family-oriented, Jamie knows how to party.party. “MAFS MAF was definitely an experience and I dondon’t take any of it back. But I’ve wowon the prize now.”