We would like to rapturously applaud the genius Married at First Sight UK producers for bringing back 2023's brides and grooms for a one-off reunion episode, set to air on Monday 26 February. Series eight was certainly one to remember, bringing commitment ceremony chaos and dinner party drama at every turn. And after a juicy catch up with Jay Howard, the cast's last hurrah is set to be just as explosive. We love to hear it.
Chatting exclusively to heat, Jay, admitted that she is both apprehensive and excited about tuning in to the reunion, promising that E4 viewers will see a different side to her. Expanding on how she "said her piece" and "stuck up for herself", she's explained why everyone being under the same roof again was intense and fuelled high emotions.
"I lost my s**t with Jordan [Gayle] at one point," she recalls. "I get on with [his wife] Erica [Roberts], I like Erica - there's no bad blood against her or anything like that. To be fair, Jordan, I can tolerate him. But I still don't like him. He's not my kind of person. I feel like he gets involved with everybody's business when there's no need. It's either him speaking or nobody speaking at all, and if he doesn't get his own way, he spits his dummy out like a child."
She added, "I think he just does it for airtime to be honest - creates as much drama as possible, so that he's got more time on the TV screen, which obviously worked."
Jay married Essex boy Luke Worley at first sight on the show, but they were forced to leave the experiment during the apartment stage after his altercation with Jordan. She explains that the feud was raised during the reunion, which triggered a war of words.
"Luke's name was mentioned at the reunion, but he wasn't there - he couldn't attend. I felt like even though I'm not with him and he's my ex-husband, I still had a duty of care to stick up for him. On reflection, if we did the reunion again, I think that I might have gone about it a little bit of a different way," she admitted.
Jay no longer speaks to Luke - who recently went Instagram official with his new relationship - but she wishes him well and is glad he's found happiness. Contentedly single (but open to pursuing something if the right person comes along) and concentrating on being in her own lane, the reality star says she is really enjoying life, and recently had the opportunity to visit the House of Lords as part of their 100 Club.
Telling us all about it as she made the journey from Accrington, Lancashire, to London, Jay - who was born without part of her left arm - said, "It's for inspirational women that have done amazing things. I'm just so honoured to be invited to such a prestigious event and recognised for giving good representation for limb difference and the disability community."
Follow Jay on Instagram @Jay_Howard.