MAFS UK: Jordan discusses future with Erica, life in Sheffield and grudge boxing bout with Luke

A personal trainer from Sheffield who wed a stranger on national TV has opened up about their plans together as they settle into married life.

Jordan Gayle and Erica Roberts tied the knot on Married at First Sight UK and their relationship withstood the strain of the television cameras as well as an infamous run-in with one of the fellow newly-weds, Luke, who was ejected from the show.

The 26-year-old Sheffield United fan is finally free to talk about his experience on the show, his relationship with Erica and what they plan to do next.

Speaking to The Star, Jordan explained how they had got married on March 19, they had left the apartments in Wembley where they began married life in May and the first reunion episode was filmed back in early July.

He said it had been 'so tough' keeping their ongoing relationship secret for the last eight months and that what viewers saw on TV did not tell the whole story.

Jordan 'so lucky' to have been paired with Erica

"I loved the experience, it was the best time of my life, but watching it on TV was so hard because it's edited so heavily to the point you don't even recognise yourself," he said.

Despite their ups and downs on the show, Jordan told The Star how he had a 'really good feeling' from the moment he set eyes on Erica and felt 'so lucky' to have been paired with her.

"I went into it thinking I'm not just doing this for TV's sake, I want to find the right person to spend the rest of my life with, and I'm so happy I've found that with Erica," he said.

"I wasn't too confident when I started the process because you're being matched up with someone from a select few people, chosen by a group of people who don't really know you.

"With how picky I was in what I asked for, basically describing my perfect woman, I thought there was no way they would find the right person for me, but they did."

Jordan and Erica have hit the town in Sheffield

Jordan told The Star how he grew up in Sheffield, where he lived between the ages of three and 22, and after spending the last few years in various locations, from Worksop to LA, is back in the Steel City, living with his father Mark Gayle.

When we caught up with him, he was en route from Sheffield to Edinburgh, where Erica is living, and he explained they were starting to look for a home together, with Manchester among the potential locations.

He has already shown her the sights of Sheffield, where they have visited nightspots including The Botanist and Bamboo Door cocktail bar at Leopold Square, and Turtle Bay and Manahatta, opposite Sheffield City Hall, as well as making the obligatory trip to Meadowhall.

Jordan said everyone they had met in his home city had been so supportive and Erica found it such a 'friendly' place.

MAFS UK viewers 'did not see the real Erica'

He said the Erica viewers had seen on MAFS UK was not the 'real' Erica he had fallen in love with.

"I feel like on camera you know you're being filmed so you're naturally more guarded and you're not going to show your vulnerable side so much," he told The Star.

"Behind that exterior, she's honestly the sweetest, cutest girl who's made me feel really special. She's really caring and such a genuine person.

"She gives me her most loving side that no one else gets to see and I feel really honoured."

Jordan's famous haircut set to go after public vote

It's lucky their relationship is so strong as Jordan agreed with Erica, a 25-year-old social media manager and dance teacher - to get his curtains chopped off if a post about the famous hairdo on Instagram got more than 100,000 likes - which it quickly did.

"I'm a man of my word so the apparently awful curtains will be getting chopped off and I'm going to let Erica style my hair how she wants," he said.

One of the most dramatic moments of the latest series of MAFS UK came when Luke Worley confronted Jordan, marching up to his door and shoving him, as tempers flared.

Luke was subsequently booted off the show, with his partner Jay following him out.

Jordan set for lucrative boxing bout with MAFS UK rival Luke

Jordan and Luke are set to renew their rivalry when they face off in the boxing ring soon, with both men reportedly being paid a handsome sum for the bout.

Jordan told how he'd had to restrain himself from throwing a punch at Luke during their confrontation on the show but he was looking forward to knocking him out in the ring.

"I can't stand the guy and he feels the same way about me," he added, explaining that he plans to put his sizeable payment for the fight towards buying a home with Erica.

Discussing his future with Erica, Jordan said: "We don't go too hard on the conversations about family but we both want kids. It's just the natural progression if things carry on the way they have been.

"If everything stays good we'll be getting a house, probably getting a dog together and after that, not any time soon, maybe in our early 30s, we'll be thinking about kids."

Jordan told how being on MAFS UK was hard not just for the couples involved but for the families too. But he said his dad, Mark, and mum, Sharon Rawlings, had both been so supportive throughout the 'surreal' experience.