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.”
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.
Check out: 21 celebs who took back their cheating partner
CLOSER Celebrity who took back their cheating partners - slider
1 of 21Danny Dyer and Joanne Mas
Danny Dyer and Joanne Mas' relationship hit a rough patch in 2017 when it was reported that he had a six-week affair with Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding. However they managed to work through it and are back together.
2 of 21Gaz Beadle and Emma McVey
Emma McVey accused Gary Beadle of cheating on her after he brutally dumped her via text. However she later fell pregnant with their first child, they reunited and the happy couple are now engaged and parents of two.
3 of 21Jay Z and Beyoncé
The world was shocked in 2017 when Jay-Z admitted he cheated on his wife and the mother of his children Beyoncé. They've since moved on from the drama and have even released a joint album together.
4 of 21Coleen and Wayne Rooney
They're childhood sweethearts but in 2002 Coleen Rooney discovered Wayne had slept with a 48-year-old nan, there's also been allegations that he cheated with prostitutes Jennifer Thompson and Helen Wood and in 2017 Wayne was arrested for drunk driving and Laura Simpson claimed they kissed. Laura then backtracked during an interview on This Morning and denied that anything went down with Wayne. Despite all the rumours and allegations, Coleen has stuck by her husband and has even shared a brutally honest Facebook post about her marriage.
5 of 21Tess Daly and Vernon Kay
In 2010 it came to light thatVernon Kay had sent 'flirty' texts to Rhian Sugden behind Tess Daly's back. Fast forward to 2016 and he was caught texting the glamour model again. However the TV presenters are still together.
6 of 21Katie Price and Kieran Hayler
We were all shook in 2014 when Katie Price announced husband Kieran Hayler had been cheating on her with her best friend Jane Pountney for seven months. She managed to forgive him and move on but in 2017 she revealed he had been unfaithful again with their children's nanny and a few months later she called it quits after he reportedly cheated again with a 19-year-old co-op worker.
7 of 21Mary Berry and Paul Hunnings
Great British Bake Off legend Mary Berry admitted that she cheated on her current husband Paul Hunnings when they first started dating. However they put it behind them and are still together.
8 of 21Lucy Mecklenburgh and Mario Falcone
While filming for TOWIE Lucy Mecklenburgh admitted that she had been unfaithful with ex-boyfriend Mark Wright during a holiday in Ibiza. Mario Falcone ended their relationship but swiftly took her back and they went on to get engaged but in 2013 they called it quits and have both moved on.
9 of 21Katya and Neil Jones
After Katya Jones was spotted kissing her Strictly partner Seann Walsh, they were both quick to apologise for their actions. Seann's girlfriend dumped him but Neil forgave his wife. However in 2020 they announced they'd split with Neil insisting it was not because of the infamous kiss.
10 of 21Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson
It's one of the Kardashians biggest scandals - Tristan Thompson cheating on Khloe Kardashian days before she was due to give birth to True Thompson. They appeared to work through his betrayal but almost a year later he allegedly kissed Kardashian/Jenner's family friend Jordyn Woods. There's since been speculation that a reunion for Khloe and Tristan could be on the cards.
11 of 21Spencer Matthews and Louise Thompson
Spencer Matthews and Louise Thompson's relationship largely consisted of Spenny cheating while Louise cried her eyes out. She continued to take him back but eventually decided enough was enough and ended it for good.
12 of 21Balthazar Getty and Rosetta
In 2008, Balthazar Getty had an affair with Sienna Miller despite being married to his wife and the mother of his four children Rosetta. Balthazara and Rosetta separated but two years later they got their marriage back on track.
13 of 21Bill Clinton and Hilary Clinton
The Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal is one of the most famous affairs EVER. However his wife Hilary appeared to take it in her stride because they're still married.
14 of 21Alex Mytton and Binky Felstead
Made in Chelsea's Alex Mytton cheated on Binky Felstead several times during their relationship but she kept on taking him back. However she finally ended it when she discovered he had an orgy with Spencer Matthews.
15 of 21Gaz Beadle and Charlotte Crosby
They were the Geordie Shore couple we were all rooting for but Gaz Beadle just couldn't keep it in his pants even when he was with Charlotte Crosby. The final straw for Char was when he slept with Jemma Lucy on Ex on the Beach and [she heartbreakingly suffered an ectopic pregnancy](https://closeronline.co.uk/family/news/ectopic-pregnancy-signs-symptoms-diagnosis/agnosis/).
16 of 21Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch
Back in 2010 while Abbey Clancy was pregnant with her first child, there were reports that her partner Peter Crouch had an alleged affair with a teenage prostitute. They've since moved on from the reports and are still happily together.
17 of 21Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor
Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor both cheated on each other during their Made in Chelsea days. However they've since reunited, gotten married and in 2020 welcomed their daughter Sienna.
18 of 21Sam Thompson and Tiffany Watson
Sam Thompson and Tiffany Watson were both guilty of cheating and they both kept taking each other back. However they've finally called it quits - thank God.
19 of 21Pete Wicks and Megan McKenna
Megan McKenna forgave Pete Wicks for sexting his ex-girlfriend Jacqui Ryland however she later discovered (while filming TOWIE) that he had sent even more messages. She forgave him but couldn't forget and they later split for good.
20 of 21James Argent and Gemma Collins
In 2012 Gemma Collins accused James Argent of cheating but she seemed to forgive and forget and they've been on/off ever since.
21 of 21Malin Andersson and Tom Kemp
Love Island star Malin Andersson accused her boyfriend Tom Kemp of cheating on her during pregnancy. However they managed to get through it and got back together. They since split.
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 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 two-year-old daughter now, and she’s my main focus. I want to concentrate on being the best dad I can be.”
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.
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“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.”
For more about Ben’s upcoming projects, visit his website.
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