Celebs Go Dating's Paul Brunson dishes on Vanessa Feltz' 'return' to the show

Dating guru Paul C Brunson is gearing up to return to our screens in two new series. As the pro matchmaker and relationship coach completes filming the latest season of E4’s Married At First Sight UK and prepares for another round of Celebs Go Dating, he fills OK! in on all we need to know.

“This series of Married At First Sight UK is the best I’ve seen in my decade of working in TV. It’s so authentic,” Paul reveals.

After stars such as Vanessa Feltz, Adam Collard and Chloe Burrows made their mark on Celebs Go Dating last year, Paul is hoping to switch things up this time around as he reveals why Good Morning Britain ’s Susanna Reid is his top pick for the show.

Father-of-two Paul, 49, who’s been married to his wife Jill since 2000, also gives an insight into his own family life during our chat. And while he may be loved-up now, Paul reveals why he almost split from his other half during their first holiday…

Hi, Paul! You’re filming Married At First Sight UK at the moment, how is that going?

Yes, we are heading towards the end of filming. I’m sure you hear this all the time but I’ve now been in television for a decade and this is by far the best series, so I’m excited for everyone to see it. And we are just about to start filming for Celebs Go Dating, so there’s no rest!

What is it that makes this season so special?

The level of authenticity is what does it. The number one complaint we had last time was that people thought the contributors weren’t all there for love, but for business instead. But this time, you can’t argue at all that everyone is there for love and the right reasons. That in itself, creates tension, drama, interest and love. A lot of people lose sight of the fact that MAFS UK is a social experiment, so we’re taking a normal relationship and trying to speed it up. We’re taking all the things that you might do across seven years and putting them into seven months.

You mentioned Celebs Go Dating too. Are there any celebrities you’d like to see on the show?

I actually have no idea who is on Celebs this year, they’re casting right now. But I would love for us to have people on who ordinarily don’t show their private life. Someone like Susanna Reid! She is someone who everyone holds in high esteem and everyone likes her, but no one really knows much about her private life. It’d be an honour to have Susanna on the show.

Vanessa Feltz has said she’d be up for coming back on, would you have her?

I would love to have Vanessa back. Most people think I wouldn’t because you saw us going at it last series, but I actually enjoyed that. I love that Vanessa gives you intellectual debate, that’s what you want as a professional. You want someone who will push back. It makes you sharper.

Are you close with the other experts on the show?

Yes – you need to have that bond off-screen to flow well on-screen. I’m so close with Anna [Williamson] and Tom [Read Wilson]. They’re two of my best friends in life. When my wife and I go on date nights, Tom will come over and babysit my boys. I don’t think they realise that they have the best sitter in the world – some people would kill to have Tom read them a bedtime story!

Ha, true! Do you manage to spend quality time with your family between work?

Definitely. We love going away on holiday together. My life is work, save, travel, repeat., I love travelling myself but I also love to vicariously live through my kids. My 10-year-old has probably been to 30-plus countries and I was probably an adult when I went abroad for the first time. It’s amazing to see.

Speaking of holidays, you’re working with TUI BLUE at the moment. How’s that going?

Really well, thank you. I teamed up with TUI BLUE to help couples navigate their first holiday together, because a lot of the time, your first holiday with someone is seen as “make or break”. I know from personal experience that when my wife and I went on our first holiday, it could have been the end of our relationship. It was the worst holiday ever! Now, I understand it was because we holiday differently. So I’ve used that to create four different “holiday personas” that people fall into. Knowing which one you are will help to plan the perfect first holiday.

What made your first holiday so bad?

Well, my wife is what we call a “romantic relaxer” – she likes to go on holiday and lie on a beach, maybe go to the spa and do some yoga. But I like to do tour after tour and go around the museums, which is what we call a “cultural connoisseur”. So they are two very different holidays and we went somewhere which was only for relaxing, so it didn’t go down well.

The other two personas are “creative epicureans”, which is someone who loves to learn a new skill, and lastly an “adventurous spirit”, who wants new challenges. So, now we know how we each like to holiday and TUI BLUE have resorts that combine every type of trip into one.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their first holiday together?

Figuring out which persona you are before going will really help. Compromise is key too, so sometimes I may have to go to a spa rather than explore all the time – which I now love doing! We’ve also made a free quiz with TUI where you can answer some questions to figure out what kind of holiday persona you are. Once you have that, you can plan your perfect trip.

TUI BLUE has partnered with Relationship Expert, Paul Brunson, to help new couples navigate their first holiday together. Visit www.tui.co.uk/thebigbreak to uncover your TUI BLUE itinerary for a harmonious holiday as a new couple.