Married at First Sight UK: Lara opens up about 'struggles' with Sheffield rocker Richie

The couple appeared to hit it off well when they first met as strangers on their wedding day on the E4 reality show.

But sales advisor Richie, aged 51, and Lara struggled to find a spark during their honeymoon in chilly Bavaria, and things were looking rocky when they joined the other couples for what was incredibly Richie’s first ever dinner party.

During their honeymoon, in episode six, which aired on Tuesday, Sheffield United fan Richie seemed considerably keener on Lara than she was on him. There was one particularly uncomfortable moment when he went in for a kiss during a romantic horse and carriage ride and his affections were not returned as he had hoped.

As they met the other seven couples for dinner in the following episode, it became abundantly clear they were not on the same page about how their marriage was going.

Chatting before the dinner party, Richie, who has enjoyed success as a musician, told Lara it would be interesting to see how the other newlyweds are faring since ‘obviously I think we’re doing pretty well’.

But, speaking to camera, Lara, a professional dancer working at a burger bar, said: “He’s probably not as aware that I struggled on our honeymoon, which is challenging. I think Richie was hoping things would be absolutely perfect.”

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Lara, who has previously expressed concerns about the fact Richie lives with his parents and has never been in a serious relationship, was also incredulous when he told her he had never before been to a dinner party, asking him ‘do you have friends?’.

When asked how the honeymoon went, Lara then told one of the other participants: “It wasn’t perfect. Obviously we were stuck together in a room for a week.”

Episode eight on Thursday will see the couples face their first ‘commitment ceremony’ in which they must open up about how their union is going and ultimately decide whether to stay married.

Who is Married at First Sight star Richie Dews?

This is not the first time Richie has sought love on TV. Eagle-eyed viewers may recognise him from his two appearances on the ITV dating show Take Me Out.

The Star reported in 2011 how Richie, living in Ecclesall at the time, had won a date with Natasha Tyers, then 26, and their pair flew out to Tenerife on holiday.

He said back then: “I’ve been single for a while and I knew there were some stunning chicks on the show so I went for it. I’m a rocker at heart but I suppose I’m now looking for that someone special.”

He returned to the show in 2018 for a special episode in which female celebrities tried to win a date.

Richie has played with several bands, including the local group The Brokenflowers, but he is probably most famous as a member of Dare.

He was a guitarist and co-writer with the band for more than 20 years, from 1991 to 2014, according to the group’s Wikipedia page.

The band, which is still going, formed in 1985 and is fronted by former Thin Lizzy keybord player Darren Wharton.

Its notable singles included White Horses, released in 2001, and 2004’s Sea of Roses.

In 2018, the music website myglobalmind.com reported that Richie was back after a ‘short hiatus’ from the music industry, with a new single Hologram.

It said the single marked a new direction for the musician, who had previously worked with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Russell Watson and dance outfit The Isan Project, whose hits included Forever.