Anuva Rana
‘Married At First Sight’ is an American reality show that airs on the Lifetime channel. Having released ten seasons since its debut in 2014, it is an adaptation of a Danish series that has the same concept. The popular series allows eligible bachelors and bachelorettes to be matched with each other with the help of a panel of experts. The panel usually consists of a psychologist, sociologist, sexologist, pastor, marriage counselor, and a relationship expert. The experts analyze the profiles of the contestant and match them with the most compatible partner. They then help them navigate through issues that come in the way of their relationship.
But, the twist is that the contestants have to marry each other after meeting once only. After spending their wedding night together, they are then sent for their honeymoon. Upon their return, the couple has to live together and stay married for eight weeks. At the end of the season, the couple can either choose to stay married or get divorced and declare it on Decision Day.
On season 9 of the show that premiered in June 2019, four couples from Charlotte were featured. While two couples stayed in their marriage, the other two chose to get divorced. Iris and Keith were one of the couples on the season and had a rollercoaster journey after their marriage.
Iris and Keith: Married At First Sight Journey
27 years old, Keith and Iris hit it off on the very first day. Their first meeting couldn’t have gone better. Belonging to the same community, similar fields of profession, and having the same set of beliefs and values, Iris and Keith felt an instant connection. It seemed like the experts were onto something.
While Keith was spiritual and worked as a life coach, Iris was religious and worked as a non-profit program coordinator. They both believed in God, marriage, children, and the importance of family. They ended up having a beautiful wedding ceremony and the vows they exchanged were heart-touching.
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The couple thoroughly enjoyed their honeymoon and hardly had any issues or fights once they came back. They probably had the smoothest eight weeks of marriage. Keith was patient, humble, and a total gentleman. Iris was understanding, caring, and nurturing. Her positive and bubbly personality proved to be complementary to Keith’s calm and quiet demeanor. Iris also supported and helped Keith cope with her grandmother’s sad demise.
The only issue the couple faced was intimacy. They both found each other to be guarded in different senses. Iris was a virgin and had been saving herself for her husband. Keith wasn’t comfortable with that. He didn’t want to shoulder the responsibility of being her first. Iris, too, wasn’t ready to get intimate so soon and being on camera added a certain pressure.
So, it came as a big surprise when Keith chose to divorce her on Decision Day. It came as a shock not only to the audience and the cast members but also to Iris as she wasn’t expecting it. She was happy and had chosen to stay in the marriage. The fact that their feelings weren’t mutual broke her heart and she seemed to be visibly shaken on air.
Are Iris and Keith Still Together?
No. Keith was given another chance to rethink his decision, but he was sure that he didn’t want to reconcile with Iris. When Iris accused him of not opening up emotionally, he retorted back with a similar explanation. He felt that Iris was not ready to be a wife as she lacked both emotional and sexual experience. He found her to be immature and uptight. He couldn’t see a future with her. He also shared that he wasn’t ready to be a husband at the moment.
According to sources, Iris had struggled with the news. She had had a hard time getting over this rejection and tried to think of working things out. But eventually, she realized that this marriage was not a good fit for her and embarked on her journey to move on. She recently expressed her desire to feature on the show again for a fresh start and a second chance.
In an interview, she revealed that she and Keith aren’t in touch at all, and they are technically still married. Because the state of North Carolina only allows a couple to file for divorce after one year of separation. She is planning on starting the paperwork soon.
For now, according to Keith’s Instagram stories and posts, he has been traveling and spending time with his family. He also does a lot of Q&A sessions with his followers.
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Iris has been doing photoshoots, taking up modeling assignments, and building her portfolio on Instagram. She has also been seen bonding with her co-stars and answering fan questions.
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