The matching tattoos acquired by Married At First Sight UK's Julia-Ruth and Joe Wood during their spontaneous holiday have been exposed, sending shockwaves through the show's fanbase. The ink, which carries the phrase "why not?", was revealed before it was even discussed on the E4 programme, adding another layer of drama to their short-lived fling.
The Tattoo Revelation and Its Meaning
Viewers of the hit reality show were left stunned during episode 31, aired on Sunday, when Julia-Ruth disclosed she had taken an impromptu trip to Lanzarote with Joe, who was previously married to fellow contestant Maeve. However, their romantic getaway was cut short when Joe reportedly ghosted her upon their return to the UK.
According to reports from The Tab, the pair decided to get matching tattoos featuring the words "why not?". Julia-Ruth herself explained the reasoning behind the permanent reminder. She stated that the main reason they "didn’t care about going against the other brides and grooms and causing drama" was simply... "why not".
She elaborated on their mindset, saying, "It was very much like, we reached out, I reached out, and then we had a conversation. He was like ‘Oh I’m going on holiday’ and I was like ‘Oh that sounds lovely’. And then it was very much like, ‘Oh okay well let’s go do this, like why not?’. If you can get married to a stranger, we can go on holiday."
Reunion Episode Fallout and Cast Reactions
The tattoo drama was a central point of contention in the preview for the highly anticipated reunion episode, scheduled for Thursday, 13th November. In the clip, Maeve is seen informing the entire group and the experts about the rumour, stating, "I've heard that Julia-Ruth and Joe got matching tattoos." The revelation left everyone gobsmacked.
While the show has yet to broadcast Julia-Ruth's full response to the accusation, the preview confirms the tension. The location of Julia-Ruth's tattoo remains a mystery, but she has actively engaged her followers on Instagram, posting a poll in her stories asking them to guess where it is. The options given were: shoulders, torso, legs, or arms.
In contrast, a glance at Joe's Instagram suggests he had the phrase tattooed on his right hip.
Unexpected Support and Ongoing Drama
In a surprising turn of events, Maeve took to her own Instagram stories to defend Julia-Ruth from a torrent of online abuse following the holiday reveal. She acknowledged the intensity of the situation, saying, "Last night guys, was a lot. Thank you for all your messages and support and crazy TikToks that are being made. Love and adore all that."
She then appealed for reason, adding, "However, there's some nasty comments getting flung about. And you've got to remember - I can't even believe I'm saying this - you have to cut Julia-Ruth some slack. Like, the comments are savage - kind of like her. But at the same time, she's got feelings. It's not nice - well I suppose it wasn't a very nice thing to do - but it's not okay that some of the messages are bad, like."
Maeve also hinted that more revelations are yet to come, suggesting this saga is far from over for the MAFS UK cast and its audience.
