The Married At First Sight UK cast returned this evening for the first of the reunions - but one groom was noticeably absent on the night.

While Julia-Ruth came to face the music, after revealing that she'd gone on holiday with Joe (and had also been texting Steven), Joe failed to make an appearance on the night to share his side of events.

Asked why Joe wasn't coming to the reunion, Dean told Maeve: "He said he felt like he didn't need to."

Maeve then fired back: "What he didn't need to apologise that he lied about shagging Julia-Ruth did he not?"

So, what's the real reason why Joe didn't attend the MAFS UK 2025 reunion?

Here's everything you need to know.

Why didn't Joe attend the MAFS UK 2025 reunion?

At the reunion dinner party drinks, Dean explained that he'd had a conversation with Joe, who felt that it wasn't necessary for him to be at the reunion dinner party.

"I think he's being a coward," April said, to which Dean responded: "Yeah maybe. I did say he should come and face it."

Rebecca agreed with April that it was "cowardly" and Dean added: "He said if I want to talk to people I will talk to people after."

Speaking to the camera, Maeve said: "He didn't show up for the marriage and he's not showed up tonight. That just says a lot about him. He's an a***hole."

Joe's absence comes after he released a lengthy statement on his Instagram, in which he stated that he made the conscious decision to "remove" himself from the experiment and didn't "stay for air time".

He said: "I went into the experience with genuine intentions, but soon realised the true nature of the 'experiment'. It’s a reality show, created to entertain the viewers and divide opinion.

"I removed myself from the 'experiment' and I know that I stayed true to myself. I was never disloyal. I didn’t stay for air time. I didn’t act up to the camera, which can’t be said for some people.

Joe took a break from the experiment ahead of the couples retreat to attend his granddad's funeral.

Fans wondered whether he'd make a return after he missed a dinner party and commitment ceremony. He later made a comeback on the final day of the retreat, but after an argument with his wife Maeve, he made the decision to leave and hasn't returned since.

The Married At First Sight reunion commitment ceremony will air on Friday 14th November.