"My non-negotiables" — Married At First Sight’s Eliot chimes in on the age difference with Lauren

Eliot Donovan, a 35-year-old groom of Married At First Sight, packed his bags after just one episode. He had threatened to quit the show because his bride, Lauren Hall, didn't meet his expectations. Eliot thought Lauren, 37, was too old for him. He also felt she was too focused on material things, like designer goods.

In the premiere episode, he shocked other grooms with his strict requirements for a wife. Eliot described himself as a catch and walked out of his wedding to Lauren just hours after the ceremony. However, Eliot made a surprise return, leaving Lauren and the other contestants stunned. This happened after Lauren started dating Clint Rice, a professional golfer after Eliot had left.

Eliot had a clear idea of what he wanted in a partner. He preferred someone younger than him, ideally under 30.

"There was definitely things on my non-negotiables, right? I wanted someone that was younger than me, preferably someone under 30," stated Eliot.

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Married At First Sight groom Eliot speaks out on bride's "firecracker" sister

Eliot, a groom on Married At First Sight, recently shared his thoughts on his bride Lauren's sister, Tamara, and called her a "firecracker", while speaking to Today Extra on January 28. As mentioned earlier, Eliot married Lauren in the show's first episode, and everything seemed perfect at first.

However, things took a turn when Tamara, Lauren's bridesmaid and sister, arrived. Tamara's behavior caused tension, especially when she insulted Lauren, disrupted the bride and groom's first dance, and made demands to the staff.

Eliot appeared on 9Now's Today Extra and described Tamara as someone with a lively personality. Eliot was asked if he enjoyed Tamara's behavior on the wedding day. He didn't enjoy it, finding her comments surprising and hurtful. Eliot also found it puzzling that Lauren and Tamara seemed distant and cold towards each other.

"I didn't really understand [Lauren and Tamara's] relationship. They were really cold towards each other so that was a bit of a question mark," expressed Eliot.

Despite the distraction caused by Tamara, Eliot focused on his connection with Lauren. At 35, Eliot had some doubts, but he was hopeful about their relationship's potential. One area that didn't align was their family goals, but Eliot remained optimistic. He hinted that things might change as the relationship progressed on Married At First Sight.

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What happened in Married At First Sight 2025 episode 2?

Apart from Eliot and Lauren, other couples in Married At First Sight went about with their weddings. Katie, a charity-minded restaurant CEO, was eager to find love. She feared rejection and longed for someone to accept her for who she was. Katie's match was with Tim, a PE teacher who believed nice guys often finished last. During her wedding dress fitting, Katie became emotional.

On the wedding day, Katie beamed with happiness as she walked down the aisle to Tim. However, Tim's enthusiasm was short-lived. He confided in a production member that Katie wasn't his type, and he felt no attraction. Katie sensed Tim's hesitation and confronted him. Tim reassured her that he was just nervous, but Katie remained uncertain.

The next morning, Katie woke up in tears, recalling Tim's honest confession that he didn't feel a spark. She felt humiliated and rejected. Meanwhile, Dave, a 6'6" tradie, was paired with Jamie. Despite initial doubts, they were thrilled with each other's first impressions.

Dave was emotional about his father missing the wedding due to chemotherapy. After getting married, Dave and Jamie discovered they'd spend their honeymoon in the Whitsundays.

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Married At First Sight continues Wednesday and Thursday on Channel 9 and 9Now.