Shona Manderson and Matt Pilmoor, who found love on E4's Married At First Sight, have shut down speculation that they are engaged after fans noticed a ring on Shona's finger.
The couple, who left their original spouses on the show to start dating each other, shared a cosy photo on Instagram on Monday, posing in front of a Christmas tree. Shona, 31, captioned the snap: "Christmas came early this year."
However, some eagle-eyed followers spotted a gold band on Shona's left hand and wondered if it was a sign of a proposal. "Is this an engagement ring? If so congratulations!" one commented. Another asked: "Engagement ring?" A third exclaimed: "Omg congratulations are you engaged so happy."
Shona, who works as a performing arts teacher, quickly clarified that she and Matt, 27, are not engaged yet. "Nope, not engaged," she replied to one fan. She also added a laughing emoji to another comment that said: "The caption and ring on left finger just ups the suspension."
Despite the confusion, Shona and Matt have admitted that they have discussed marriage and children in the future. In an interview with OK! magazine, Shona said: "Yeah, we’ve spoken about getting married. Matt has said he will wear a kilt because my family are Scottish."
She also revealed that they could be starting a family within the "next few years." She said: "It’s mental, but when you know, you know, and it just works. And it can move at a healthy pace. I don’t even feel scared about anything."
Shona and Matt met on the MAFS reunion show in June, after they both split from their original partners on the show. Shona was matched with Brad Skelley, but they decided to part ways after a lack of chemistry. Matt was paired with Adrienne Naylor, but they broke up over their different views on having children.
The pair hit it off instantly and confirmed their romance on social media shortly after the show ended. They have since moved in together in Nottingham and have been sharing their love story with their fans. They are one of the few success stories from the UK version of the show, which has been criticised for its low success rate compared to its Australian counterpart.
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