With Married At First Sight season 18 on the horizon, Lifetime recently released the names of the 10 Chicago-based singles who will be marrying perfect strangers this season. The long-running unscripted show that matches up strangers in legal matrimony has always had a terrible track record. Since its premiere in 2014, the show’s relationship experts have been using data, experience, and intuition to make matches. Though the shows had some success stories, like Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner from season 1, the couples usually ended up getting divorced.

Married At First Sight season 17 was an absolute disaster, failing to yield any successful marriages, with one of the marriages even ending during a honeymoon. Only one couple said yes on Decision Day, and they decided to break up the very next day. In light of last season’s stunning level of romantic failure, the pressure is on for Married at First Sight season 18 to deliver some successful love stories. Read on to learn more about the 10 brave singles who are about to marry perfect strangers, sight unseen.

Juan & Karla

Open Hearts & Open Minds

Courtesy of Lifetime

According to Lifetime, 36-year-old Juan claims that he has struggled in relationships because many women judge him due to his good looks, and therefore don’t see him as marriage material. He’s ready to stop being treated like a piece of meat. Juan hopes that the Married At First Sight process, though imperfect, could help him find someone based on shared values. He’s definitely ready for marriage and hopes that the experts find him the right woman.

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For her part, 33-year-old Karla has been preparing herself for this moment her whole life. She has really worked on herself and is ready to find a partner who complements her in every way. Having recognized her unhealthy patterns and behaviors, she has made every effort to be her best self. She brings an open mind and an open heart to being in a Married At First Sight season 18 couple, and is excited to see if the unconventional process can work for her. In the past, traditional paths led her astray.

Thomas & Camille

Trying Not To Overthink Things

Courtesy of Lifetime

As a twin, 42-year-old Thomas is inspired by his sibling’s happy marriage, and he’s ready to find a soul mate of his own. He was in a nine-year relationship which ended because Thomas couldn’t commit, but he has worked on himself since then – he is prepared for this big step. Focusing on personal growth led Thomas to realize that he overthinks things, which has sometimes kept him from taking action. He hopes that appearing on Married At First Sight will exceed his expectations.

Thomas will be marrying 32-year-old Camille.

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Though Camille has a successful career, she hasn’t been as lucky in love. She leads an active life as a single woman, but she’s ready to find a husband to build a life with. Camille is a long-time fan of Married At First Sight and can’t wait to see if the process will work for her. Mostly, she loves the idea that being married to a stranger removes the guesswork – she doesn’t need to try and figure out the often-perplexing behavior of men. She trusts the MAFS dating experts and intends to follow their guidance wherever it may lead.

Allen & Madison

Tired Of The Dating Scene

Courtesy of Lifetime

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At 35-years-old, Allen feels ready to find his wife and build a happy family. The Married At First Sight season 18 cast member feels that he brings a genuine nature and vulnerability to the process, along with his unwavering commitment to making a relationship work. He’s excited about what the experts have in store for him, and he hopes to leave the show with a loving wife to share his life with.

As 29-year-old Madison approaches her 30th birthday, she can’t help but feel like her life is missing something.

Having been single for two and a half years, Madison has spent a lot of time getting to know herself, and she really feels like she’s had time to gain a better understanding of herself. Now that she knows who she is and what she wants, the Married At First Sight season 18 star is more than ready to find her perfect match. Madison is ready to stop wasting time dating men she has no future with, and is ready to let the experts take the wheel.

David & Michelle

Ready For A Lifetime Commitment

Courtesy of Lifetime

35-year-old David grew up watching his parents’ happy marriage, and it inspired him to want the same thing for himself. Though Married At First Sight rarely ends in a happy marriage, he’s hopeful that the social experiment can work for him. If he’s lucky, he may find a great partner.

People who appear in Married At First Sight should manage their expectations. If they don’t, they may set themselves up for heartbreak. Hope is good, but the many failed matches show that some people don’t find love on the series.

David thinks that his past relationships have taught him so much that he’s truly prepared for the commitment of marriage. David is content with his life, but he wants someone to share it with, and he hopes the unscripted show can help lead him to his wife.

At 38 years of age, Michelle had been ready for marriage for a long time.

She has been single for six long years, but is ready to make a lifelong commitment. Years of dating hadn’t led her to her soulmate, so she decided to give Married At First Sight’s team of experts a shot at helping her find her husband. With her biological clock in mind, Michelle would love to have her own children. However, she’s also open to adoption or foster parenting.

Emem & Ikechi

They Believe In This Process

Courtesy of Lifetime

This wasn’t 41-year-old Ikechi’s first brush with the Married At First Sight experts, having met them in 2020. When he relocated to Chicago due to his job, he arrived just in time to film an MAFS season in the windy city. Ikechi considered that a sign. Though things didn’t work out last time, he’s hopeful that this time will lead him to his soulmate. He has worked on himself and figured out what he’s looking for in a relationship.

After many failed relationships, Ikechi hopes this process will lead him to the love of his life.

34-year-old Emem feels good about where she is in her career, but she’s ready to find a partner to share her amazing life with. She feels that she has wasted a lot of time dating the wrong men and wants to try a different method for finding her husband, which is where Married At First Sight season 18 comes in. As an adventurous and open-minded person, Emem feels hopeful that the Married At First Sight experiment could work for her.