The first Love is Blind UK contestant to pop the question said he had “no regrets” about taking part.

Viewers watched gym owner Steven Smith, originally from Birmingham, propose to Belfast-based Sabrina Vittoria after a series of dates in pods separated by a wall.

The popular Netflix dating experiment, which has previously filmed in the US, Brazil and Sweden, sees couples get engaged without ever having met face-to-face.

“We took a gamble, we took a leap of faith and it just didn’t work out,” Mr Smith said after marrying on the show in September.

He admitted he felt “bit hurt” by the way he was portrayed during a reunion show which aired on Monday, but added: “I know who I am and my friends and family know and that’s all that matters.”

Out of 30 single people who signed up, six couples got engaged and two are still together, according to Netflix.

Steven, who was 37 at the time of filming and now lives in London, said he had felt mixed emotions watching the programme back.

“There’s the joy in watching me fall in love again, but then there’s also a lot of questions being asked as to where did it all go wrong and reliving the end result,” he said.

He said distance had made “small problems become bigger problems” during his relationship with marketing director Sabrina.

“We separated and it just didn’t work, we weren’t compatible in real life,” he added.

The couple are now seeking an annulment.

“I’ve been trying to find the beauty in the experiment… but obviously there are some sad times in there obviously knowing the outcome,” he said.

He described a supportive response from viewers, saying: “The love that I’ve received has been magical.”

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