WHEN she excitedly signed up for Married At First Sight UK, Sophie Brown didn't think twice about her weight.
But since appearing on the hit E4 matchmaking show last year, the star, 30, says she has been constantly bombarded by fat-shaming trolls obsessing over her fluctuating figure.
Her marriage to Jonathan Wileman hit the skids after they clashed over her gym routine, with the joiner insisting he wasn't after a partner with "horse legs".
Despite enlisting a personal trainer and sticking to a strict diet in the build-up to the show, former tech executive Sophie – who recently left her high paid job with retail giant THG – says faceless ghouls continue to make her life a misery.
"My weight was part of the journey in the show and it seems to have carried on from there," she tells The Sun.
"It's a reoccurring topic that keeps coming up. It's frustrating as people stop commenting on it for a period of time and then suddenly start again.
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"I didn't expect the comments on my weight that were on the show.
"It never entered my mind that it would be a discussion point. I never brought up my weight so it's hard that everyone else still is."
Harsh words
Sophie and Jonathan at first appeared to be a perfect match, striking up an instant chemistry as they jetted off on their honeymoon.
But when they returned home, viewers were left cringing over his comments about women’s bodies, as he explained: "I never personally want a girl that's huge like body builder legs and a body builder body and someone that's really built up".
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The harsh words struck a nerve with Sophie, who admits she has worried about her appearance since her school days.
"I think it's hard for both males and females, but for females it can be very hard, especially when growing up," she says.
"I went to an all-girls school. It's a very prevalent thing that people talked about and struggled with. As I've got older it's bothered me less. I'm generally healthy and work out a lot.
"When I went on TV I wanted to be my best self so I put in extra work – plus I was going to be having my wedding.
"I was going straight on a honeymoon as well. So I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin."
Since the show aired, Sophie admits she has "put on a bit of weight",but was stunned to find her appearance has become an obsession for faceless internet ghouls.
She told Closer how her confidence was "crushed" after being pictured on a recent night out with co-star Adrian Sanderson in Manchester, which led to vile trolls comparing her to a "whale".
Sophie tells us: "I think people feel safe being able to hide behind anonymous accounts, they don't feel they have to be accountable.
"I've responded to people on Twitter before and all they say back is, 'Oh I didn't think you'd see it'.
"If it was linked to people's actual names or pictures, I don't think they'd say half the things they do. I can't imagine wanting to employ someone who spends their spare time doing that on social media.
"I wouldn't even want to be friends with someone who did that. I'd be devastated if I found out someone I knew was doing it."
Hitting back
In November, Sophie was hailed by fans after sharing a video of herself working out at the gym to a soundtrack of Jonathan's quotes from Married at First Sight.
It led to a furious riposte from her ex, who told The Mirror that it amounted to "nothing short of incitement of online abuse".
While the show has faced accusations of dramatic editing, Sophie says their arguments on camera were a "fair representation" and admits they no longer talk.
The pair parted ways before the reunion episode and Jonathan quickly moved on with series one alumni Amy Christophers.
"I mean I'd love to say that we were still in contact, but I think we both just live our individual lives," Sophie says.
"Obviously, I didn't get what I went in for. But ultimately, I think it really helped me as a person. I don't have regrets. I'm proud of my journey. I've got to live life with no regrets and I'm glad I did it."
Co-star Gemma Rose Barnes last week told The Sun in an explosive interview that she wished she had never appeared on the show after secretly struggling with alcohol addiction, claiming producers "used my vulnerability".
Sophie is still friends with many of her fellow contestants and has thrown her support behind Gemma, but insists her experience with the duty of care team was very different.
"I think it's great that [Gemma] is talking about her experience and it's brilliant that she's talking about that post-show, because I know that there were a lot of things that did affect us," she says.
"You get welfare and get a lot of access to them when the show's on and just afterwards, which is very helpful. And on request, you can speak to their psychologist, which I have asked for a couple of times."
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She adds: "I'm friends with a lot of the other cast members. It's harder when you live further away. But it's amazing to have that group of people because no one else has been through that experience.
"Obviously, not everyone gets on but you would never put 20 people together and everybody get on normally."
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