‘Married at First Sight’: Fans worry the family therapist will break Derek Sherman’s heart

On Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, couples are set up for arranged marriages by experts Pastor Calvin Roberson, marriage and family therapist Viviana Coles, and sociologist Pepper Schwartz. Married at First Sight Season 10 has five new couples from the Washington, D.C. area.

One of those couples is Katie Conrad and Derek Sherman, a couple of adventurous young professionals who say they are more than ready to get married.

But fans of Married at First Sight aren’t so sure that Katie Conrad is ready. After all, she admitted at the Season 10 premiere that she had “cold feet” because of an ex who tried to come back in the future right before her wedding to a stranger.

Married at First Sight: Katie and Derek are one of the youngest couples in ‘Married at First Sight’ history

25-year-old Katie Conrad, a family therapist, and Derek, a 26-year-old cybersecurity engineer, both say they’re ready for the ultimate commitment.

Derek is adventurous and seems willing to jump at the beginning of the unconventional experience. He says he wants a partner who isn’t afraid to try new things, from world trips to exotic kitchens.

Katie Conrad also says she has always dreamed of a lifelong romance. She told Married at First Sight producers that she wanted to marry young, partly because of her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, which could make having children difficult.

The ‘Married at First Sight’ star was confused by a former fling who reached out

At Season 10, Katie Conrad became emotional when she finally saw herself as a bride in the making during a fitting wedding gown. But her family and loved ones admitted that they were worried about Katie’s preparation for a lifelong commitment.

“I’ve always imagined that she would get married, and I want her to make her dream come true. But Katie Conrad has some doubts,” confessed Katie’s mother, Shannon.

Katie Conrad admitted at the Married at First Sight premiere that a former fling, who had always walked hot and cold with her, reached out to her just before she was expected to marry Derek. She told producers that her remaining feelings for her ex stood in the way of her excitement for her wedding.

“There’s something I’m not sure about. It’s a lot of pressure for me just because right now I’m really conflicted on whether or not to be married at first sight,” MAFS star said. “And my head is being messed with by that other guy who told me not to go through with this.”

Katie Conrad confessed to her mother and Aunt Ivy while trying on the dress that she had “cold feet,” and wasn’t sure about her decision. “So I’ve been thinking the last few days. And that’s terrifying,” she said.

Katie’s mother, meanwhile, said she hoped that Katie’s ex, who had obsessed her in the past, would leave her alone and let her find a connection with someone who was ready.

Married at First Sight: Fans worry the family therapist will break Derek’s heart

Married fans of First Sight are more than a little worried about the pairing of Katie and Derek. While Lifetime wedding pictures of the young couple suggest that Katie wasn’t a runaway bride, viewers are still concerned that her doubts will get in the way of their ability to build trust and form an unbreakable bond.

“Derek is my favorite and Katie is going to break his heart,” a Twitter user wrote after the Season 10 premiere.

Other Married at First Sight viewers thought Derek deserved better than a partner with cold feet. “Derek seems like a nice guy – Katie needs to get him to match someone else!” wrote a critic. “She had a relationship in the weeks she went through the interview process and now she’s got cold feet… how about her feet walk out of the show like that!

Another thought that Katie should abandon out of respect for her arranged husband-to-be. “I don’t think Katie should go through with it,” the fan wrote on Twitter. “She’s already marrying someone else in her mind and heart. That’s not fair to Derek.”