MAFS UK groom Steven Springett recounts brutal attack as he heads into reality dating show

A Married At First Sight UK groom was left with a fractured cheekbone, shattered teeth and a broken nose after a brutal nightclub attack, a ordeal that he says changed his life and hopes as he prepares to be matched with a bride on E4’s dating series.

Steven Springett, 34, who previously played football for Ebbsfleet United and now works as an investment banking manager, was attacked by a group of men he knew from a college dispute. He recalls being surrounded and struck from multiple angles over a past feud, leaving him with extensive injuries and a scarred future in some respects. The assault, which occurred as he was leaving a nightclub on his own, abruptly cut short his football ambitions and forced him into extensive reconstructive surgery.

In the immediate aftermath, Springett required dozens of stitches to repair the damage to his face. He lists the injuries publicly: a fractured right cheekbone, damaged teeth, a broken nose with a slight bend, and multiple facial scars. He spent six months wearing a face mask as his wounds healed and found himself reluctant to leave the house, a period he describes as emotionally challenging. Over the years, he has undergone multiple cosmetic procedures to address the physical impact of the attack, but he says the mental struggle proved more difficult to overcome.

"For the first six months I was in a horrible place, because I didn't want to go out. I had to wear a face mask. When they started healing, they went purple, and I could see people looking at me thinking, urgh, put the mask back on," he recalled. He credits his resilience to a shift in perspective and to channeling the experience into a broader purpose. "My positive outlook, why I am the way I am today, the way I see the world… is because of that attack. At first it was like I've got scars on my face people are going to see me a little bit differently. But now I see them as the reason I am who I am. It's character building. It shows that I've won, and they lost."

Springett’s injuries were not only physical. He describes a time when insecurity about his appearance fed into a broader fear about his career and social life. Yet he says the experience ultimately contributed to his growth, including becoming more open about mental health. He emphasises that he believes in talking about past traumas and checking in on one another, a stance he has carried into his current life beyond football.

The attack, which springboarded from a college dispute in which he had a minor disagreement and a girl involved two years prior, was reportedly fueled by what police described as a vendetta. Springett says one perpetrator received a prison sentence of 10 months. He has framed his response in terms of resilience and adaptation rather than retaliation, and he has carried that philosophy into his new reality TV journey.

Before the assault, Springett had stepped back from professional football after his early 20s, focusing on his career and family. Now a father of two living in Essex, he is balancing a demanding day job with a place on a high-profile dating show that thrives on dramatic first impressions and candid conversations. In Sunday’s series opener, he was introduced to viewers as a tall, composed presence at the grooms’ stag party, an image he hopes will contrast with the sometimes chaotic energy of the show’s dynamics.

The series places Springett in a unique position: his bride’s reaction to seeing him for the first time will be a focal point, a moment he acknowledges has the potential to be emotionally intense. He says his recovery has given him a different lens on life and a readiness to embrace a new challenge that is far removed from the football pitch.

Office life, he notes, presents a very different dynamic than professional sports, but he sees adaptability as a strength he has carried into every stage of his journey. He believes his experiences could make him a stabilising influence within the group, offering advice and perspective during the show’s famously lively dinner party segments. He adds that his past has taught him to focus on the long arc of growth rather than short-term appearances.

"I never thought I would be on TV. I know with football it can always happen here and there—the cup runs and stuff. But I think you normally see people on TV who look at the Beckhams of the world, and how beautifully he's structured, and Idris Elba. You think they only look for a certain face. So, I was like, 'why would they want a face that looks like this?' But, obviously, life's not all about looks. It's all about your energy and personality that you can bring and the impact that you have on other people and influence," Springett said.

He emphasizes the ongoing importance of mental health awareness and says he makes it a point to check in with himself and others, acknowledging that everyone carries trauma. He frames his participation in Married At First Sight UK as an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and to show that people can evolve from painful experiences into purposeful new chapters.

Springett, who is currently working in the financial sector and living in Essex, also highlights the personal margins of his story: the physical injuries, the long road to recovery, and the adjustments required to re-enter public life after a life-changing incident. He notes that many people may not immediately recognise the endurance behind his appearance, but that endurance is the point of his journey now—on screen and in real life.

As the new episodes of Married At First Sight UK unfold, Springett intends to bring a sense of steadiness and an openness to growth that he says was forged in the fires of the attack. He acknowledges the volatile nature of reality television but remains convinced that his experiences can offer balance within the show's social dynamics.

Stream Married At First Sight UK on Channel 4 now. A new episode will air on E4 tonight at 9pm.