Tom Byatt signed up to marry a stranger. He also hoped to show viewers something about himself that rarely gets enough room in a televised love story: a happy, confident life with HIV.
His series of Married at First Sight UK will not be broadcast. But he is speaking about that part of his experience anyway.
The story he wanted people to see
In a November 11 interview with PinkNews, Tom described feeling devastated that viewers would not see his journey.
He said receiving his HIV diagnosis had initially been difficult, but he now felt happier and more confident. Dating and intimacy had brought challenges, and he hoped sharing his experience would help someone feel less alone.
His description of his outlook is wonderfully direct: “Being positive about being positive.”
Tom has also shared photographs and reflections on Instagram, explaining that contractual obligations still prevent him from revealing specific storylines.
He says he is single and still looking for love.
Why the series will not air
Tom was not individually removed from the programme.
In its November 5 announcement, Channel 4 said MAFS UK would not return and that the series already in production would not be broadcast.
The decision followed an external review commissioned after serious allegations involving past participants, which those participants have denied.
Channel 4 said the review considered continuation feasible with changes, but implementing its recommendations would fundamentally alter the format. The unbroadcast series had not been made under the recommended strengthened protocols.
The review did not adjudicate the allegations.
Tom has been careful to distinguish his own positive experience from other people’s accounts, expressing compassion for those who experienced distress.
Love beyond a diagnosis
His wish to challenge stigma has important medical context. Terrence Higgins Trust explains that people living with HIV who take effective treatment and maintain an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV on through sex. This is known as undetectable equals untransmittable, or U=U.
For Tom, the personal lesson was about acceptance: finding someone who welcomes his whole self, including his HIV status.
His television marriage did not produce the lasting relationship he wanted. He says the experience still left him stronger and more self-assured.
The series may never introduce him to its audience. His hope of being understood, and of sharing his happiness with someone, remains a story worth telling.
📷 @tom_byatt_