Married at First Sight’s Nate Duhon Explains Why His Marriage to Sheila Downs Might Last: “The Experts Dug Deeper” This Time

Married at First Sight’s Nate Duhon is counting on faith to lift him through marriage. From the moment he met his new wife at the altar on the season 5 premiere, the Chicago-based business manager knew that love was a possibility. Now that he’s taken the leap and married Sheila Downs, Duhon opens up to The Knot about why he believes his marriage might last.

“It was extremely important for me to feel a connection with Sheila,” Duhon, 26, admits. “I was worried that I wouldn’t find her attractive, because I [let] three experts do the selecting for me. Even though I gave them specifics on the type of woman I was looking for, there was still some doubt.”

Thankfully, Duhon was instantly attracted to Downs, 31, and he credits the expertise of Married at First Sight’s Pastor Calvin Roberson, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and Rachel DeAlto. “I think that the experts dug in even deeper this season during the casting process,” he tells The Knot. “I was highly impressed [with Sheila].”

Duhon isn’t ashamed to admit that he was looking for a physical connection. “It was such a relief because she was so stunning,” he recalls of meeting his bride. “I was so happy [when] the doors opened and Sheila was standing there, looking flawless.”

While Downs’ appearance were a bonus, Duhon–whose religion plays an important role in his life–was looking for a deeper connection. He tells us: “To me, love is a deep feeling of affection and care for a person that creates an unbreakable bond.”

Although the ceremony went smoothly, there was friction between the newlyweds’ fathers at the reception. The bride was clearly upset when Duhon’s dad made several unpleasant remarks towards her father. But Duhon explains that there is no malice between the men today. “[They were] simply two alpha males meeting for the first time and getting to know each other,” he shares with The Knot. “I was definitely caught off guard, [but] there isn’t any bad blood there.”

Several Married at First Sight participants, including this season’s Danielle Degroot have admitted that being on-camera is difficult. Although Duhon says it hasn’t been easy getting to know his wife during filming, he’s determined to go with the flow.

“I take it all in stride,” he says. Ultimately, Duhon says his experience on the show has been positive, and his wife was the most rewarding aspect. “She’s a great woman,” he concludes to The Knot. “To sum up Married at First Sight, I would say, ‘joyous.’”