Married At First Sight husband says he had more fun talking to the BARMAN on his honeymoon than spending time with his new TV wife

A reality TV star said he had more fun chatting with the bar staff on his honeymoon than spending time with his new wife.

Financial adviser Jason Knowles, 34, met and married personal trainer Kate Stewart, 31, on Channel 4's controversial Married At First Sight show.

They split up less than two weeks after their February wedding - when Jason was caught using the dating app Tinder by one of his wife's friends. 

But he has insisted he only signed up to the app after he realised the fleeting relationship would never work and claims he never fancied Kate, scoring her picture just two marks out of seven in the programme's matching stage. 

Kate Stewart and Jason Knowles (pictured together) wed as complete strangers for controversial Channel 4 series Married at First Sight - but they split up less than two weeks after their wedding

In the show, couples met for the first time at the altar having been selected by five experts, including Church of England vicar Nick Devenish, a sex therapist, a psychologist and two anthropologists.

Jason wed Kate in front of friends and family at a small civil ceremony in February before going on honeymoon in Ireland. 

But what should have been a romantic getaway instead marked the beginning of their break up. 

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Jason said: 'We would kiss and cuddle – but it's a strange thing to be lying next to a complete stranger night after night.

'At the start of the process they told us to send us a list of deal breakers and said we would not be matched with anyone who had them.

'One of hers was smokers. I told them I smoke socially.

'I was stressed out one night on honeymoon and I snuck out of the room and went down to the bar for a smoke.

'I chatted to the bar staff and thought, "Kate's upstairs having quiet meditation time."

'Not that there's anything wrong with meditation but I just thought, "I'm having more fun talking to a barman I've never met than I am sat in that room with Kate.'''

The couple who met for the first time at the altar share a quick kiss in a hot tub after the ceremony - however their relationship quickly turned sour and they broke up only a fortnight later

The ill-fated honeymoon was cut short because of Jason's job at Morrinson Wealth Management and they moved into a house in Bethnal Green, London, that was paid for by Channel 4.  

Their anti-social working hours meant they rarely saw each other and when they booked an appointment with Jo Coker, the programme's relationship therapist, to try and resolve their problems, Jason failed to show up.

Then, when a friend of Kate's revealed her new husband was on Tinder, she decided to break off the relationship. 

Jason is adamant he only signed up to the dating service once her knew the relationship was over.

He told the Sunday Mirror: 'I never cheated on Kate. Nothing happened until I decided it was over.  

'I had been out and one of my good friends said I needed to get back on the dating scene.

'We were being silly boys. He suggested I download Tinder. I pushed the button and his girlfriend grabbed the phone and was swiping left and right.'

Jason posted this picture of him kissing a mystery woman last month, after the filming for the show ended

Strangers who wed on TV split after groom spotted on TINDER!

In the wake of very public break-up, Jason revealed how he was disappointed with the way he was portrayed. 

He said: 'I wanted out from quite early on but they told me I was an integral part of the show and pressurised me to carry on.

'I knew I wasn't attracted to Kate from the beginning. She is clearly a good-looking girl – but after we got married I didn't find her that attractive.'

Last week Kate told MailOnline: 'I know that Jason has already been to the press and things have been spun in a negative light, and I would only want to talk about the positives from the experience. 

'I didn't expect all of this attention, so I just need some time for things to settle down'. 

The ill-suited pair now expect their marriage to be be annulled by a judge next month - because in the three weeks they spent together it was never consummated.    

A Channel 4 spokesman said: 'Everyone who applied to take part did so voluntarily and with a full understanding of what the show entailed.

'At no point was anyone under pressure to get married and all were free to withdraw from the process at any time.

'Jason was shown episodes before they aired and the programmes are a fair and accurate representation of his participation.'