SABRINA Egerton has said she is “closing the chapter” on Love is Blind UK, one year after the Irish woman walked down the aisle for the show.
The Belfast woman wed Steven Smith on the hit Netflix reality show, which aired last month.
But the reunion showed that the pair had split after just 86 days together, when the long-distance didn’t work between Belfast and London.
Sabrina also said her ex-husband didn’t make an effort to call or visit her, coming to Ireland just twice in that time, when she flew over seven times.
In a post on Instagram to mark one year since they said ‘yes’ at the altar she said the break-up was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced.”
The couple ended their marriage around Christmas last year when Steven refused to come to Belfast despite committing to it before.
The 35-year-old looked back on her wedding day in a post.
“One year ago today, I walked down the aisle and said “yes” to what I believed would be the start of my happily ever after. But life doesn’t always go as planned.
“Coming to terms with the breakdown of my marriage was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced. For so long, I held onto anger, and even longer, a deep sadness.
“Deep down, I knew it hadn’t been enough time and that I didn’t truly know this person outside of the experiment.
“But I ignored my intuition. I’ve spent a lot of time blaming myself for not listening to that inner voice.
“However, I made my decision based on the information I had at the time, and that’s all any of us can do. What if it had worked out? Sometimes, you have to take the leap of faith and hope for the best.”
Looking back on the past 12 months and having to deal privately with her marriage split before it aired publicly around the world on Love is Blind, she said: “This past year has been one of the darkest I’ve ever experienced, emotionally and mentally.
“To have my marriage crumble so publicly and so painfully was devastating.
“But through all the hurt, I’ve learned something incredibly important—I am stronger than I ever imagined. I’ve learned to find light in the darkest of places, to be grateful for the love and kindness I still have in my life, even when things seem bleak.”
Sabrina said people have asked her if she regrets doing Love is Blind but she said she doesn’t as she did the experiment the way it should be.
I was truly ready for that next step in life. And for that, I’m proud
“I went into it with an open mind, an open heart, and I was honest and authentic throughout. I was truly ready for that next step in life. And for that, I’m proud.
“The experience taught me resilience—it showed me what I will and won’t accept in my life, and it gave me a strength I didn’t know I had.
“Every challenge we face is a lesson, and I truly believe that sometimes things fall apart so that something better can fall into place.”
And as she marked one year since she walked down the aisle, she said she is turning a new page and starting afresh, and is hopeful she will find love.
“Today, I’m officially closing the chapter on that part of my life and I’m letting it go with peace and gratitude for the lessons it taught me.
“Now, as I step into this next chapter, I’m excited for what’s ahead. I know, when the time is right, I’ll meet someone who truly deserves my love, someone who will value and cherish all of me, who thinks I’m worth showing up for.
“Until then, I’m focused on building a life I’m proud of—and that’s a journey worth celebrating.”
