JAMES & SAM 'CRUELTY HAS MADE US STRONGER❜

The MAFS NZ sweethearts have bonded over the groom's sad past

- Hayley Barnett, Laura Evans, Sebastian van der Zwan.

It was clear from the get-go that Married At First Sight New Zealand's James Hunt and Samantha Best were made for each other. Almost immediately after meeting for the first time at their tropical wedding in Vanuatu, they dived deep into the big issues, including personal health matters.

James' sensitivity around his sleep apnoea came up for discussion, before Sam admitted to suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. It certainly wasn't romantic, but it set the tone for what would become a relationship of openness, honesty and empathy - just some of the many values they share.

"Early on, we realised there were so many things that aligned for us both," says James, 31. "We had open conversations both on and off camera about our struggles and how we feel, and it created a really safe environment that just continued to blossom."

In "Confessions Week", the Christchurch schoolteacher admits he's struggled with self-esteem throughout his life, to which Sam, 26, responds with compassion.

James reveals it was a combination of events that led to him eventually being unable to look at himself in the mirror.

"It started when I was young," recalls the Britishborn groom. "I was good at sports, but whatever I did just wasn't good enough. That started a rollercoaster of self-esteem issues."

Over the years, James noticed his friends were getting into long-term relationships, but for him, nothing stuck.

"I've always been the one who gets put to the side by women. I get on with them for a short amount of time, then they just decide, 'Nah, sorry! Some have been very blunt and said, 'You're just not good-looking enough."

Bullied in school because of his weight, James' experiences followed him into adulthood, when he developed a turbulent relationship with his body and the way he looks. When he moved to New Zealand, he weighed 112kg.