Married at First Sight returns with Blacktown born and bred heart-throb Mark Ellam

MARRIED At First Sight returns to Channel 9 tonight with Western Sydney firey Mark Ellam one of the men tying the knot to a woman he’s never seen before.

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BLACKTOWN born and bred Mark Ellam will walk down the aisle on TV in a quest for true love.

The 30-year-old ties the knot in the third series of Channel 9’s Married at First Sight to a woman he has never met before the ceremony.

And, while they wouldn’t reveal what happened after walking down the aisle, both admitted they thought their new partners were “hot” as soon as they saw them.

The fireman, who works in western Sydney, now lives in Dee Why but makes the hour-long drive a few times a week to visit his parents in Quakers Hill.

“I was born in Blacktown Hospital and spent most of my childhood there. I lived in Quakers Hill and most of my family lives in the same area, from Schofields to Rooty Hill,” he said.

Mark suited up for the ceremony.

The heart-throb, who went to St Patrick’s Primary School and Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown, revealed that he was surprised at his parents’ response when he told them of his plans to be on the show.

“They were not as shocked as I thought they would be, but I’ve shocked my parents with a lot of things so apparently me getting married to a stranger was not as shocking as I thought,” he laughed.

“I am a pretty spontaneous guy so I guess it wasn’t that out of character to marry a complete stranger on TV.”

Ellam credits his humble roots for his hard work ethic.

“My family has a lot of do with it, I come from an average family like most people do and my parents always wanted the best for me.”

While a man in uniform can set many women’s hearts a flutter, Mark said he had been unlucky in love.

“This opportunity came up and I thought maybe a panel of experts are the best ones to make an unbiased decision of who they think matches best with me. I thought, why not have a crack at it,” he said.

Mark has been a firefighter for three years.

Mark features in the firefighters calendar.

Ellam described the first day of filming as a “weird experience”.

“It is an experience that no one else has been through. It is a long day, we started at 10am and didn’t finish until 3am. It was pretty intense but exciting. I was surprised by how relaxed I was. I wasn’t freaking out but just having a good time.”

While the fitness aficionado enjoys sports and the outdoors, he can easily spend as much time being a homebody.

“Health and fitness are a big part of my life. Not just eating healthy but being active: I like surfing, kickboxing, rock climbing and doing new things,” he said.

“I am also a bit of weird person because I’m a massive gamer. I could spend six hours playing on a Saturday and the next six hours going rock climbing.”

Mark is sure to set hearts alight.

Health and fitness are a big part of Mark’s life.

Before becoming a firefighter Ellam ran his own business in the fitness industry then worked in the corporate sector.

“In the corporate sector the money was great, but I quickly realised I hated my job. I had wanted to be a firefighter for a while and I’ve never looked back,” he said.

“I would never do anything else now. It’s good camaraderie and everyone gets so involved. It’s a really good feeling knowing you’re making a difference in the community.”

He points out that he doesn’t quite know how to describe his dream woman.

“I don’t have a particular type of girl. I’m pretty lax about most things and, while generally you do have a set of things you don’t want in a relationship, I don’t have set preferences. Ethnicity, age, occupation, where they live doesn’t bother me. I’m always open.”

Frizza, 31, works for radio station Sea FM and told the Manly Daily last week that she had been single for five years.

“I saw him and he just smiled and I was like ‘oh my god ... he’s so hot’.”

Married at First Sight airs tonight on Channel 9 at 8.40pm and also this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.