Are Ikechi Ojoré & Emem Obot Still Together After Married At First Sight Season 18?
Ikechi Ojoré and Emem Obot from Married At First Sight season 18 seemed like a perfect couple, but a few things have come to light since the season premiered, leaving many curious if the couple is still together. MAFS season 18 premiered on October 15 with ten singles from the city. Ikechi and Emem were singles who didn’t know each other before the experiment but took a leap of faith, hoping to find their soulmates. Unlike everyone else on the show, Ikechi knew what the process entailed.
He’d applied for MAFS season 9, filmed in Charlotte, and also gave MAFS season 12, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia, a shot. The fact that Ikechi’s career led him to Chicago, where season 18 was taking place, felt like destiny. Despite his claims he was looking for a life partner, Ikcehi’s reasons for being on the show are still unclear. His words and actions are indifferent, whereas Emem has been consistent with what she wanted from the experiment since day one.
Emem’s & Ikechi’s Journey On MAFS
Ikechi and Emem have had the least drama in a Married At First Sight season that has been pretty scandalous thanks to some cheating allegations and spouse swapping. The Chicago edition looked promising after its debut. Eventually, it appeared like the MAFS experts finally got it right after a couple of messy matches. Emem, a 34-year-old nurse practitioner from Nigeria, asked the experts to match her with a man who liked black women and had natural leadership qualities.
The MAFS star wanted someone who would appreciate her cultural background. When she was matched with Ikechi, a 41-year-old college counselor, it seemed like a match made in heaven. Ikechi was searching for his black queen and had expressed his desire to get matched to a black woman only, as Ikechi has Nigerian roots.
His parents gave him a name from one of Nigeria’s ethnic groups -Igbo. In Nigeria, Ikechi means strength.
The Nigerian connection solidified Ikechi and Emem’s connection. Ikechi even joked that their names were a perfect foundation for their union—strength and peace (Emem means peace in Nigeria). Although their relationship hasn’t been covered much on the screen, with most attention given to the other couples, it’s obvious they are struggling to form a meaningful connection. Their struggles, despite looking solid, have once again proved the MAFS experts might fail to produce successful pairs once the season 18 finale airs.
Ikechi Is Disingenuous
Ikechi presented himself as genuine, ready to go through the MAFS process to find his match. In his own words, he had prepared for this moment his entire life. That’s why he started writing letters to his future and compiled them into a poetry book published in 2018. Even so, it didn’t take long for viewers to start picking up on Ikechi’s red flags despite presenting himself as a great guy searching for his black queen. In one glaring moment, Ikechi told his wife he’d referred to her as “da homie” when talking with his friends, leaving Emem utterly shocked.
“You called me a homie? Did you say that out there?”
Seeing nothing wrong with that statement, Ikechi responded:
“I did say that to these people that you’re da homie. I think it’s a good thing that we have a friendship. “
However, Emem doubled down in a confessional, saying the conversation made it look like she was just “a friend to him.” While Emem seemed ready to learn and grow with Ikechi, it didn’t look like he wanted the same. With every episode, Ikechi appears to have rehearsed for his role on MAFS. He knows what to say and when to say it. After returning from their honeymoon, Emem and Ikechi seemed to be struggling with physical intimacy. Emem noted it is difficult to “know someone until you live with them” (via Montre Burton).
The move back to Chicago has started showing the lack of chemistry between them. Recently, the MAFS experts, Pastor Carl Roberson and Dr. Pepper Schwartz, stopped by to discuss the couple’s lack of physical connection. Emem told the experts that Ikechi falls asleep at 9 p.m. so he can be at the gym by 5 a.m. The experts advised Ikechi to compromise so he’d have time to form a physical connection.
If Ikechi is on MAFS for the right reasons, it would be easy for him to compromise to create a bond with Emem. However, Ikechi comes off like an infomercial for himself, promoting his work as an author. Unless Ikechi is a MAFS season 18 producer plant, his actions don’t reflect those of a married man. Emem could be ignoring the red flags, hoping their relationship would work, but she might get played in the end.
Are Emem & Ikechi Still Together?
Ikechi and Emem’s relationship status is still unknown. Both of their Instagram accounts are private, making it difficult to see if they are following each other. However, the @mafsfan account spoiled that Ikechi and Emem got divorced. The account also alleged that Emem got engaged to someone who wasn’t on the show once season 18 wrapped. Although Emem and Ikechi looked great together, based on how Married At First Sight season 18 is going, they will most likely say no on Decision Day.
