“It all really stepped up once I left my marriage, eight years ago - a second chance to be my authentic self for which I am deeply grateful.”
The former assistant vet nurse says Reiki therapy can help anyone and everything with regard to supporting humans and animals.
When a MAFS producer asked if they could film Gilbert performing Reiki on a friend, it was her neighbour’s guinea pig Elliott that ended up standing in, and he was thoroughly refreshed after his treatment.
After Gilbert’s marriage, which she says was a 10-year relationship, she tried all kinds of dating - including using dating apps, which she says function like looking in a shop window. “Something looks amazing and shiny and you go in for a closer look and realise it’s from a 1950s ad for a fancy car, but it’s really a dump truck,” Gilbert explains. “I have found that they just want a piece of the treasure chest, instead of the full package this little ginger offers. It’s like promising the world, and no delivery.”
Gilbert describes going into the experiment as akin to winning a golden ticket. She was hoping to find somebody who has the maturity and confidence to be the same on the outside as they are on the inside.
“I was looking for that knight in shining armour, someone who isn’t afraid to take the lead - be romantic, passionate, and with a sense of humour.” Gilbert said he definitely had to be taller than her and not a “ginger” like herself.
She describes the reality of her wedding and honeymoon in Vanuatu as like being on a rollercoaster ride. “Embracing the twists and turns of all it encompasses, its highs and lows - all in one day - forced me to grow and to step outside my comfort zone.”
After Gilbert struggled to make sense of not feeling an instant connection at her wedding, an awesome adventure for their first date helped the newlyweds bond.
Because of her fear of heights, she says her new husband could see that she was struggling and gave her a cuddle, which showed Gilbert her new hubby had a beautiful heart.
“The luxury of our second date was pure bliss and an intimate space where we got to explore our naturist side,” she says.
As for connecting with the other couples, Gilbert says there were times when she looked around the room and thought “holy smoke” or “what the...” as the pressure brought out the true colours in people.
Spy hears producers added to the pressure cauldron and a fifth couple are to enter the experiment in Vanuatu.
Married At First Sight New Zealand premieres on Three and ThreeNow on Sunday, May 26.
