Reality TV personality Luke Worley, known for his appearance on Married at First Sight UK, has lost an employment tribunal after filing a claim against his former employer, EE, for unfair dismissal. Worley, 31, was terminated from his role as a store manager at an EE store in Basildon, Essex, after he left for Spain without permission in 2021 to film the Channel 4 show The Language of Love.
The employment tribunal, held in East London, heard that Worley requested three weeks of leave to film the reality show, hosted by Davina McCall and Ricky Merino, but was denied due to the busy season surrounding Apple’s iPhone 13 launch. Despite the refusal, Worley informed his manager that he intended to go to Spain, leading to an investigation and his dismissal upon his return.
The tribunal’s judgment, led by Employment Judge Stephen Shore, described Worley’s claim that the absence was a misunderstanding as “incredible,” adding that Worley lacked any “legitimate reason” for his absence. Worley, who also attempted to argue that his dyslexia impacted his understanding of EE’s attendance policies, was found capable of understanding company procedures, according to Judge Shore.
Worley, who later joined Married at First Sight UK in 2023, has no comment on the tribunal’s outcome. His appearance on The Language of Love in 2021, a dating show where contestants couldn’t speak each other’s languages, aired in January 2022. Since his dismissal from EE, Worley has attempted a career in television, but he left Married at First Sight after a physical altercation with another contestant.
The tribunal dismissed Worley’s claims of unfair dismissal, breach of contract, and disability discrimination, concluding that his dismissal was warranted due to “gross misconduct” for taking unauthorized leave.
