'Married At First Sight' Star Amber 'Regrets Not Standing Up' To Matt: 'I Didn't Value Myself'

Married At First Sight star Amber Bowles would do things differently if she could get a do-over. The middle school teacher was smitten with husband Matt Gwynne when she first laid eyes on him at their wedding. But Matt showed early on that he might not be as invested in the relationship as Amber, with one of the experts asking Matt if there was another woman in his life after he ditched his wedding ring and never came home.

Amber was quick to forgive Matt. "I think I didn't value myself enough throughout this experiment, and that really hindered my experience early on," Amber told Newsweek. "I do regret not standing up for myself more. It mostly derived from wanting to be a good wife, and wanting so desperately to make things work that I didn't really hold him to my standards."

Matt is tall, plays basketball, loves to travel and have adventures—Amber wanted all of those things in a husband—but she didn't want someone who was still living a transient lifestyle. She was looking to marry someone to start a family and have to wait five to eight years to have children.

"I was most disappointed in Matt's attitude toward his career and life in general," she said. "Unfortunately, he isn't super motivated to have a traditional job or to have his own place."

But that doesn't mean she thinks that experts made a mistake by putting them together. "I think Matt is perfect for me on paper and I can see why we were matched, which means the experts did their job," she reasoned. "Everything after that is up to us."

While viewers don't know for sure, it seems unlikely that Matt and Amber stayed together. Still, the experience was fruitful for Amber, who has learned to "love myself and to have high standards."

Describing the experience as adventurous, educational, and emotional, Amber has received a ton of support from her family and friends since the show aired. "They love me unconditionally and have given me so much support every step of the way," she said.

It also turns out that she's a huge fan of Deonna and Greg, one of the other four couples on Season 9. "I admire Greg and Deonna's relationship!" Amber said. "They have both worked hard to make this work and are proof that slow and steady wins the race."

Married at First Sight airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on Lifetime.