Derek Sherman is a cybersecurity engineer from Washington, D.C. who won fans around the world when he starred in the 10th season of Married at First Sight, the iconic reality show where strangers are matched by a team of experts, meet for the first time at the altar, jet off on their honeymoon, then live together for two months before deciding whether to make the experiment permanent. Sherman was paired with mental health professional Katie Conrad, and the pair became the season’s most talked-about couple; seemingly striking it off immediately and enjoying an exotic honeymoon.

Within weeks of their return, however, once the (literal) honeymoon period was over, cracks started to appear in the relationship, with many avid viewers taking sides. On decision day at the end of the season, they surprised viewers by deciding to stay together, but within weeks, had begun divorce proceedings, as revealed during the season’s reunion episode. Matters weren’t helped by Conrad admitting infidelity with an old flame who had reportedly asked her to call off the marriage before it had even happened.

Over the course of the show, Sherman won the hearts of many fans and maintains a keen following, including nearly 50,000 Instagram followers. He has returned to his day job but documents his travelling adventures on social media and has been a much-in-demand interviewee for magazines and reality show websites. Whatever he does next, Sherman has built a reputation as a solid, down-to-earth guy, and that’s exactly why his new fanbase has taken him to their hearts.