Married at First Sight UK star Luke Worley’s brother was jailed for eight years after police found £3million worth of cocaine in his car boot.
The E4 contestant, 31, told MailOnline he felt ‘angry’ and ‘betrayed’ discovering the truth behind his half-brother Sam Migliorini’s secret life after he was found guilty of possession with intent to supply in 2021.
And his conviction couldn’t have come at a worse time for Luke, who in the same year split from his girlfriend of almost a decade and lost his beloved grandmother, describing his life as being consumed by grief.
After rising to fame on the dating show last year, Luke feared that his family’s history would be exposed, and he dreaded being judged by his brother’s crime.
He married bride Jay Howard at first sight, revealing that he confided in his wife at the earliest opportunity because he believed they would be in each other’s lives for many years to come.
Married at First Sight UK star Luke Worley’s brother was jailed for eight years after police found £3million worth of cocaine in his car boot, MailOnline can reveal
Luke told MailOnline he felt ‘angry’ discovering the truth behind his half-brother Sam Migliorini’s secret life after he was found guilty of possession with intent to supply in 2021 (pictured Luke with brother Sam)
He married bride Jay Howard at first sight, revealing that he confided in his wife at the earliest opportunity because he believed they would be in each other’s lives for many years to come
Luke said: ‘I’m pretty sure that I’m cursed. Every year for the past four years something big has happened in my life.
‘In November 2019 I went through a big breakup after eight years together. In June 2020 my nan passed away and she was my last living grandparent.
‘In October 2020, my brother was pulled over on the M25 and was found with 30kilos of cocaine in his boot, which they valued at £3million. It was a huge shock.
‘I was grieving for my nan and my relationship that had ended and all of a sudden, I had to grieve my brother being taken away from me.’
Luke and Sam, who grew up together in Essex, share the same mum, Lorraine, but have different dads.
Sam worked as scaffolder but after struggling with his finances became involved with drugs, keeping his dealings hidden from their family.
In October 2020, he was pulled over by police on the M25 and found with 30kilos of cocaine, which was valued at £3million.
A year later he was sentenced to 11 years in prison, which was reduced to eight following his guilty plea, and he is currently still serving his time at HM Prison Standford Hill.
Sam worked as scaffolder but after struggling with his finances became involved with drugs, keeping his dealings hidden from Luke and their family
In October 2020, Sam was pulled over by police on the M25 and found with 30kilos of cocaine, which was valued at £3million
In stark contrast, Luke starred on the latest series of Married at First Sight UK, revealing his brother’s prison inmates couldn’t get enough of the reality show.
Luke said: ‘I told Jay as soon as I met her, I told her within the first week.
‘If Jay was going to be in my life forever, then that’s something I needed to tell her… that my brother is in prison and what he did, especially a family member as close as Sam.
‘He has a few mates on his wing in prison and everyone was hooked on Married At First Sight. They were hooked!
‘They kept asking my brother, ‘what’s happening, what’s going on?’ It definitely made him more popular on the inside.
‘He was the first person I told that I was doing the show because I knew he couldn’t tell anyone.’
Luke says his brother’s conviction came as a massive shock to him because he could have never predicted his life taking that turn.
He admits to feeling ‘betrayed’ over Sam’s actions and regrets that his brother didn’t share his problems with him or their parents.
In stark contrast, Luke starred on the latest series of Married at First Sight UK, revealing his brother’s prison inmates couldn’t get enough of the reality show
Luke and Jay separated during filming of the show but remain good friends and have met up at celebrity events since the series aired
He said: ‘I didn’t even have an inkling that he was involved with drugs, and I felt really close to him.
‘I was gutted. It was a betrayal. I wish he had told me and opened up if he was struggling but I felt for him because he must have felt it was a last resort.
‘I was upset and angry. We are a supportive family, and he could have turned us about his problems.
‘I was having to deal with the unknown, I had never known anyone going to prison and it was obviously my brother… It was all grief, grief, grief.
‘My brother going to prison was in the middle of everything, so it hit me hard.’
And after finding himself with a 160,000 strong fan base, Luke was wary of the reaction from the general public and his family’s name being blacklisted.
He added: ‘I didn’t want people to tarnish my name, I had nothing to do with it and I do love my brother.
‘I know some people won’t like what he has done, I understand that.’
Luke was axed from Married at First Sight UK after he had a physical fight with co-star Jordan Gayle, with bosses also banning him from filming the show’s reunion special
His brother, who attentively followed the series from his prison cell, says he was ‘entertained’ by Luke’s dramatic exit
Luke was axed from Married at First Sight UK after he had a physical fight with co-star Jordan Gayle, with bosses also banning him from filming the show’s reunion special.
His brother, who attentively followed the series from his prison cell, says he was ‘entertained’ by Luke’s dramatic exit.
Luke said: ‘If I’m honest, he basically said to me he didn’t expect my time on the show to end the way he did, with me being removed but he said, ‘at least it was entertaining!’ He felt like, it’s TV, it is what it is. We had a bit of a laugh about it.’
But the brothers, who as the two eldest of eight siblings had a special bond, were reunited this Christmas as Sam was granted a day release from prison to spend time with his family.
Luke says it is the happiest he has felt in three years, and he could see that Sam was hopeful and looking towards a better future, in light of his release.
He said: ‘This Christmas he was out on release which was the first time in three years that I could see him on Christmas Day.
‘He visited the family home, and we could spend a few hours with him. It was the first time I had enjoyed Christmas in three years.
‘When I saw his face, I could tell he felt freedom was on the horizon and he was feeling lighter. It was nice to be together again for the first time in years.’
