Couple swap week is (thankfully) over for this season of Married At First Sight Australia, but the resulting drama is far from finished as one groom’s little white lie gets him into big trouble with his partner.
Along with Jamie and Dave’s major intimacy confession and Kiwi bride Jacqui’s scathing letter, Paul and Carina were the headline act of the week when the bride discovered her groom’s labelling of her as a “snob” in a brutally honest confessional letter.
The letter, read to temporary partner Awhinaby Paul last episode, was initially not expected to reach the eyes of Carina.
“Paul dug deep, thinking Carina wouldn’t read it,” Awhina said, who also felt insulted after finding out Carina made comments about her sister Cleo’s “calibre” when finding out she briefly dated Paul.
There was nowhere for the grimacing groom to hide when the experts turned the tables and revealed the letters had to be read to the people they were centred around.
He winced and squirmed as he began to read, knowing he and his wife were only just rebuilding trust with each other after an outburst where he punched a hole in the wall.
“I feel like she is a bit of a ..... sometimes...... can come across as very judgy. Now on the positive side,” he blurts out, clearly omitting “snob” from the speech.
Even the fact that Paul was critical of Carina’s demeanour left the bride surprised and confused.
“I didn’t see any of that coming, it was a bit of a slap in the face. He said I judge, and I feel like he judged me”.
Thinking it has been swept under the rug after the pair embrace, Paul heads to the other room as Carina sticks around and reads the letter, revealing the groom’s omission.
“He should’ve just said it out loud,” she tells producers. “It was really confronting”.
Paul pleads with his bride that it was an over-reaction, admitting it may have been a bit “harsh,” but Carina is clearly upset, and it looks like trust levels have once again plummeted to an all-time low.
Meanwhile, Adrian drops some hard opinions on temporary partner Jamie, who is frustrated that her partner Dave never initiates sex.
“My gut feeling is that Dave isn’t as attracted to Jamie as he makes out to be,” Adrian tells producers before revealing saying it to Jamie’s face.
Jamie was devastated to learn Dave and she weren't on the same levels of intimacy. Photo / Nine AU
Clearly sceptical, Jamie writes it off as a “conspiracy theory”, admitting her groom was “not a sexual person”.
A confrontation between Dave and Jamie opens up the truth, when Dave admits he isn’t “in the love stage” and that the pair are on “different levels”.
This pair being at odds puts one of the show’s traditionally strongest relationships in doubt, and with Dave seen to have been getting along a bit too well with temporary wife Veronica, a major change-up could soon be on the cards.
“Dave and I have a very similar sense of humour,” Veronica giggled, leaving the audience questioning what exactly the pair got up to during their three days.
And of course, Mafs daily drama isn’t complete without examining the up and down relationship between Kiwi bride Jacqui and “warrior” Ryan.
Jacqui has just returned from spending three days of bliss at “hotel Jeff” while Ryan is glad to be away from the icy atmosphere between him and Beth.
“Being around Jeff is so fantastic. Jeff is treating me how I’d love to be treated as a woman. He’s cooked, he’s cleaned, and he’s already paid for a meal,” Jacqui beams.
As soon as she returns to her apartment, she makes it clear her standards have been met by Jeff and gives Ryan a brutal scolding for not meeting them.
Things get even more disastrous when she unleashes the full power of the confessional letter, critiquing her husband’s “outdated beliefs on power and masculinity” and that he is looking for a “tradwife”.
Ryan has often claimed he’s at the end of his tether and threatened to end the relationship, but could we finally be seeing the last straw?
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024 and has taken on the unofficial role of Mafs correspondent for this season. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
