Since the get go, the relationship between Married At First Sight contestants Steven Danyluk and Rachel Gilmore has failed to launch.
Shy, awkward and with a sense of humour that didn’t go down well with his new bride, Steven got off to a rocky start with his wife, despite their obvious potential.
But things took a turn for the downright tragic on Monday night’s episode when Rachel’s attempt at getting intimate with her husband was shot down.
And fans have turned on Steven for his blatant disregard for Rachel’s feelings.
What did Steven do to upset Rachel?
As part of this week’s Intimacy Challenge, the power was put in the hands of the women to lead their husbands in their ultimate fantasy night.
Forgoing sexy lingerie, handcuffs or anything risqué, Rachel made up Love Actually-style signs asking her partner to kiss her and “make me feel something”. It was the most wholesome thing you could imagine. But Steven made the situation uncomfortable with his candid admission.
“I can kiss you, but I’m not too sure if it’s gonna make you feel something,” Steven told her.
Unsurprisingly, Rachel began crying, devastated by the rejection. Asking Steven to explain what he meant exactly, he finally admitted he feels more like they’re roommates and just friends rather than anything romantic.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t felt that romantic connection as yet,” he went on.
“What a slap in the face,” she told him as she accused him of holding back. Convinced that he’s scared of telling her the cold, hard truth, that he’s not at all into her, she demanded to know, “Are you physically attracted to me?”
“There’s more to it than a yes or no answer,” he responded, citing his lack of a “spark”.
Totally dejected, Rachel said she needed space, and promptly left the apartment in tears, where she was consoled by a producer. Once she had composed herself, she returned, only to pack her things and leave as Steven stood awkwardly by.
What was the fan reaction to Steven’s brutal honesty?
While some applauded Steven’s honesty in the situation, others have slammed him as being needlessly cruel and cold-hearted.
“F***ing Steven has hid this well under his nice, shy guy act,” commented one fan, as another agreed: “He should’ve said all this earlier.”
“Dude didn’t even try, like why go on the show if you not gonna try,” wrote another.
Still, Rachel was praised for how she handled the rejection.
“Tell you what though, she handled that with so much grace and emotional maturity,” one fan noted. “Honestly, I applaud her emotional vulnerability and how she’s been able to express that authentically (from what I’ve seen so far) without constricting herself but without being aggressive and unhinged and insulting about it.”
“She deserves sooo much better,” recognised another.
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