For the first time, Married At First Sight introduces a new chapter in the experiment this season: Revelations Week.
Having already watched their partner’s audition video in private, on Wednesday night, participants were divided into two groups – men and women – to discuss the red and green flags in their relationships. The idea is for participants to get advice and encouragement from the group. But this is MAFS, after all, and you better believe that trouble’s brewing!
What is MAFS’ Revelations Week?
“It’s a new twist that we get the men and women to break up into workshops and we look at red and green flags, and get them to be honest about their partners and give feedback,” relationship expert John Aiken tells TV WEEK.
“For some, it’s very helpful, but for others it’s very, very problematic.”
John admits he was “curious” to see how the “somewhat toxic sisterhood” would impact on the connections. And trust us when we say it delivered in spades!
“Does it bring them closer to their partner or divide them away from what they’re there for?” he questions. “Well, that is the big question that you will be asking yourself as you watch, because a number of them don’t have a lot of insight.”
Indeed, the “workshops” quickly turn into a negative bashing session for many of the participants – many of whom were weren’t expecting.
Steve lays into Rebecca!
While this season’s more mature couple, Rebecca and Steve, have seemingly been going strong since the get go, the Revelations Week workshop reveals that all is not well in their relationship. At least, as far as Steve’s concerned.
Steve, 50, takes the challenge to a whole new level as he lists off a litany of faults in his wife – leaving his fellow grooms stunned.
Refusing to spend any time talking about any green flags, Steve simply says “there are multiple”. He then moves on to his enormous red flag list, which Scott is quick to call out.
Steve begins his list with Rebecca, 51, always needing to talk. He then cites her humour as something he doesn’t understand and says he doesn’t like her sexual innuendos. “Rebecca’s not my usual type,” he says. “And what I mean by that is her personality’s less conservative than mine.”
“It’s quite hard to get my head across,” Scott, 33, tells the camera. “At the Dinner Party, Rebecca and Steve looked like a proper husband and wife.”
And it continues. Next, Steve says her “emotions are very high and very low”. He’s worried that he never knows what he’s going to get. “You kind of lose a bit of trust,” he states.
Opinionated, outspoken and just generally being “a lot” also make the list. He says she needs to slow it down and lower her expectations regarding intimacy. Ouch!
The men are stunned into silence. Eventually, Scott asks if Steve still sees any potential in their relationship. To which he makes it clear it’s more of a friendship at this stage.
Elsewhere, Rebecca is nothing but complimentary of her husband. It leaves us to wonder what is really going on between these two?
Bec sings Danny’s praises – but Gia’s not buying it
Bec is on a high after finally getting intimate again with her husband Danny. And she’s eager to fill the women in on just how perfect her relationship is. But not everyone is buying it.
Her insistence that Danny’s great with communication, loyal and makes her feel safe doesn’t ring true for Gia, 35.
“I think Danny’s not loyal, because we all saw it at the Dinner Party – he was looking at me,” she tells the camera.
Bec says Revelations Week has helped the couple get the spark back, after struggling with sexual chemistry. Still, one of her red flags is that Danny, 34, might think that he’s better looking than her and feels “short changed”.
“He does give that vibe a bit,” Gia declares to the group.
“She was trying to suggest that Danny wasn’t into me, and it p***ed me off,” Bec, 35, says.
Thankfully, the other women come to her defence. They tell her she’s a queen, he’s totally into her and she’s overthinking it, which buoys her no end.
Bec gets revenge on Gia
As Gia takes centrestage, reeling off all of her green flags with Scott, Bec is shooting daggers. She even whispers to Rebecca that Gia “copied” the first item on her list.
Admitting that she feels that people make assumptions about her because of her appearance, she says she can’t help but feel judged. “I look like I’m probably gonna put out,” she says.
“I judged you at the hen’s party,” Bec openly admits. She whispers to a shocked Brook, 27, that she had called her a “b***h”.
She reveals her red flag was Scott’s admission that he didn’t want to pay school fees for someone else’s kid. Him forgetting her daughter’s name was her second red flag.
“Why is he forgetting your daughter’s name? Is he an airhead?” Bec demands.
“Bec liked to comment that Scott’s a bit of an airhead,” Gia says. “I don’t agree that Scott’s an airhead, but we know that b***h loves every f***ing minute that she can to start speaking. So she couldn’t help herself.
“She should probably worry more about why her husband’s looking at me and not her than why my husband’s an airhead.”
Asking if it’s more sexual than serious between the pair, Gia insists they’re romantic and cuddly.
“I think it’s early days and the cracks will show, without a doubt,” Bec informs her.
As Gia reveals that she’s had enough of Bec’s negativity and vows to confront her, Bec announces that, despite not liking everyone, they’re a dynamic group.
Brook exposes Chris’ “fatphobic” comment
Brook doesn’t come to play as she reveals the true dynamic in her relationship with Chris. Calling him intense and a handful, she admits she’s not putting up with his rubbish.
“I will tell him, ‘Stop f***ing complaining, stop being a f***ing diva!’” she declares to the shocked group. “I will put him in his place.”
She then reveals what Chris, 31, said in his audition video – that his turnoffs are “fake tan, clingy girls and fat people”. She says that it’s firmly put them in the friend zone.
The women are flabbergasted, with Rachel, 35, taking particular offence to the “fat people” comment.
Rebecca admits she’s not surprised, as there’s “something a bit off” for her about Chris.
“That is such an unkind thing to say,” a teary Rachel says. “Being the curviest girl here, like, instantly I just felt that insecurity f***ing flare in me. It’s not OK to say those things.”
Brook admits she’s struggling as Chris is learning, but she’s still unsure if she should “tap out” yet or not.
Brook unleashes on fellow bride Stella
In a surprising turn, Brook shows a side to her in this episode we haven’t seen before. Rowdy, argumentative and very outspoken, she talks over the other women and calls them out when she doesn’t believe what they’re saying.
As Stella, 32, steps up to talk about her seemingly perfect relationship with Filip, 37, Brook’s eyes are already rolling.
Interrupting her as she lists all of Filip’s green flags, Brook asks, “Are you wearing a Chanel watch? It is, isn’t it? It is.” As Brook smirks to the group, Stella tries to move on.
Starting to say that there aren’t any real red flags for her, Brook interrupts Stella again. “There has to be. I’m sorry, I’m calling bull****,” she announces. “Surely he gets on your nerves at times. I don’t believe you! There is no way, surely he gets on your nerves.”
Rebecca admits to being surprised by Brook’s “disrespectful” way of talking. “At that point I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t know about you,’” she says.
Insisting they have yet had a fight or a disagreement, Stella says there’s nothing bad she can say yet.
“So you haven’t had a disagreement?” Brook continues. “Are you shagging?”
As Alissa tries to compliment Stella and her relationship, Brook tries to cut over her next. While Alissa attempts to shut her down, Brook makes a dig about how they’ll “be here all day” if they let her finish.
“Brook was trying to provoke and not let the person talking speak,” Julia, 35, noted. “It’s this kind of b****y behaviour and it just makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable.”
“I will say, Stella, I think people think it’s bull****,” Brook insists as Stella wraps up.
“Yep,” confirms Gia, adding it’s “so fake”.
“I definitely saw a different side of Brook – she’s very feisty, she’s very icy,” Stella says. “It feels like maybe a lack of empathy in her.”
Alissa gets on the bad side of Brook and Gia
Having been intimate for the first time the night before, Alissa and David go into the workshop feeling positive and confident about where they stand with each other.
Alissa, 33, can’t speak more highly of her husband, 31, as she says how thoughtful and what a great listener her is.
“But have you f***ed yet?” Brook demands, as Alissa tries to continue. “No, but have you? I’m curious,” Gia pipes up.
Brook and Gia are pulling faces and trying to interrupt as Alissa reels off all the work her “houseproud” husband does that she appreciates.
“So it’s all rainbows and butterflies and he s***s rainbows?” Brook cuts in. Gia’s the only one laughing.
“Brook was definitely more vocal than I have ever experienced,” Rachel notes. “We should actually be giving all the respect to each other and just listen, hold space for each other.”
As she reveals her red flag is that David called her “a bit of a drama queen”, Gia interrupts yet again. “Yeah, but have you guys had sex?” she demands to know.
“Yes!” Alissa finally answers. “We’ve had sex! Like, it was hot and it was natural for us.”
Brook then informs everyone that she heard from husband Chris that David had insisted he “wasn’t having sex through this whole situation”. “Go you,” says Brook, “’cause I will say I think it’s a fake showmance.”
“One hundred per cent agree – sorry!” adds Gia, urging the others to side with her, which they don’t.
“Brook was coming at me. I feel like it wasn’t called for,” says Alissa. “I don’t think that was necessary.”
Rachel, Stella and Rebecca are quick to insist they “didn’t think that”, as Rachel goes in to bat for Alissa.
“I feel like Brook and Gia did come on a little bit hard on me,” Alissa reflects. “I dunno, maybe I’ve upset them in some sort of way. Maybe I’m too loud for them, but it is me.”
“It’s not all rainbows and butterflies and I’m f***ing over it,” Brook says, projecting her own insecurities. “I think that Alissa’s theatrical and I think she sugarcoats everything. And I think that relationship’s fake, and I don’t trust Alissa.” Tell us how you really feel already!
Mel and Luke reach breaking point
Things continue to go from bad to worse for Luke and Mel. Following Mel’s admission that she’s known to “stalk” her exes, Luke stayed the night with a friend.
When he returns, it’s to a very upset Mel, 28. She confronts him over some nasty social media posts his family members had made about her – which Brook unearthed. Convinced that Luke, 30, is behind his loved ones’ scathing attack, Mel confronts him.
Luke quickly apologises, saying he was upset himself by the comments. Interrupting him, Mel asks if he felt like he “really tried” this week, stating that he “made my life hell”.
Luke looks dumbfounded, and only continues to look more confused as Mel asks him, “Do you know how it feels to feel isolated? ’Cause I did that to you on the honeymoon and I know I did. But that’s what you did to me this week.”
Despite being clearly deflated and dejected by Mel’s behaviour, Luke is reluctant to list any red flags at the workshop. He even manages to list several green flags. But following some coercing from the men, he eventually opens up about just how dire things really are.
“It’s been tough,” he finally admits. “I feel like I’ve really tried to make it work and I’ve just gotten absolutely nowhere. That’s been a really tough pill to swallow. I feel like she’s just been pushing me away from day dot, which sucks.”
The men are sympathetic to Luke, as they can all see how exhausted and defeated he looks. “I would imagine you must feel so alone,” Grayson, 34, asks him. Luke agrees.
“I really feel for Luke, ’cause you can tell that he’s a broken man and you can literally feel the pain coming out of him,” says David.
Luke says his confidence has been knocked, which Danny says he’s noticed since they first met at the buck’s party. “Don’t let us take away that thing that makes you you,” Danny tells him.
With the trust lost, Luke admits he doesn’t know how to move forward.
In the other group, however, Mel is telling a very different story – painting Luke in a bad light. She begins by saying that, right now, “there are no green flags”.
“His red flags: because I don’t have feelings for him, he’s made my life a living hell,” she declares. “He’s trying to be malicious to me every chance he gets.”
Brook says she doesn’t believe Luke is here “for the right reasons”, calling out his sisters’ shady social media activity.
As she continues listing off red flag after red flag, the majority of the women look shocked. “That is a lot to digest,” says Stella.
“He hates me so much that he’s trying to find any reason to be mean,” continues Mel. “But the only thing I’ve done is not have feelings for him back.”
But Rebecca’s not buying it. “I don’t know about what I’ve heard … Hearing her say that Luke’s quite rude to her behind doors, I don’t know whether I’m buying that,” she says. “The Luke I know … he seems really lovely. I dunno, it’s not sitting well with me.”
As Alissa and Stella try to be diplomatic, insisting there are two sides to every story, Gia and Brook take offence.
Still, Brook’s on a roll. “You need to stand up for yourself, babe, and not let this boy tear you down,” she says. Gia adds that she needs to speak up at the Commitment Ceremony.
“I am so happy and so appreciative to have the support of the other brides,” a smiling Mel says. “But what Stella said to me was really unfair… I didn’t feel like Stella had my back in that situation.”
Sounds like another feud is brewing!
