Soap opera-style dramatics plagued the latest Married At First Sight Australiadinner party, with explosive revelations and a game of footsie threatening to derail the experiment altogether.
While much of the night focused on the fallout that followed Ryan’scrude sex comments about his Kiwi bride Jacqui last episode and Morena and Tony’s ongoing struggle for connection, it was an under-the-table foot touch and flirting between Adrian and Sierah that resulted in the biggest cliffhanger.
“I’m showing up for Adrian and he’s not showing up for me,” Awhina lamented to her fellow brides as her husband engaged in footsies and received a flirtatious smirk from Billy’s wife.
The music played during this cringeworthy scene was reminiscent of what you hear when an action movie character is trying to defuse a bomb, with viewers left wondering what next week’s teased “shock revelation” from Sierah will be.
She has been very vocal about the lack of physical affection she’s been getting from her current partner, and viewers can only wait to find out if there was more behind the under-table action and the real reason for it.
Things weren’t much better earlier in the night either, despite Ryan’s assurance he wasn’t “worried at all” before going in, and Jamie’s tarot card reading (why?) predicting ominous occurrences.
“There’s no big reveal for us,” Jacqui quipped, vowing to stand by Ryan despite not yet hearing about his comments last episode.
Tony and Morena’s car ride felt as cold as an icebox, with the strong-willed bride still not happy about her husband telling her to tone things down and that she could get “a bit much” sometimes.
“I’ve got to bring the happiness and smile back to her again,” the groom said, vowing to try to fix things.
Morena muses that the couple’s relationship will be under the spotlight during the dinner party, and sure enough it was when she got into a heated argument with Paul, who heard the couple arguing in their apartment earlier that week.
Tony and Morena are still at odds. Photo / Nine AU
If you mess with Morena, “you’re gonna end up with a dead fish outside your door tomorrow”, Paul jokes to the camera as the rogue bride chastises Tony, Ryan and him about their comments.
“I’m not done with you, little boy!” Morena yells across the table to Paul.
Tony, yet again, can hardly get a word in while he watches the chaos unfold.
“Cheers to poor Tony,” Morena says, raising her glass. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for these two?
While Jacqui and Ryan tried to put on a front and claim they’d started fresh, old wounds brought up by Dave reignited the fireworks.
“I do have crazy eyes,” Jacqui says, laughing off the groom’s disgust at Ryan’s comment last episode.
Jacqui and Ryan's turbulent marriage was discussed in detail at the latest dinner party. Photo / Nine AU
But the revelation Ryan lied about the pair’s sex life to the grooms poured fuel on the fire.
“It was a risky thing to say, I shouldn’t have said that,” he admits, leaving Jacqui furious at the breach of trust and prompting her to walk out briefly.
The photo ranking challenge where Ryan ranked her third most attractive still lingers in her mind, as she claims she will “never settle for less”.
Tensions are undoubtedly high heading into next week, when (judging by the ominous music and sizzle reel) there’s bound to be more walkouts and a few more melodramatic moments.
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.
