From Mamamia, welcome to The Spill, your daily pop culture fix. >> I’m Laura Brodnik. >> And I’m Tegan Presley. And Married at First Sight Australia has come to an end for 2026. Thank god, because that finale was a lot. We’re going to get into the final dinner party. We’re going to get into secret text messages that were sent.
We’re going to get into secret un-aired footage that leaked after the show. We’re going to get into where everyone is now. We have a lot of big opinions. Guys, stand by. We’ve got a medic outside in case one of us passes out, because that’s how intense this last season was. Yes, if you thought that we would make it to the MAFS reunion without dragging up all of the old drama and new bombshells, then you’ve clearly never watched an episode of Married at First Sight before.
And this week, we are heading into the final dinner party, which is really the reunion. And then also, we sit down with the experts one last time, because we should just rehash some of the old drama. That sounds like a great idea. Yes, so the dinner party is when like so obviously they haven’t had the well, they’re not supposed to at least, right? Have communication between the contestants.
So every time that door opens and someone comes through, if they’re by themselves, that means they’re no longer with their fake husband or wife. Or if they come through together, they’re still together. And so there’s just a gasp as the reveal comes over and over again. And look, I don’t know if every season it’s this bad, like the scorecard of how many people have stayed together.
But this one seemed particularly bad. Pretty much every single person, except for one couple, except for Stella and Phillip, walked in solo. Yeah, so this is also shot 1 month from when the final vows played out. So just to recap, we obviously had David dumping Alyssa, Danny dumps Beck, Rachel and Steven chose to be together, and so did Stella and Phillip, who obviously got engaged.
So there’s been a little bit of time for the dust to settle. And I guess there’s also time for them to fraternize with the other contestants. >> Oh, okay. It was going to get Let’s just get straight into that drama. So, yes, everyone’s coming in. So, when we were talking about this a few weeks ago, I was saying like I don’t think Beck and Danny are going to make it.
And spoiler alert, those crazy kids couldn’t make it work, which is fair enough cuz he’s a psycho and she kind of is, too. But, I kept saying to you like, but I keep seeing videos of them on TikTok going to musicals together, going to lunch, living together. So, they are together. But, what we know now is that in that time from when they finished filming to when they finished this reunion dinner, they were together and then the breakup happened. Right.
>> At the commitment ceremony. So, that’s that was that little window that we were seeing on socials. >> Yeah, I think the timeline always gets a little bit like muddled up because >> Especially this season because so much has happened off screen. >> And they hang out so much in the outside world.
So, I think we see a lot of those, which is I guess good because it keeps the tension alive. Like the audience is still guessing up until the last moment because when you were just watching the show, you think there’s no way these people are going to end up together. >> That’s interesting cuz I’ve seen a few past contestants like a Jules Robinson saying like in She’s like, “Back in our day, like we didn’t go to Icebergs,” which is a very popular bar in Sydney, like when we weren’t filming, we didn’t hang out together. We didn’t have all
these big kind of like dramatic moments happening off camera. We weren’t spending all our time together. I guess it’s interesting to see how it unfolds, but I actually feel like it’s it’s made too much stuff happen off camera. >> Mhm. Yeah, I think we makes a lot of gaps for the audience trying to fill it all together.
But, it is part of like that MAFS universe. I feel like the audience does love it because they like to feel like they’re in the know. You’re like finding out something that’s like bonus or a secret. But, I think it does make the the show like a little bit disjointed. Yeah, to an extent. So, I mean, so we watched Beck and Danny have their commitment ceremony previously.
And look, I don’t like that woman. Just No one go and troll her or send her. People send her death threats. Like, calm down. Just say it in a controlled way to like your friend or group, I don’t particularly like how that woman behaved. Um I hope she doesn’t behave like that again.
And I’m sure Well, what she has said that herself. She’s embarrassed by her behavior and she’s going to do better. So, I obviously don’t like anything that Beck has done on the show, but it was almost like a ritual of humiliation to have her kind of be set up standing there in her own words in a white wedding dress in that wood with all the flowers.
She tells Danny she’s in love with him. She wants to be with him. It’s beautiful and then he just reads out this pre-prepared statement dumping her and she sobs and sobs and sobs and then cut to the reunion dinner. We see them sort of coming together for the first time since that. Yeah, and you can see that Beck still genuinely really likes HIM WHICH I DON’T KNOW how he’s fed her this like string of lies and she’s actually believed it because he just seems like an awful human being.
>> seems like an awful person now for what’s come out. And to be honest, we said all the way like we’re 3 months you and I have been doing this podcast watching this and I’m just like not even not trusting but I’m like that man doesn’t like you. >> No. But then maybe there was more stuff happening when the cameras were off because they have played packages since then of her always saying to the camera, “We’re stronger than ever, stronger than ever.
We he says he’s falling in love with me. He says this. He says that.” and stuff and we just didn’t see it. And he obviously wasn’t feeling that way. So, Beck comes in and then Danny comes in and it’s all a bit dramatic. And the lead up to that, Stephanie who was a very small part of the show. >> Kind of forgot about her. Well, I didn’t Well, I didn’t forget about her her her and his husband, Tyson.
>> No. No. I would say one of the worst men that’s ever been on MAFS, but that’s a long list. But he’s definitely on there. >> Yeah. So, they had their short-lived like him wanting a trad wife who was going to be submissive to him, her saying she was sick of work and then she experienced what that actually means and was like absolutely not.
I want to keep working. Yeah. So, they left the show, but then just before they went to the reunion dinner, it came out that Steph had been messaging Danny. >> So, Steph had been messaging Danny I think while she was like on holiday somewhere and she was sending him like bikini photos and for some reason Beck has had a deep dive into all of these texts.
I think that Steph has actually gone ahead and shown her all the voice notes and all the messages, which seems like a choice. Yeah, I mean it’s like the way you said it then, and look, that’s what the headlines have been, have made it sound worse than it is. In Steph’s words, her I think it’s important just to flag her kind of like response to everyone saying, “Have you been messaging Danny?” is like, “Yes, we follow each other, but like all the contestants follow each other.
We’re in the same industry, um real estate, I guess.” I didn’t even know Danny did real estate. >> Yeah. >> I’d like to know about that. >> Well, unless it’s something adjacent to real estate, but I know she I think she’s in real estate. Um and apparently he watched a video of her, so then she messaged him and said, “How are you?” He’s like, “I’m really good.
How have you been?” She’s like, “I went to Hamilton Island.” And she said, “This is just This is important distinction in her words. I’m not saying it’s She said, “I sent him three photos of the ocean and one of me on Hamilton Island where I happened to be in a bikini.” I just don’t think you happen to send a man a photo in a bikini.
Like you have to be confident and want a certain reaction. Like I’m not sending that like >> Yeah. Oh, no, no, I understand that, but it’s like it’s like it’s like she’s like, “Three photos of the ocean and a bikini photo to show that I’m actually on the island.” And then um apparently they were having like a bit of a back and forth.
They had a call, and he sent her a voice note, and she said, “It’s really nice to hear your voice.” And he sent her love hearts. And then there is an allegation from other people that before she handed back her phone so she could read the messages for herself, that she deleted Right. >> of the content, but we don’t know for sure. There’s no way to tell.
I think I can understand where Beck’s coming from and feeling uncomfortable. At the end of the day, you’re not dating, you’re not together. People can do what they want. I can understand how when you are on a show and you’re on that in that environment, just find someone else. Can we not all date in the same circle? Like I can kind of empathize with that.
But I do think like you’re not with this man. I think and I look, a few of them God forbid I sort of cybered the men on the show. A few of the men on the show when they were asked afterwards were like, “I don’t even know if Beck’s like angry at Steph. It’s just that she’s so angry at Danny and so hurt by him that she had to lash out.
But they It was interesting cuz the setup of that they were like the producers were asking Steph about it. She’s like, “Oh, it’s nothing.” They asked Danny in the car on the way there. Oh god. >> And he was like just laugh the producer was like >> Don’t bring that up. >> Don’t go starting that. Don’t be cheeky. I’m like this man doesn’t know what’s coming for him. Like he doesn’t know.
And so it’s interesting cuz he comes in and he’s like, “Rebecca, it’s so nice to see you.” And obviously like in the moment if we didn’t know what we know about Danny now, you would be like, “Oh, that’s kind of nice.” But now it just seems very manipulative. Yeah, I think he’s just played along with this version of himself the whole time, which obviously Beck just unfortunately she was the victim to it.
And I do think the show made him look quite good in order to bring out her character. >> Yeah, I just think he was so he was so aware that he was on a TV show and he was so playing a character. And that’s every time he felt like he had no personality. Like he always felt like this kind of just like wooden oracle of what’s good and what’s bad and she would have these big blobs and he’d be like Well, you know, you can’t if you do this we can be together.
If you lean into this we can be together. If you do this There was only one time where he let his true colors show. Remember when we talked about that where he was like, “They want good husbands but they’re [ __ ] wives.” >> Oh god. >> And we were like, “Oh, that’s Where did that come from? aggressive.” And now we know that’s his entire personality.
He was just keeping it under wraps. So they go to the dinner party. We’ll just I guess we’ll just go straight to this bit now. They go into the dinner party and Beck just unleashes against Steph and Danny. >> She goes insane. And I think Gia actually first shows Tyson that Steph sent bikini photos or something.
So then Tyson brings it up. >> Yeah, of course. >> Which is actually I did think was funny from him. He’s like, “I just grabbed my popcorn and watched it on the couch.” >> I know but he was trying so hard to be sassy and it just wasn’t landing. No. That man has the personality of a discarded brick on the side of the road.
Like there’s nothing going on in there. Every time he tried to be sassy it just like he just the forgotten like pit pit person on the bus because his only personality trait is like I want to abuse women. >> an awful person. Yeah, exactly. And so they it’s interesting cuz afterwards Beck obviously apologized to Steph on the stand after show after the dinner party episode and she apologized to Steph but she also said it was edited to look like she was screaming a lot of abuse at Steph.
I just don’t know how you edit Well, no. So she was screaming she was screaming at she said she was screaming at at Danny and the way it’s cut makes it look like she’s screaming a lot of it Steph but she said like she did scream at Steph but she said she didn’t say that to Steph she said it to Danny twice. >> I think whoever she said it to is pretty great.
It’s I mean she’s got a lot of zingers there. >> Scurvy sea dogs. Not that. They obviously you know all leave the dinner party and then like it some people are happy some people are not but it’s the footage that was shown on the stand after show that I think really shocked people. So they’re not filming at the time but they’re still miked up because as you’ve said before for reality TV they keep their mics on the entire time.
Do you think they forgot they were miked up? Wait, is this the one where Danny’s to camera? No, no, no. This is before when he’s talking to Steph. So they’re not on so Steph and Danny okay. >> So they’re not on camera. >> Okay. But they’re still miked and so you can hear them and Danny he’s just like I’m not I’m not coming back tomorrow.
I’m not coming back to everyone’s again. And then Steph comes over and she’s like hi, can we talk and he’s like no, get away from me. I don’t want to talk to you and he’s swearing at her. He’s like [ __ ] get away from me. Oh, this sort of stuff. And she was Oh, I hope we can have a conversation at some stage.
She’s like don’t you try and [ __ ] pull me and he’s like really really aggressive towards her and you never see their faces but you can hear their voices very clearly and I think that he forgot he was miked. >> I think when that you’re off camera as well sometimes you might think well, they can’t use this cuz we’re not on camera.
So how would they use it? >> Yeah. They’ll find a way. Well, they just played it with the audio and a shot of the corridor and you can it all comes across because you can hear so clearly what they’re saying and he’s being so aggressive to Steph, being like, “You’ll never speak to me again. You did this.” And she’s like, “Well, I hope you’ll be ready to speak in the future.
” And just yeah, and just >> sounds like he’s angry because she she’s shown the text. >> Yes, he was like, “You’ve used me to like get some more screen time, and you’ve used me for fame.” And it was really >> Which is your whole experience there, mate. Yeah. Exactly. >> Exactly. So, that was kind of confronting and aggressive and awful.
So, they played that, and Beck and Steph were next to each other on the couch on the aftershow when that happened. And Beck was like, “I’m really sorry that happened to you. You don’t deserve to be talked to like that.” And Steph was like, “Oh, it’s fine.” And then the other clip they showed was when he was doing the piece to camera.
Oh my god, I actually had like shivers when I saw >> feel sick. It really made me feel sick because that man shouldn’t be out in the world. He shouldn’t be allowed to be out in the world. >> Just awful. So, he’s gone ahead to the cameras and just pretty much laid all his cards on the table and said that he would never be with someone like Beck and said said some really awful things about her, that he could have found anyone better down at Coles.
I’m like, “Okay, go do it then.” He’s like, “That’s the best bird you could get me? You’ve got to be [ __ ] joking, you producers.” He was talking to the producers. >> suck, down the barrel of the >> Yeah. And I guess at that stage, I guess does he like the show’s over? It doesn’t matter anymore? Or did he just not think they were going to use that? Because it’s like he walks off, he’s like, “Are we going to the pub now?” And then he kind of comes back on.
So, I wonder if he just thought they weren’t filming anymore. I wonder if he’s just spoken like this through the entirety of this season. >> careful not to do it on camera. >> Well, I wonder if they just chose not to show it to make Beck and play that narrative along Oh, yeah, and make her just look a little bit insane.
Cuz I feel like there’s no way he would have been able to shut his mouth throughout 3 months of filming, and I feel like they withheld it so that it would be this big shock at the end. And also to maintain Beck as like the person that didn’t have any more high ground. Like, he was always able to kind of redeem himself because he was able to like have that judgment on her.
That’s kind of how I feel about Yeah, potentially because yeah, he was being like, “Those producers, what’s wrong with you? I could get a better bird walking into Coles, like she’s nothing. Go to Coles then. Yeah, go to Coles. >> Coles. Coles is probably like, please don’t include us in this. Women in Coles now are just like looking over their shoulder being like, please don’t let that man don’t let that man approach me.
And then he was like, you can do that if you’re a 15 out of 10. Like he’s like, you can do it if you’re really hot, but she’s not. >> What does he think he is? >> Oh, but he thinks he’s a 15. And I can’t even I can’t even tell if that man’s attractive or not because his personality is so terrifying. >> So rubbish, sort of everything else is gone.
>> Yeah, I know. And then he was joking that it’s not going to matter because as soon as the show is finished, she’s going to walk down the street and women are going to I’m going to vomit saying this. >> throw their panties at him. Yuck. Yuck. >> I hope they don’t. >> No, I CAN’T THINK OF ONE I mean, look, women write to men in prison who are serial killers, so I’m I’m not going to say that no women are going to come to him, but I don’t think he’s got a good thing.
>> Yeah, he shouldn’t feel good about it. I’m just saying that I don’t think I think now he’s not going to attract the people he thought cuz before that a lot of people just thought he was this nice guy. Yeah. And now we’ve seen his true colors and it’s terrifying. Full body chills.
Um I don’t think it’s going to the after the show is going to be what he thinks it’s going to be. And even after all that at the dinner party, Beck was still crying, like in tears, like I love him. I hope she doesn’t now. Oh, I yeah, she’s sort of given a few interviews where she’s like it’s she’s obviously like moving past and stuff. I think she’s I think it’s twofold of that she’s like was in love with him and thought they were going to spend their lives together, which I know sounds crazy, but like I guess like you would know that when you’re in these things.
Yeah, sometimes you love an old man and that’s relatable across the board. Yeah, for people who are on reality TV. But I think when you’re in that bubble and your whole life is the show for three months. >> person, like you’re on the same team. So I think in that environment, you naturally gravitate towards each other and it is a little bit of a bubble, whether or not something that lasts in the real world.
Do you think three months in reality TV feels like like nine or six months in the real world? Just because of the intensity of it? >> For sure. Like, even when I kind of reference the relationship I was in, it feels strange to say that when we’re in Love Island, like that was like a month or two, and then we dated for like a month after.
That feels so short, but it felt like such a big part of my life. It was such a monumental part of my life. So, I think when you have something like that takes up a lot more space like emotionally but >> Yeah. when you’re living with each other, I guess, as well. Yeah, cuz I guess like it with a first date you would like have a first date, maybe a few days apart, you might have another date.
Whereas in like Married at First Sight, it’s like you get fake married with your actual family there, and then you go and live together in those little nightmare apartments. It’s all very escalated. Alyssa and David also have kind of like an interesting cuz they were like such a golden couple through the show. And then obviously he walked away at final vows and left her, and then that’s a big moment when they come back into the dinner.
Yeah, so I I was shocked towards the end of the season with Alyssa. She just like took such a 180. Like, I feel like her character arc just bombed for her. And really showed kind of like the kind of person that David is. And it was nice to see him kind of like stand in his power and have that moment and stand up for himself. He’s looking amazing.
>> He’s going to have like women throwing their panties at him. Well, okay, cuz he said after the show he’s he’s dating. He’s out in the world, but he’s got no Well, he didn’t say if he had a partner, but she Alyssa has a new boyfriend that she’s super in love with. That’s nice, I guess. Yes. Good for you guys.
>> Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I mean, it’s Last night David’s still single. >> Yeah. I am in Brisbane watching. Wait, he lives creepy. No, I think we’ve both seen too much now. Um, so they came in sort of had to have a bit of a confrontation about him walking away at final vows. Yeah, it’s interesting.
I think Alyssa still thinks she’s getting an apology out of this man. I’m like, let it go. I can’t believe she even attempted to like extract that from him. Like, let this man be free. Like, you can tell a month probably isn’t long enough for the reunion because no one has really learned anything. Yeah, I guess they’re still a month they’re still really in it, I guess.
And because they haven’t been able to have these conversations like for the first time ever the producers like well don’t do everything off camera. And they’re having to be able to have these big moments so like everyone was waiting for those moments to come in. Oh my god, it almost felt cruel seeing Steve and Rachel come back. >> Yeah, that was I mean this whole thing has been so hard to watch, right? >> I find it really difficult to watch Rachel. I’ve gone off Steve.
I’m just going to say that now. I’m not going to skip too far ahead to the final commitment ceremony because that’s where Steve really showed his true colors, but he his behavior was not very noble nor brave nor nothing. Strange as well at the start of the dinner party. >> a scared man who doesn’t want to be in a relationship.
>> god, go away. Why are you on this show? >> Yeah. This is what happens when you force people who don’t want to date to date. They go on dating shows and break the hearts of poor women who do want to date. >> Oh my god, so Rachel obviously is besotted with this man. She loved their experience so much.
Before he even arrived she’s already quite emotional. And then when he does come it looks like they have this really nice moment together. They sit on the couch. They have this little D&M moment and they kind of speak about like where it went wrong. Yeah. And then he just didn’t have time. He’s got time to go on MAFS. He doesn’t have time to date.
I’m trying to figure that one out still. >> Yeah, look his excuses got worse and worse as the show went along. So they ended their like final vows saying that they were going to stay together. It was really beautiful and he quoted Taylor Swift for her and it was lovely. Then they saw each other once, one weekend. Um That’s crazy.
That was it and then they had broken up but they hadn’t told Rachel later said they didn’t tell anyone on production or anyone on the show they had broken up. Um and they had decided they were going to walk in together as a united front even though they had technically broken up because they were still figuring things out. And then I think she said the night before Oh wow.
>> not to walk in together. Right. That’s why it was so fresh. That’s why it was so fresh. And that’s why she walked in solo, he walked in solo, but then he had his ring. >> Sorry, why did he bring his ring? >> And they put the ring back on because he doesn’t want to be not disliked. He can’t stand the thought of anyone disliking him that he weasels his way between like telling her one thing, telling the producers one thing, but I’m sure telling his friends and family one thing.
I’d take that ring off your finger. Stringing her along. Like this is such a fake weak conversation. >> stringing her along. I I honestly think like he did like her a lot at in terms of like they got along well together. They were a safe space for each other, but he’s just never wanted to be married to her through the whole show.
He should have just let her go. Yeah, it’s so hard to watch that. >> situation. So, I think he just got stressed about the cameras being there and he just his need to look like a good guy outweighs everything else. >> for her. Like I think I think he feels bad, but I think again his need to his need for approval is so intense that it clouds his judgment on anything else.
>> Yeah. And so he pulls the ring out and puts it back on and they kind of half get back together, but just for the dinner. So weird. >> That is so stressful as like it talk about like a relationship stringing you along. >> don’t see too much more from them at the dinner table because there’s too much else. There’s too much screaming.
There’s yeah, there’s Alyssa and David. There’s honestly a lot of people I forgot about. There’s Grayson. Whoever that man is. Yes, there’s Julia and Grayson. I actually thought that was quite nice cuz they were really happy when they saw each other at the altar and they met and they seemed to have a good couple of weeks on the show.
Then they hit a few roadblocks and they had a difficult time, but that’s quite a while ago now. I think that she said she’s in a relationship now and she’s really happy. And so it was quite nice when they came back together at the final dinner party cuz when she saw him she was like, “Grayson!” I feel like all the people that left early All the people that left early have had more time to recover. Yeah.
Like Luke and Mel came back and they looked so like great. Like they looked God bless those kids for getting out of there and they got themselves out of there. Yeah, Mel and Luke were cute. It’s so funny cuz Mel after the show because she like we’ve we’ve moved on from that cuz so much else happened, but it’s weird to think that she was the villain when the show first started.
>> fine. >> People hated her, and she It’s so funny cuz afterwards she was I mean, it’s not funny cuz she was getting like a threats and stuff. But, I said It’s so funny because after she filmed and the show was coming out, she said that she told her friends and family, “Oh my god, don’t worry.
I’m probably barely going to be on it. I barely said anything. Like, I didn’t really do much. I’m not really going to be on it.” And then she’s been watching the show. She posted a video of her and the other girls dancing and like singing along to like Thank You for the Music and like the caption’s like Thank God Master’s over. And then all of a sudden the show comes out, and she’s like, “Wait, I’m the villain?” Oh my god.
She would have been shocked. >> Yeah. I feel like nothing else is going on. I feel like that was just such a moment. And like I said to you at the time, I feel like when she was in that, she probably thought she was They were like, “Oh, this guy’s being a jerk to her, and she’s like standing her ground.
” She didn’t realize it was going to come across. >> have been edited funny. Like, how she’s annoyed about the ick of him like chewing gum. That’s like something you would say like to your girlfriends like, “Oh, we went on a date. He was chewing gum the whole time. It was disgusting.” >> Yeah, she was probably like, “I’m coming to come across great because this guy is being weird, and he made me wait for an hour in the sun, and he’s chewing gum, and it’s not this and that.
” And so, I think she thought that she was going to come across like quite empowering. >> so nostalgic about this. Like, memories about close friends talking about it. >> And then that was like our biggest thing. Like, “Oh, he forgot the rings.” And obviously a fake ring controversy. We also had Jess and Scott, which was the other kind of like quite explosive Yeah.
situation because they had that huge breakup just before like on the show just before they were about to wrap. Yeah, I feel like Scott just seems like he’s totally moved on. He seems like he’s kind of like just made peace. He also looks like he wants to jump out the window. He does not like that woman. I think they were trying to maybe hold it together for the filming a little bit, but they had them back and forth.
The hard thing was what I can sort of pick up is like she said she wasn’t going to move to the Gold Coast to be with him and then she did move to the Gold Coast and then she had a new boyfriend and again she said this on the After Maths show on Stan. They said to her like why did you ruin the show by having paparazzi photos of you and your new boyfriend leaked and she was like she did admit to staging them but she thought they were going to be leaked later but she’s basically like I was sick of hiding our relationship. I’m
really happy with this man. And how’s everyone got into relationships so fast? How are these people getting into the relationships? They all come on Married at First Sight and say I just can’t find love in the real world and my only option was to come on Married at First Sight and they all rock up to the reunion like a month later being like so I’m in love and I found a nice guy or a woman. They work quick.
Yeah, that’s quick to me. I know it’s made me feel like Jesus Christ it’s harder in the dating world for the rest of us. And then that brings us to the final episode where they come and sit before the experts for one final time and we bring them back to the couch. They’ve got Rachel and Steve. They sit before the experts and they start to kind of hash out what went wrong in their relationship and Steve’s got his ring on for some reason.
>> Oh that man, I know he’s nervous but sir, be a real human being for one second. Get it together. So what he did right there was so cruel. So It felt I I genuinely felt like it was so I felt sick for Rachel. I really did because a lot I know that I I know they sign up for this show. I felt really bad for Rachel and Beck.
It It felt like an exercise in public humiliation for both of them and I know they signed up for it. I know they know it was coming but it’s still like what the producers how they choose to film, what they choose to show, how they choose to treat them. >> And you’ve got John obviously trying to hold Steve accountable but it just feels so cruel for Rachel and you’re seeing this woman just beside herself breaking down as they’re questioning him.
Well exactly because they’re having this back and forth and he is giving like really weak pathetic answers where she’s saying I love you and I would be with you but I want someone who wants me and makes me a priority. Fair enough. >> Right. And he’s like, I just don’t think I can be the It’s like someone has given him this line and he’s got one line written on a poster on his hand and he can only repeat that one line.
And he keeps saying, I can’t be the right man that Rachel needs right now. I can’t be the man that Rachel needs right now. And everyone’s like, “What do you” And then we have one of the best lines of the thing where he was Rachel’s like, he says his work will slow down in winter and that’s when he can commit to me.
And I think it was Johnny goes, “Um so relationships aren’t seasonal.” Well, Johnny and Mel were saying that. They were like, >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. “You can’t like you can’t put someone on hold No, like there’s a summer season and come back to me in the winter. Like that’s not how it works. >> That’s bizarre.
And every The hard thing was every single person at room, including Rachel, knew exactly what he wanted to say, which was I’m not in love with this woman. I don’t want to be with her married or in a relationship of any capacity. >> as well. They’re like, “Just say it.” >> Just say it. Just say it. >> And Rachel is shaking and crying and she’s so upset.
>> I know, me too. Because she knew it was coming, but he kept sort of saying like, “No, I do. I just can’t.” And it’s a conversation people have like in breakups. When things don’t work out, people be like, “But I really like you, but I love you, but >> Yeah, you’re amazing. Like if I’m so amazing, then date me.
>> Let’s get over it then. Yeah, exactly. So, and then finally everyone kept pushing him to say it, say it, say it and then he’s like, “I don’t want to be with Rachel.” And The way he said it was so bad. He says, “I’m just going to put a bullet in it and say no.” We didn’t need to get any bullets out there.
And he did afterwards say, “I say things really badly.” And I was like, “You know what? Your patheticness is no longer an excuse. We’ve been riding that wave since the first time we got introduced to you in the first episode where you’re like, ‘I’m really shy. I say the wrong thing. My family pressures me. I’ve been single for so long.’ That’s no longer an excuse.
Like you’re you’re a grown adult out in the real world. That’s no longer an excuse for your behavior.” And I’m so mad about this. I hope Rachel looks back and is like, “Ew.” Yeah. >> she will. Yeah, hopefully. Hopefully she’s at that stage now. She’s at that stage. >> Because yeah, and afterwards he’s like, “Oh, sorry.
I made the um that that was the wrong choice of words. But when she’s sobbing, it’s hard to watch cuz she’s heartbroken, but there’s also like a little sense of relief of like fine at least he said it now. He’s not going to pop the ring back on and be like, “But let’s just kiss for the cameras.” Like that’s almost worse.
Yeah, I think it was definitely good that she got her answer, but it was just like such a tear jerker moment cuz it was like all of her insecurities and what she was worried about the whole time throughout the whole show and the whole experiment is what played out in the end. >> And he like and he just kind of sucks. >> He yeah, he does suck.
And he kind of just strung her along every he he wrote stay at the final vows. He said, “I choose you. I’ll be here for you. I want to be with you.” Like there’s so many moments he could have broke it off, but also he could have broken off off camera if he really cared about sparing her feelings.
Yeah, that’s yes, that’s not good for a TV show, but you can choose as a human being. You can choose to do it off camera. And then even at the reunion dinner party putting the ring back on and like getting her hopes up again. And then He’s still out there being confusing cuz I saw a recent clip of him when asked him about you know, how he felt about um you know, his response and he again he was like, “Yeah, I said it the wrong way, but John was really grilling me and I wish that I’d actually argue he he said something to the effect of I wish I’d argued and
said I no, I actually do want to BE WITH RACHEL.” >> NO, SHUT UP, SIR. SHUT UP. >> So he’s still out there running his mouth. >> That’s like, “Oh, I can only choose not to be with her because I felt pressure in the moment.” You’re an adult growing man. No. Who is this boy? Get out of here. Yeah, boy. Exactly.
Get this boy out of here. He shouldn’t be playing with the adults. Well, lots of love to Rachel. She deserves a good guy. She should be. Oh, but then do we want to put her back through another TV show? The odds would be better. That’s true. Yeah, she does deserve to be the leading lady. >> Statistically surely there’s a Yeah, statistically.
Okay, I I like that for her. She should be the leading lady. Um so that was really hard to watch. And again, I know I’ve said this before, I’m no Beck fan and I’m no Danny fan, but that was Oh my god. humiliating and I thought quite I know it’s reality TV and it’s meant to be like this, but it was quite cruel by having Beck sit there on the couch by herself and play a montage of every time she talked about being in love with Danny and how strong they were and then to play a counter montage at the same time of every time he had said behind
her back that he didn’t want to be with her, wasn’t in love with her, didn’t see it working. >> My arm hairs were raised. I was like covering my face. It’s like she was having like a bodily reaction to it. She was like Oh, exactly. She was trying to hide her face. She was crumpled over. I mean, good on her for showing up and facing it because he didn’t do that.
Yeah, I wonder if >> wandering the aisles of Coles somewhere. Lost and alone. I’m sure she would have been quite shocked at what she saw because given this was only a month after, it would have been the first time they’re really seeing themselves on camera. Like throughout this whole time, you forget that they don’t know how they come across.
>> Yeah, they’re not watching the episodes week by week. And even with, you know, the the after show that they do, they’ve obviously had a lot of time, they’ve seen the show air, but at the time of filming this reunion, this is the first experience they’re having watching it back.
So it would have been That’s a lot. such a shock and like quite overwhelming. And imagine like the man that you’ve been like lying in bed with, that’s been like living in your home, that you’ve been going on walks with, that you’ve been talking like in her words, like talking about like being together with, to know that every time you walked away from him, he turned to the camera and said something awful about you.
>> piece of work. Just as a person. That’s a horrible thing to do cuz if anything, you should at least be friends and you shouldn’t be saying [ __ ] about your friends. It’s Yeah, exactly. Like that. They didn’t have each other’s backs at all. Um well, she did for him, but that’s backfired on her because that made all the women other women on the show sort of have all these fights, which is something that I thought was interesting that Mel pointed out during that final episode where she was like, of the decade I’ve been on
this show, I have never seen this amount of like in-fighting and nastiness between the women on the show. And I’ve got to say, this is one of the first times I’ve watched MAFS all the way through. So part of me was like, do they just behave like this all the time?” But people have said it’s been particularly bad this season.
I have said this before on the pod and I just think that they really made it part of the narrative of the season. Like it was marked by that. I feel like every episode, like there was a portion dedicated to the drama between the women and they focused on that and brought it out. So, I’m curious as to whether that happens in previous seasons or whether they just wanted that to be so massive.
Again, I think there are certain decisions they made when they were editing to bring out the drama between the women. Like I feel like they made Alyssa and David like this perfect couple because they wanted Alyssa to look perfect so that then it looked like she was >> a better victim for the storyline. >> a better victim.
They also stripped away any of Danny, you know, any of his shady qualities to make Beck look quite heightened. I just think there are certain things they did in the background which you’ve seen come out in the end that have really propelled this like narrative OF THESE WOMEN FIGHTING. SO, I THOUGHT it was interesting for them to do like this montage cuz I feel like that kind of proves the point.
Yeah, exactly. To kind of show how they had edited all together and how they had focused on and pushed those particular storylines. And then you have people like Alyssa being like, “I wasn’t even my, you know, real self.” Better for better or for worse. But she wasn’t her real self on the show because her whole storyline got taken over by like the text messages and the allegations and the fighting and yeah, it was it was a lot.
>> would be able to feel yourself being directed in some way because of the questions that they asked you. So, like in the instance where it was about the text, maybe she would have just gotten over it, X Y Z. But like if you keep being asked about it, you have to keep on like feeding that narrative.
So, I’m sure there are moments along the season where that kept happening. >> Yeah. Yeah, it it just felt like a particularly bad season. We did have one little moment of happiness and it’s been getting no airtime cuz everyone’s like Well, yeah, Stella and Liam. >> OH, YEAH. NO, NO, EVERYONE FORGOT ABOUT THOSE KIDS. >> EVERYONE FORGETS ABOUT THEM BECAUSE they’re just having a cute time.
>> are so adorable. >> Yeah, we’ve just forgotten about them all season cuz again they’re just being sweet and falling in love and They’re in the background. Yeah, and so nothing I mean I didn’t like him especially when it the show first started. Remember how he was I I think >> He’s plugged his YouTube.
Oh my god, HE’S PLUGGED HIS YOUTUBE. OH MY GOD, I FORGOT ABOUT THAT. I WONDER how his YouTube’s going. >> Yeah, we should go give it a hit. He’s You can tell already tell he’s planning to monetize the [ __ ] out of that wedding for his YouTube. I think he said something like he wants like yeah like a woman who takes care of her himself which is code for skinny.
And I think all men say that. Yeah, exactly. Exactly and kind of like someone little and oh just there was there was a few little red flags at first I’m just like that guy sounds like a jerk. But it’s worked out for them so maybe that’s fine but >> adorable. I think the funny thing about MAFS is when someone’s happy you just don’t see a lot of them.
But we got to see more of them in this episode and you can just see the how naturally like they gravitate towards each other and I’m like I love that. But you know what’s evil and diabolical about it is it’s going to encourage the next wave of people to apply for MAFS cuz they’re going to think that could be me. Cuz I saw that for a second and I THOUGHT OH NOT FOR ME. NOT FOR ME.
>> IF I SEE YOU APPLY FOR MAFS I’m going to like crash tackle you to the ground. >> not Stella and Phillip. I’ll be like that’s the exception not the rule. It’s so funny cuz I think they were trying to really like bring Stella and Phillip’s story to the forefront towards the end because at the end of the day they do need people to believe that this show brings people together in order to like keep not only people coming back and applying and to keep viewers watching cuz it was obviously people like the drama more. But if it’s only drama
you’re going to lose a lot of viewers and a lot of tension in storytelling stakes in the show. You have to watch it believing that some of these people could end up married. And I thought it was so funny towards the end of the final episode when they’re addressing the contestants and they’re all sitting there and half of them are sobbing.
They look so shocked. They’ve been fighting. It’s so bad and John goes, “Well, I know it hasn’t worked out for all of you.” I’m like all of them. My god. It’s worked out for one couple. The rest of them are broken human beings for the rest of their lives. I love how he was kind of acting like, oh, there’s just one or two of you that aren’t married.
And I was like, no, no, it’s it’s pretty much all of them. >> Everyone has broken up, John. >> Yeah. That hasn’t worked out. That’s again, that seems like a particularly bad season, right? Isn’t there usually one or two people at the end together, and then they they don’t all obviously make it, but that seems like a particularly bad ending.
It didn’t really feel like there were any strong couples at the time, even like at the end of the ceremony. Like, having only like two couples stay together, like that didn’t seem like a lot. Like, that wasn’t good. >> Yeah. And so many people had already dropped out before that. >> Yeah, exactly. >> why. We lost so many along the way.
We lost so We lost so many. So many fallen soldiers. And then a lot of drama has come out afterwards, too, which we’re still kind of following, but you know, where everything stands now is like, G is with her new boyfriend, Alyssa is with her new boyfriend, Rachel we don’t know about, and Steve’s probably still calling her being like, I don’t know.
Block his number again. Yeah. Um, a lot of different >> Don’t wait till winter. No, don’t wait till winter. That’s just cuffing season. >> That’s never good. If someone wants to see you in winter, they should also want to see you in summer. Um, and I guess Stella and Phillip are getting married, and that’s the next Yeah.
I wonder if they’ll they’ll have a TV wedding. Yeah, they will. So, that is Married at First Sight done for 2026. Oh my god, I feel I always feel like Rachel at the end of um Steve’s pathetic excuses, like, I feel broken, but also hopeful. I feel broken and hopeful for the world going forward, because that season was a lot.
>> It was a lot, and now we’re freed. We’re freed. And just And do remember, if you’re shopping at Coles, just be alert. >> Watch out. >> And alarmed that Danny could be walking those aisles. Thanks so much for listening to The Spill today. If you enjoyed this episode, the best way you can support us is to give us a five-star rating wherever you listen.
It goes a long way in us continue to give you guys the best content. And we have your weekend viewing sorted with our weekend watch episode dropping tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. The Spill is produced by Manisha Wadhwani with video production by Michael Keane. Bye. Bye.
