MKR: SECRET FEUD
BEHIND-THE-SCENES SECRET FEUD EXPOSED
While the nation is enthralled by the ongoing war between Christian home-schooled brothers Josh and Austin and Sydney socialites Ibby and Romel, there has been a secret feud bubbling away behind the scenes.
Josh and Austin have made shocking allegations to New Idea, labelling “Friendly Pirate” Ash “fake” and a “full of s--t”.
“Stacey and Ash were so full of s--t the entire time,” Josh, 25, spills. “He really got to Austin a lot. It got very, very serious between Austin and Ash, and Ash kept picking on him.”
Austin, 22, is outraged Ash has been portrayed positively on the show, claiming things were very different when the cameras stopped rolling. “He did horrible things,” Austin states. “He threatened me. I asked some challenging questions and it’s up to them how they take it. Some of them broke and it was a thing because it means they failed, and some freaked out and Ash got really threatened. He was just a peacock trying to spread his wings. He threatened me so many times and it makes me think he started that fight [where he lost his eye].”
Protective older brother Josh, an aspiring actor, is quick to interject, adding: “The thing is that Ash would never do it on camera. He would always be like, ‘Hi, I’m Ash, and I’m just going to be really quiet and neutral so I don’t lose any followers on Instagram.’ But as soon as the cameras turned off, he was horrible to Austin. He would say s---y things. Austin actually told him off camera, ‘Why don’t you say all these things you say to me on camera or are you too afraid to lose followers?’ And he goes, ‘You better watch yourself, I’ll come after you.’”
After watching a few episodes of the show, the boys have been left feeling frustrated. “He’s playing so dumb in all of this, it’s so annoying,” Austin says.
However, according to Stacey and Ash, the ongoing altercation played out a little differently.
“Behind the scenes one day they were being quite rude to lots of people,” Ash explains. “And I called them out on it. I was like, ‘Why are you guys just being a--holes to everyone?’ And Austin started shaking. He got really shaky, and he’s like, ‘Why wouldn’t you say this on camera?’ I was like, ‘I mean, I’m saying it now. Why’re you guys being a--holes to everyone?’ And he got really shaky and scared, and I wasn’t being intimidating. It was really weird ... And then they walked out of the room. They give everyone s--t all the time, and the moment someone really says something to them, like a legitimate thing, they walk out of the room all scared.”
Ash was happy to address the comments Austin made about his popular Instagram account @thefriendlypirate. “They told me that they thought I’d lose followers on Instagram for
saying they were a--holes on TV,” he says. “I was like, ‘I don’t think so.’ I think I’ll probably gain some if anything. So that was the weird altercation with those guys.”
Both Stacey and Ash and Josh and Austin admit their initial impressions of each other were positive, but it seems things went south once they sat around the table together.
“First impressions of Stacey and Ash, I thought, ‘man, these guys are awesome, they’re down to earth, they’re friendly,’” Austin says. “Getting to know, especially Ash [later on], I realised he was the biggest fake in the world. Friendly pirate, my a--!”
Stacey, 27, says she was shocked to discover what the brothers are really like. “When we first met Josh and Austin, I thought, ‘oh these guys look nice’,” she says.
“I actually thought they were in a band or something, so I’m like maybe they’re in a Christian rock band. And then as soon as they opened their mouth, I was like, ‘wow’... We did get some culty vibes.
“Austin’s more the odd one out of the two because he doesn’t seem to have any of his own thoughts. He’s almost controlled by Josh. He will say these awful, horrible things to people, but then almost look like he regrets saying it immediately, like he’s a puppet.”
THINGS GET HEATED OFF CAMERA BETWEEN TWO UNEXPECTED TEAMS