MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT EXPOSED
ALL THE DRAMA BEHIND THE TWO MOST DRAMATIC WEDDINGS ON MAFS
CONNIE ‘MUM HATES THE SHOW!’
Married at First Sight bride Connie was already terrified of marrying a complete stranger on the controversial reality TV experiment.
But her stress was doubled when her own mother blasted the Nine Network show, claiming it was “nasty” and “exploitative”. “I can’t stand your show,” Connie’s mum openly admitted during the promo.
Speaking with New Idea, the 27-year-old aspiring marine biologist says her mum’s opinion didn’t stop her from proudly walking down the aisle. “She is not a fan of the show at all, so she was quite shocked when she found out that I was doing it. She wasn’t very impressed at all,” Connie explains. “It was very deflating after having that conversation with her and it did make me doubt myself a bit, but I was going through with it no matter what.
“She never expected me to do something like this. And I think what really upset her as well is she sees bad reviews about the show, and she doesn’t want her daughter associated with something like that.”
After being single for five years, the brunette beauty was sick and tired of the dating game.
Connie’s experience with rejection had also caused her self-esteem to plummet. “I had been single for five years, and I was a little bit scared of dating. I kind of gave up on dating and I just don’t use Tinder,” she explains. “I just deal with a lot of rejection and I just didn’t really know how to handle it any more.”
As a quiet and humble person, Connie is hoping her future husband will be a good match for her reserved personality.
She’s confident the experts have partnered her with Mr
Right. “The main things I’m looking for in a partner are someone really humble, someone really selfless … and someone that can mentally challenge me,” Connie says.
As for how she’ll be portrayed on TV in front of Australia, Connie just hopes the country will accept her for who she is.
“They’re going to see a really raw, authentic version of me. I only knew how to be myself on that show,” she says.
“I was very honest with everything. And I do honestly think I was probably one of the most genuine people on that show as well.”
AMANDA ‘GAY MARRIAGE ISN’T TABOO’
Amanda will make history on Married at First Sight as part of the show’s first lesbian couple. The 34-year-old strength coach is proud of who she is and was thrilled to represent same-sex marriage on the TV experiment. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Amanda, who tells New Idea she struggled with being accepted for her sexuality. “I come from a European family. And I did battle some depression and anxiety when I was about 17, trying to deal with my sexuality and coming to terms with all of that,” Amanda admits.
“I’m not afraid to be different. I’m not afraid. I don’t follow the crowd. I’m a leader. I don’t care to be liked, but I like to be loved by few.” The Melbourne-based career woman is looking for a woman on her level and refuses to settle. “I’ve worked damn hard to be who I am,” Amanda says proudly. “I’m not going to settle. I have settled and it didn’t work.”
As for her future bride, Amanda is also hoping that together they can break the stigma and help remove the taboo around same-sex relationships on TV.
“This show is a good platform for me to get out some important taboo topics,” she explains. “I really want to break the stigma.”
Married at First Sight groom Steve is sick of dating apps and is keen to meet his future wife the old-fashioned way.
A reality TV show certainly isn’t conventional – but Steve says it’s better than Tinder Speaking with New Idea, 52-year-old Steve wears his heart on his sleeve.
“I love Married at First Sight
– I think the concept is great,” Steve admits.
“I came into it with my heart and my eyes wide open to fall in love with somebody, I swear to God I did. I cannot stress that enough and I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face.”
Being the ‘dad’ of the group might mean the other contestants will look to him for a bit of advice on love and marriage.
But Steve says he’s ready to show the world both his fun and sensitive side.
“I’m a bit of a larrikin and stuff like that and have a laugh and a joke but don’t misunderstand from that the fact I’m a sensitive guy inside as well,” he says. “Australia is going to see me. They’re not going to see any sugar-coated individual. They’ll just see Steve. This is a fact. I cannot stress that enough.”
The Uk-born barbershop owner moved to Australia 20 years ago and has never looked back.
Steve knows he’ll stand out from the rest of the contestants as an older groom, but he also says being young at heart will help him get along with the other couples at dinner parties.
“I think it will be an interesting dynamic, because I’m the oldest person in the show,” he explains.
“I don’t see myself as a 52-year-old. I just don’t see myself as an age, to be honest.
I just enjoy whatever I’m doing, where I’m doing it.”
Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time Steve has looked for love on reality television.
“I did First Dates about two, three years ago,” he admits.
In 2018, the father of one was on Channel Seven’s First Dates Australia, where he brutally rejected his date because he “didn’t feel the spark”.
Speaking about his future wife, Steve says he knows the odds are stacked against his marriage working out. Despite this, he’s willing to give it a red-hot go!
“This is an experiment and some things will work, some things won’t,” he says.
“I’m just looking for somebody that’s super supportive, super understanding and caring.
“I’ve had that in the past and it’s made me realise that I want it again.”
The most important trait in his ‘perfect woman’ is loyalty – so hopefully Steve is paired with someone who will go into bat for him at the explosive dinner parties!
“If it’s somebody who’s got my back, as I will always have theirs, I would be a very happy man,” Steve adds.
The last few seasons of Married at First Sight have been drama-packed and rife with husband-swapping. And according to a well-placed source, the 2020 season is set to be no different. A MAFS insider tells New Idea that while there’s no official partner-swapping, a shocking affair takes place mid-season that tears apart not two, but three relationships! While there isn’t news on who is set to ‘cheat’, after affairs between Davina and Dean in 2018 and Ines and Sam last year, we can expect a lot of drama. Promos for the season show catfights and blow-ups during the dinner party – with an argument between groom Ivan and bride Hayley set to have tongues wagging.
While most reality TV couples don’t make it in the real world, it’s clear Sam and Snezana Wood are the exception. The couple – who met on The Bachelor in 2015, have married and are raising a family together – are proof real that love can exist beyond reality show fame.
Sam simply says he and Snezana were “meant to be”. “Meeting Snez was weirdly fate,” the 39-year-old tells New Idea.
“We’re so well-suited, and when we met, we desperately wanted to grow a family. We balance each other and now our life is all about our girls, and that brings you closer still.”
The couple have two children together, Willow, 2, and Charlie, 6 months, and share Eve, Snezana’s daughter from a previous relationship.
“I love being a dad,” Sam beams. “I always thought I would and it’s even exceeded the really high expectations I had. My girls are my life and I’m very lucky.”
You won’t see Sam and
Snezana on too many red carpets, with the couple shunning the limelight, for the most part, in favour of home life.
“We don’t like all the fluff,” he says. “We’re family people.”
Since his Bachelor days, Sam has been content to focus on his fitness program, 28 by Sam Wood. But now he’s making his TV return on Channel Seven staple Better Homes and Gardens, where he’ll be offering tips for leading a healthier lifestyle.
So why this show? Sam revels he’s been approached to appear on several TV shows over the past five years, but none were the “right fit”.
“I’ve had other reality shows and game shows approach me,” he says. “But I’m not interested in doing multiple reality TV shows.
“My TV experience on Bachelor has changed my life forever, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to jump back into TV for the hell of it.
“Being the health and fitness guy on Better Homes and Gardens is absolutely the right role.”
Hopefully, Sam can steer viewers in the right direction when it comes to diets – the good ones and the ones best avoided.
“I’M NOT INTERESTED IN DOING MULTIPLE REALITY TV SHOWS”
“There are some diets that have substance,” he says. “But typically, anything that is a quick fix, extreme option, isn’t good. In reality, you need a sensible combination of eating real food and moving your body probably more than most of us do. That’s not very sexy, but it’s the truth.”
Life is “pretty hectic”, both at work and on the home front, but could Sam and Snezana be thinking about adding to their brood?
“Snez gets quite clucky,” he says, laughing.
“Then when Willow and Charlie start crying at the same time, she quickly changes her mind as most parents do. But you never say never.”