Buried footage, shock allegations and a chilling threat to the cast: The full inside story of the MAFS couple who filmed a wedding… before being scrubbed from the final edit

One of the biggest issues the show ‘Married at First Sight’ has ever dealt with has led to an entire couple being removed from the current season without much public attention.

Production on the show was already in progress when producers decided to remove Micah Lomu and Ankita Karungalekar. This created a challenging situation, as the editing team had to rework hours of existing footage to eliminate all traces of their participation.

I was really invested in Micah and Ankita’s journey! They’d already filmed their entire wedding and honeymoon, and were part of all the group activities with the other couples when, suddenly, everything changed. Some serious accusations against Micah started spreading on TikTok, and production just… stopped for them. It was so abrupt and really shocking to see after watching them fall in love.

The Daily Mail decided not to report on the claims, and both Micah and Ankita strongly deny any involvement. We have no reason to believe they did anything wrong.

Micah, 28, claims he was fired under the guise of mental health concerns, a decision he found frustrating because the production company and network appeared to accept unproven claims against him.

Micah, 28, explained to Daily Mail reporter Ali Daher that producers asked him to leave the show, saying it was for the sake of his well-being.

‘But by doing that, they practically gave validation that I’d done something wrong.

There was absolutely no evidence against me – no past issues, nothing at all. Yet, I was made to look like a dangerous person.

‘It felt like I was made a scapegoat.’

Ankita, 29, said she was blindsided by the decision, and the reasoning she was given.

‘We were shocked when Channel Nine said we couldn’t handle the backlash,’ she said.

They don’t have the authority to make that call. We completed all the required psychological evaluations, filled out extensive paperwork, and passed all background checks.

‘Suddenly, they decided we weren’t strong enough.’

The couple got married at the beautiful Lindesay House in Darling Point, Sydney, in a particularly stunning ceremony that stood out this season.

Ankita looked beautiful in a flowing sage green and gold gown, decorated with delicate embroidery. She carried a bright bouquet of yellow and peach flowers.

Micah cut a sharp figure in an all-black tailored suit with a matching boutonnière.

The crowd welcomed the couple as they seemed to hit it off right away. However, the video of the moment will not be released.

Ankita shared that the best part of her experience on Married at First Sight was connecting with her husband, as they simply clicked.

The newlyweds enjoyed three days in Cairns, connecting with each other and starting their life together as a married couple, until everything unexpectedly changed.

The producers suddenly told them they weren’t allowed to communicate with each other anymore.

“We weren’t allowed to speak to each other – no communication at all, not even a meeting,” Ankita explained, sounding worried. “Something feels off, really off, you know?”

Ankita first thought being kept separate was just a normal part of the study. But she started to realize it was more serious when they were still apart as the first dinner party came up.

The rest of the cast was reportedly told to pretend like they’d never met them.

‘It was anxiety all day and no one told us what was going on,’ Ankita said.

Micah eventually explained to Ankita that the show’s producers had contacted him about the rumors spreading online, which hadn’t been verified.

‘I was shook. I cried for hours,’ said Micah.

It was deeply upsetting to be portrayed in a way that felt so untrue to who I am and my cultural values. It felt like a real blow.

Growing up, my family was all about the women – strong, amazing Polynesian women! So when someone suggested I wasn’t one of them, it honestly felt like a really personal, hurtful attack. It wasn’t just an accusation, it felt like they were disrespecting my entire family and where I come from.

Ankita stated she only became aware of the claims through one anonymous message sent from a temporary, untraceable account.

‘There were no screenshots, no texts, nothing,’ she said.

We were shocked that Channel Nine made such a big decision based solely on TikTok videos and without verifying the information.

Micah explained that he repeatedly asked the show’s producers to handle the situation correctly so he could prove he hadn’t done anything wrong.

‘I said, “Please go to the police so I can fight it,”‘ he said.

He argued that Channel Nine and EndemolShine Australia, by removing him from the show, had essentially confirmed the false accusations against him.

‘I’ve never done anything other than a parking ticket,’ added Micah.

The couple strongly believe they were taken off the show to safeguard its image, and not because the claims against them had any truth to them.

‘They’ve kept people on in previous seasons who had actual proof against them,’ Ankita said.

‘Those people were given second chances, even rematched. Why weren’t we?’

Micah explained that they were worried about including us in the footage. However, he believes the best course of action would have been to allow us to remain and address any misunderstandings directly.

The emotional toll has been severe.

‘I walked in on my mum one day scrolling through all the comments,’ Micah said.

She was clearly upset. Being a mother, her instinct was to shield me, but it was causing her a lot of distress.

Ankita revealed that watching the impact on Micah’s family was heartbreaking.

‘Seeing his mum shake while begging producers to give us a chance was horrible,’ she said.

‘She couldn’t understand why we were being removed when we were genuinely happy together.’

For Ankita, the experience cost her far more than a television opportunity.

She explained how quickly things changed, going from making wedding vows to being forbidden from even talking to her husband.

I didn’t just miss out on a chance; my marriage ended too. Even now, I still feel like we’re married, so being told to leave felt incredibly painful.

Ankita was hurt by the harsh way she was treated, and felt even Micah received better consideration.

‘The way they spoke to Micah was sympathetic. To me, it was ruthless,’ she said.

‘I was polite, respectful, and still got treated like rubbish.’

She said communication from producers ‘vanished’ once the decision was made.

Micah asked if Ankita could continue in the experiment with someone new, pointing to a similar situation with Jessica Seracino in season nine.

He pleaded with them, “Don’t involve her in my troubles. Please, let her be okay.” But they refused to listen.

Ankita shared that she was misled for weeks, being led to believe a rematch was possible.

She explained that they kept giving her false hope, assuring her things would work out, even though it was already clear to others that she wasn’t going to stay.

The financial impact was also significant.

‘We quit our jobs. We invested in outfits, in everything,’ Ankita said.

‘You’re mentally stressed, financially stressed, and then told to just leave.’

Despite everything, the pair remain close to this day.

Oh my gosh, he said it! Micah said even though we don’t need a label, we’re just…connected. Like, forever. And get this – he actually said if being with me felt like this, he’d get married every single day! Every. Single. Day! I’m melting! It’s not about the title, it’s about us. It’s just… everything.

Now that things have calmed down, the couple hopes people will realize the damaging effects of online attacks and false accusations.

‘It’s easier to make a TikTok than to go to police,’ Micah said. ‘But the consequences are real.’

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