Luke Fourniotis from Married At First Sight explained why he stayed on the show during Sunday’s episode, even after his wife, Melissa Akbay, publicly rejected him in front of everyone.
The 30-year-old farmer told the Daily Mail he thought about quitting, but decided he wanted to finish his experience on a positive note.
‘It didn’t feel right to leave the show without even giving the experts a chance,’ Luke said.
The reality star confessed the experience really damaged his self-esteem, explaining he felt like he’d lost track of who he was while participating.
He explained that he’d lost himself completely and felt a significant drop in confidence, which he found very upsetting.
I really didn’t want things to end badly. I didn’t want to part ways with Mel feeling angry or resentful, and I hoped people wouldn’t remember the whole thing as a complete disaster.
He decided to remain with her after Mel honestly told him she didn’t feel a connection and had wished for a more magical relationship. She shared these feelings publicly, in front of the other couples participating in the event.
Luke acknowledged he’d heard those words before, but admitted that being rejected publicly still hurt him deeply.
‘Hearing it in front of the whole group makes you feel even more vulnerable,’ he explained.
‘It’s almost embarrassing being on the receiving end of that.’
Even though he was hurt, Luke believed they could rebuild their relationship by starting over and focusing on the fundamentals.
‘Forget about intimacy, forget about romance, even physical touch – none of it,’ he said.
We need to focus on building a friendship before anything else, as we haven’t managed to do that so far.
Intimacy Week, he hinted, would look ‘very different’ for them compared to the other couples.
Luke reacted to the experts’ direct feedback to Mel during the Commitment Ceremony, which many viewers felt justified his previous concerns.
‘I never want the experts to come for Mel,’ he said carefully.
It was helpful that they pointed out what was slowing us down. It made me feel optimistic.
The groom was very open about how upsetting it was to see footage of Mel talking about their relationship with the other brides.
He felt completely caught off guard by her criticism, especially since she hadn’t given him any clear signals – positive or negative – beforehand.
‘I was putting my best foot forward and trying the best that I could,’ he said.
‘It was so upsetting. It hurt more than anything.’
Luke shared that after the show episodes featuring those conversations were broadcast, he started to see a change in how some of the brides behaved around him when the cameras weren’t rolling.
He recalled walking down the hall and feeling ignored by some of the girls. He wondered what he’d done to upset them, he said.
‘It all made sense when I saw what had been said.’
He also denied spreading rumors that he’d asked his sisters to leave negative comments about Mel online.
‘The comments had already been deleted before she even brought it up,’ he insisted.
I asked my sisters to remove the photos because they made me look bad. I haven’t said anything negative about her, and it’s unfair to suggest that I did.
I was so relieved to hear Luke directly address those rumors! He made it very clear he wasn’t pulling any strings with the media or secretly planning what articles would be written. It’s good to know he’s not involved in any behind-the-scenes manipulation.
‘That’s completely not true,’ he said.
Although Luke hadn’t fallen in love with Mel yet, he was honest about wanting to build a relationship with her.
‘I wouldn’t say I had feelings for Mel,’ he admitted.
I just wanted to connect with people, relax, and have a good time. I really hoped we could build a friendly relationship.
Whether that connection can survive the mounting tension remains to be seen.
Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine.
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2026-02-17 02:56