As a lifestyle expert, I definitely noticed the buzz last August when photos surfaced of Luke and Melissa from Married At First Sight. It was only a week after they’d moved in together, and the pictures showed them living very separate lives – it really made people question how things were going for the newlyweds!
At the time, it looked like a minor wobble.
Now, as behind-the-scenes details finally come to light, those images read more like a warning.
People close to the couple reveal the relationship had been falling apart for quite some time, even before the drama played out on television.
And the reason, sources claim, was simple.
Luke put in the effort — Mel didn’t.
Photos published by the Daily Mail in August showed Melissa exploring Sydney by herself shortly after moving into her apartment. She was seen walking around with headphones on, enjoying a chocolate bar, and looking at her phone.
She looked withdrawn, disengaged and deep in thought.
Luke was seen in another location, looking happy and relaxed. He was wearing workout clothes with a flower behind his ear and was stretching, preparing for a run.
At the time, production sources brushed it off as a couple needing space.
Sources close to the couple now reveal they weren’t just taking a break; they had already been living completely separate lives for some time.
‘That wasn’t a rough patch,’ one source told Daily Mail.
‘That was a marriage where one person had already checked out.’
Several sources say Mel quickly showed Luke she wasn’t interested in him and didn’t want to develop a relationship.
‘She didn’t want to get to know him,’ the source said.
‘And that included not wanting to be friends.’
Luke tried to start conversations and connect with Mel, but she reportedly avoided deeper discussions and kept things very superficial.
‘She didn’t lean in,’ the insider said.
‘She leaned away.’
People close to the situation report that a noticeable lack of effort began during the couple’s honeymoon and grew worse when they weren’t being filmed.
‘He was trying to understand her. She wasn’t trying at all,’ an insider explained.
People close to the situation say a key issue was Mel seemingly not caring about Luke’s family, especially his sisters.
Family means everything to Luke, and I’ve heard his sisters were so excited to meet Mel and really get to know her. They were truly hoping to welcome her into the family and build a close relationship.
‘She showed no curiosity,’ one insider said.
‘No effort to connect. No warmth.’
To Luke, that was devastating.
‘It told him everything he needed to know,’ the source added.
If you won’t make an effort to get to know the people your partner cares about, the relationship doesn’t have much of a chance.
Those close to the couple say the biggest problem in the marriage was how differently Mel acted at different times.
‘She was cold to Luke behind closed doors,’ one source said.
‘But completely different with everyone else.’
When Mel was around others, people described her as involved, talkative, and positive. However, when Luke tried to connect with her privately, she became withdrawn and emotionally unavailable.
‘That contrast messed with him,’ the insider said.
‘He felt isolated and humiliated.’
It also made it impossible for Luke to pretend everything was fine.
Things got heated during a group talk when the cast was asked to share honestly about their relationships with each other.
While others offered glowing updates, Luke refused to lie.
‘He said he was putting in all the effort and getting nothing back,’ the source said.
‘He was exhausted because it wasn’t going anywhere.’
According to sources familiar with the situation, Mel agreed with the feedback and reportedly acknowledged she hadn’t been working as hard as usual.
‘That confirmation was brutal,’ the source said.
‘It validated everything he’d been feeling.’
Despite encouragement from fellow grooms to keep trying, Luke was reportedly left with little hope.
‘She had already told him there was no future,’ one insider said.
‘So what was he meant to do? Beg?’
While other couples bonded, laughed and built foundations, Luke and Mel drifted further apart.
‘It wasn’t one argument that ended it,’ the insider said.
‘It was one person showing up and the other never bothering to arrive.’
The breakdown of Luke and Mel’s marriage wasn’t a surprise; it was something that had been building for a long time.
Married At First Sight continues Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine.
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2026-02-09 08:04