This season of Married At First Sight has been up there in the drama stakes, but it seems the real fireworks went off behind the scenes – and proved far too scandalous for TV audiences.
WATCH: Michael discusses Stacey’s betrayal
According to a well-placed insider, filming for the reunion episode became quite the spectacle for producers, who had to deal with catfights between the brides, stars refusing to show up and even allegations that some of the cast members were using drugs.
As a couple, Michael Goonan and Stacey Hampton have been on a roller–coaster since the very beginning, with their many ups and downs including the Adelaide businessman’s excessive partying and his cheating scandal with another bride, Hayley Vernon.
But the source tells WHO that the relationship came to an explosive end just before the reunion, with the pair engaging in a slanging match in front of the whole production crew. Michael allegedly called Stacey “scum” and angrily told her to “go f–k Mikey again”, after co-star Mikey Pembroke insisted he’d had an affair with Stacey.
The insider also claims that Michael told the 26-year-old mum of two that she was
an “embarrassment to her kids” before crew members had to separate them amid concerns the exchange could turn physical.
The situation only worsened for Michael and Stacey, who the source says were treated like outcasts by their fellow brides and grooms at the reunion. One contestant tells WHO: “Michael and Stacey sat at opposite ends of the table all night, not talking or looking at each other or engaging with anyone. They were like zombies.”
It was a different story for Mishel Karen and Lizzie Sobinoff, whose tension was explosive. Throughout the season, Mishel made it clear she’s not a fan of the returning bride, calling her “fake” and accusing her of getting special treatment from producers. But things escalated dramatically during reunion filming, getting so heated at one point that Lizzie’s husband Seb Guilhaus is said to have had to step in to pull them apart.
“Everyone thought they were going to fight – it was crazy!” WHO’s insider reveals. “If it wasn’t for Seb stepping in, it would have been an all-out brawl.”
A fuming Mishel yelled at Lizzie, “You’ve been here for five minutes, you don’t know anything! You’ve got your extra 150 followers...”
Meanwhile, one participant made an accusation about “half of the contestants” taking drugs before filming the reunion, adding that drug use was “rampant” during the season – though didn’t go so far as to name any names. Another source alleges that some cast members had multiple drug dealers on call, who would regularly drop off supplies to the hotel where they were staying.
Couple-swapping is always rife in the hit reality show, but there was another rumoured hook-up this season that producers made sure stayed clear of the airwaves. KC Osborne and Jonethen Musulin (who were originally paired with Drew Brauer and Connie Crayden, respectively) were glued to each other’s sides and flirting outrageously all night at the reunion, shares WHO’s source.
Several contestants apparently saw them leave together in a taxi despite them staying at different hotels on opposite sides of Sydney. The insider also claims Natasha was acting like a diva at the filming of the reunion, supposedly storming out because she wasn’t getting any camera time. It’s believed she yelled at producers that the whole thing was “bulls–t”, but they let her go, insisting, “We’ve had enough of her!
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