Tensions Reach Boiling Point For All the Wrong Reasons During MAFS’ So-Called ‘Intimacy Week’

We’re halfway through Intimacy Week on “Married At First Sight,” and the tasks set by resident sexologist Alessandra Rampolla are pushing the couples to explore their physical and emotional boundaries. But it’s proving to be a challenging task, resulting in some couples growing closer and other relationships unravelling detrimentally. 

The whole purpose of the challenge is to bring the couples closer together. And while we’ve watched some couples really succeed in doing so, it’s caused absolute havoc for others, to the point where we’re not sure there’s any room for redemption. 

Melissa and Josh

Things are just getting worse for Melissa and Josh, who are no longer on speaking terms. 

The sex-positive bride hoped to turn things around for Intimacy Week, but her emotional and physical connection with ‘husband’ Josh has stagnated. It opens the bride’s eyes as she realises just how sexually incompatible they truly are. 

“I never thought, in my wildest dreams, I’d be in a relationship like this, ever,” she tells producers. “This is not living, this is not life, and this is not a relationship.” 

Melinda and Layton

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for power couple Melinda and Layton. The bride admitted to finding “everything wrong with him” at the start before “something switched” during Confessions Week. 

Although they’ve found a physical connection, Melinda feels like something is still missing. She admits to wanting more depth from her ‘husband’ rather than their superficial bickering. Unsurprisingly, the couple starts arguing when Layton struggles to take the eye gazing task exercise seriously. 

It results in Melinda walking out with the belief that Layton isn’t making their relationship a priority. However, Layton redeems himself when he organises a dancing date for his wife Melinda who loves dancing. Now we wonder how long this will last. 

Caitlin and Shannon

After copping a grilling from the experts at the commitment ceremony for being intimate with his ex-partner the week prior to coming into the experiment, Shannon is determined to ignite the spark with Caitlin. 

Under instruction from Alessandra, he prepares a date night to remember with all the romantic trappings — he lights candles in the shape of a love heart and serves up Caitlin’s favourite meal, a chicken parmigiana, freshly carried over from the local pub. 

Sounds like all is well, right? Wrong, very wrong.

Things take a surprising turn during the eye gazing task when Shannon realises he’s actually not physically attracted to Caitlin. His ‘wife’ senses a shift in his demeanour, and decides to let the cat out of the bag. Delivering blow after blow of brutal honesty, he tells Caitlin she’s attractive, but not to him. 

If that wasn’t harsh enough, he tells Caitlin his feelings wouldn’t have surfaced if she had blown him away when she walked down the aisle.

Caitlin is devastated, but she finally unleashes on Shannon, telling him that his behaviour is appalling and that she deserves more. She packs her bags and moves out, leaving an ashamed Shannon in her dust.

“Married At First Sight” continues tomorrow at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.

Related: Intimacy Week Has Made a Spicy Return to MAFS 2023, But Does It Actually Work?