Ankita Karungalekar has revealed the shocking amount of money she lost after appearing on Married At First Sight (MAFS).
The cricket presenter’s reality TV journey was cut short after allegations surfaced regarding her onscreen husband Micah Lomu.
Now, she has estimated that her brief stint on the 2026 season cost her at least $6,000.
“I was out of work after that for [about] a month… no pay for that,” she confessed to Chattr regarding her time on the reality series.
Karungalekar went on to say that she received no money for the outfits she bought or the expenses she incurred during the experience.
“I didn’t get paid for anything at all, no compensation, no sort of apology or anything as such.
“I think I invested around $6,000 to $10,000 with this whole process… The food, the investment [in] clothing, just the suitcases.”
Karungalekar’s bold admission comes after it was revealed that she and her onscreen husband were asked to leave the show.
The couple, who exited the series before the first dinner party took place, broke their silence on the controversy in an interview with Daily Mail.
Rumours regarding Lomu first circulated on TikTok last year, prompting an internal investigation into the budding star.
According to the finance broker, no physical evidence was found to back up the claims.
“[Producers] told me it was in my best interest to be dismissed from the show for my mental health,” Lomu told the publication.
“But by doing that, they practically gave validation that I’d done something wrong, there was no visual proof, no history of wrongdoing, nothing. I was painted as someone to be scared of.”
Karungalekar chimed in with her onscreen partner, adding that the decision to have them axed from the show left the couple shocked.
“We were floored that Channel Nine made such a huge decision based on TikTok videos without receipts,” she added.
The thirteenth season of Married At First Sight is set to hit Aussie sceens in February this year.
Promising to be “the greatest season of them all” in one of the promotional trailers, the much-anticipated dating show has already been making headlines thanks to its wild cast and dramatic plotlines.