{"id":496858,"date":"2026-02-22T13:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T13:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/496858\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T13:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T13:44:14","slug":"mafs-2026-australia-exclusive-rebeccas-final-words-to-ex-husband-steve-as-pair-emotionally-split-going-to-cry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/496858\/","title":{"rendered":"MAFS 2026 Australia Exclusive: Rebecca&#8217;s final words to ex-husband Steve as pair emotionally split: &#8216;Going to cry&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>EXCLUSIVE: \ufeffWith their instant chemistry, <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/rebecca-zukowski\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Rebecca\">Rebecca<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/steve-powell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Steve\">Steve<\/a> started out so hopeful as a couple on <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Married At First Sight.\">Married At First Sight.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now, they were the <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/mafs-2026-recap-episode-13-commitment-ceremony-brook-runaway-bride-chris-gia-bec-danny\/1ac66252-5f95-47b3-a439-a7d171be876e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"first to leave the experiment in 2026\">first to leave the experiment in 2026<\/a>, but not without one final word from Rebecca, 51.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stan.com.au\/watch\/mafs-after-the-dinner-party?utm_source=nine-com-au&amp;utm_medium=editorial-link&amp;utm_campaign=nine-stan-pathway-mafs-atdp-s1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here.\" data-plug-link=\"stan_link-in-article\">Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/https:\/\/prod.static9.net.au\/fs\/caeba75c-68b6-4eec-837c-55e11c69fb77.png\"   alt=\"EMBARGO 22\/2\/2026 9:30PM MAFS 2026 Commitment Ceremony 2 Rebecca and Steve\"\/>Steve and Rebecca both decided to &#8216;leave&#8217;.  (Nine)<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not going to settle,&#8221; she said of her decision to leave during <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/mafs-2026-australia-commitment-ceremony-stay-or-leave-couples-decision-recap\/35bba7b9-f08e-45cc-a87e-c5e7dbfc4f81\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Sunday&#039;s emotional Commitment Ceremony\">Sunday&#8217;s emotional Commitment Ceremony<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As her marriage to Steve, 50, crumbled, the bride felt she was &#8220;robbed of the experience&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>But if she did have one message for ex-husband Steve, it would be this.<\/p>\n<p>\ufeff&#8221;I&#8217;m not going to hold a grudge\ufeff,&#8221; she made clear.<\/p>\n<p>\ufeffThat doesn&#8217;t mean she wasn&#8217;t upset. \ufeff<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\ufeffWhen I love and care about people I give everything to them, and I feel like it was a complete waste of time\ufeff,&#8221; she said holding back tears.<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE:\ufeff <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/mafs-2026-australia-expert-mel-schilling-announces-departure-leaving-show\/46f35c30-658d-4365-8a31-4fc9d58d1188\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"MAFS Australia expert Mel Schilling announces she is leaving the show \u2013 after 10 years on air\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MAFS Australia expert Mel Schilling announces she is leaving the show \u2013 after 10 years on air<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I just felt\ufeff like I was matched with this person that was just not ready.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Despite a positive start, Rebecca and Steve faced their biggest challenges during Intimacy Week. Steve felt the pair were going at different &#8220;paces&#8221; in the relationship, while <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/mafs-2026-australia-exclusive-rebecca-zukowski-reveals-moment-you-didnt-see-on-tv-intimacy-rejection-steve\/c5a9829f-68a0-4513-9e08-c07455dd17b6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Rebecca felt Steve wasn&#039;t &quot;showing up for her&quot; on a day-to-day.\">Rebecca felt Steve wasn&#8217;t &#8220;showing up for her&#8221; on a day-to-day.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think we were on different speeds,&#8221; Steve reflected when speaking to 9Entertainment after his exit.<\/p>\n<p>EXCLUSIVE: <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/mafs-2026-australia-exclusive-rebecca-zukowski-reveals-moment-you-didnt-see-on-tv-intimacy-rejection-steve\/c5a9829f-68a0-4513-9e08-c07455dd17b6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"MAFS&#039; Rebecca reveals moment you didn&#039;t see on TV before &#039;intimacy&#039; rejection from Steve: &#039;I felt cheap&#039;\">MAFS&#8217; Rebecca reveals moment you didn&#8217;t see on TV before &#8216;intimacy&#8217; rejection from Steve: &#8216;I felt cheap&#8217;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\ufeffRebecca was expecting a lot more for me and I wasn&#8217;t willing to maybe dive down a certain path just as quickly as she was.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The groom said he was a &#8220;slow burn&#8221;, hoping to build a friendship first to see where that would go.<\/p>\n<p>In Pictures<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/2026\/02\/11\/16\/15\/mafs-2026-australia-commitment-ceremony-stay-or-leave-couples-decision-recap\" class=\"styles__LinkFigure-sc-1tds0mw-2 demezA\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/https:\/\/prod.static9.net.au\/fs\/c99af1d2-d071-4ddf-bf58-ae0068b2e43d.png\"   alt=\"\" class=\"styles__Image-sc-1tds0mw-3 gHFkfX\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Stay or leave? Every brutal decision from the MAFS 2026 Commitment Ceremonies <\/p>\n<p>As four participants leave. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/2026\/02\/11\/16\/15\/mafs-2026-australia-commitment-ceremony-stay-or-leave-couples-decision-recap\" class=\"styles__Button-sc-1tds0mw-7 cFfWCb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">View Gallery<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Whereas Rebecca I think, wanted to have the full-blown marriage up front very quickly, and every part that goes with being married to someone, and I just wasn&#8217;t as quick to respond.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca and Steve: Where are they now? \ufeff<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca and Steve are no longer together.<\/p>\n<p>But, after their decision to both &#8216;leave&#8217; the experiment during the second Commitment Ceremony, they are both still open to looking for love.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/https:\/\/prod.static9.net.au\/fs\/5e0bc4ad-475c-4687-acc3-66d1cb3bfba3.jpeg\"   alt=\"EMBARGO 15\/2\/2026 9:30PM MAFS 2026 first commitment ceremony Rebecca and Steve\"\/>Rebecca and Steve had their ups and downs, and are now both ready to move on. (Nine)<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been single for three years and I can&#8217;t wait to meet someone,&#8221; said Steve.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think I&#8217;ve just got to be patient. I&#8217;m not going to rush it, that&#8217;s for sure.&#8221; \ufeff<\/p>\n<p>EXCLUSIVE: <a href=\"https:\/\/9now.nine.com.au\/married-at-first-sight\/mafs-2026-australia-exclusive-steve-powell-related-david-beckham-cast-reveal-fun-facts\/1c828d84-31d7-481d-b806-ded63c74754c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"MAFS groom Steve reveals he&#039;s related to David Beckham\">MAFS groom Steve reveals he&#8217;s related to David Beckham<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Speaking to 9Entertainment, Rebecca said \ufeffshe&#8217;s &#8220;definitely ready&#8221; to go back into the dating pool\ufeff.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Hopefully I won&#8217;t cry now, which I&#8217;m probably going to&#8230; Being single for eight years, I didn&#8217;t realise how lonely I am, I actually want to find love more than anything,&#8221; she revealed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m definitely ready to find love, hopefully he might find me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Want more exclusive? Catch Rebecca&#8217;s unseen MAFS audition tape here: \ufeff<\/p>\n<p>Stream every episode of <a href=\"https:\/\/stream.9now.com.au\/fALc6JHEnNb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Married At First Sight\">Married At First Sight<\/a> for free on <a href=\"https:\/\/stream.9now.com.au\/fALc6JHEnNb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"9Now\">9Now<\/a>. Plus, \ufeffexclusive footage, unfiltered interviews and exclusive video when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stan.com.au\/watch\/mafs-after-the-dinner-party?utm_source=nine-com-au&amp;utm_medium=editorial-link&amp;utm_campaign=nine-stan-pathway-mafs-atdp-s1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"MAFS: After The Dinner Party\" data-plug-link=\"stan_link-in-article\">MAFS: After The Dinner Party<\/a> starts Wednesday, February 18 only on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stan.com.au\/watch\/mafs-after-the-dinner-party?utm_source=nine-com-au&amp;utm_medium=editorial-link&amp;utm_campaign=nine-stan-pathway-mafs-atdp-s1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Stan\" data-plug-link=\"stan_link-in-article\">Stan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nine.com.au\/entertainment\/latest\/ninecomau-whats-app-signup\/421c4156-5b58-42a0-9c4e-e65401b4e271\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE<\/a>: Stay across all the latest news from your favourite shows via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: \ufeffWith their instant chemistry, Rebecca and Steve started out so hopeful as a couple on Married At&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":496859,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,134,427],"class_list":["post-496858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-entertainment","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/496859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}