More receipts. More walkouts. More appalling comments. Retreat Week on Married at First Sight should be a chance for couples to reconnect and bond in a beautiful setting. Instead? The week quickly descends into what this season’s episodes always seem to become: complete and utter disaster.
“The retreat is supposed to be fun – hanging out with other couples and seeing how we all interact,” Rachel, 35, tells TV WEEK. “One comment turned it into a diabolical experience.”
Bec faces backlash after weeks of controversial behaviour. (Credit: Nine Network)
The drama ignites after Rachel shares that her intimacy with husband Stephen has progressed – only for Bec to make what she calls a “joke” that lands painfully. The comment drives a wedge between the once-close friends and costs Bec one of her last remaining allies in the experiment.
“The result was we’re not friends,” Rachel says bluntly. “That comment was extremely insensitive and rude about what I had shared with the group. It should never have happened.”
Bec has been falling out with plenty of the other brides and grooms in recent weeks. Rachel weighs in on where she thinks the outbursts are coming from.
“For me, I was struggling with someone I care about speaking to me that way,” she explains. “For her, she was struggling with someone she cares about holding her accountable. It all compounded.”
But attempts to smooth things over only make matters worse. One couple walks out of the retreat entirely. Juliette and Gia insert themselves into the situation, warning Rachel to watch her back.
Retreat Week was anything but relaxing for Steven and Rachel. (Credit: Nine Network)
“Gia and Juliette came to me saying, ‘We just want you to know what’s being said,’” Rachel reveals. “But I do see how that was throwing fuel on a fire.”
By the time the Dinner Party rolls around, the gloves are off and, despite Rachel’s own gripe with Bec, she is still shaken by how far some of the women take things.
“Juliette said something to Bec that I will never repeat,” she says. “That broke my heart. I don’t condone that behaviour at all. The mean-girl behaviour was unacceptable.”
Rachel didn’t support what Juliette said to Bec.
With friendships fractured and intimacy now on hold, Rachel admits the fallout has had real consequences.
“Stephen and I no longer felt comfortable being intimate,” she says. “We didn’t want to be made fun of again.”
As the Commitment Ceremony looms, the question remains: can Rachel rebuild the trust that’s been shattered.
Or is this where Rachel and Stephen’s MAFS journey ends?
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Lucy Croke