As one of Married at First Sight’s first gay contestants, Michael’s path to love in the experiment hasn’t been the smoothest.
Audiences were first introduced to the 34-year-old during the season’s debut episode as he joined the brides on their hens night.
But his journey hit a bump in the road when the experts revealed his match had pulled out of the experiment at the last moment, which meant he would no longer be walking down the aisle.
Three weeks later, things were looking up for Michael as he joined the experiment as a late intruder and married 26-year-old hairdresser Stephen.
But will it be love at first sight? A happily ever after? Unfortunately, Michael and Stephen’s Married at First Sight Journey ended prematurely after a lost ‘spark.’
Since the beginning, the pair have never quite hit it off. Despite a smooth wedding, Stephen struggled with the knowledge he was a “second pick” for Michael after his first match pulled out.
As the couple made their way through the first weeks of the experiment, they seemingly got along – yet a lack of “spark” on Stephen’s behalf saw the couple’s relationship quickly derail.
After admitting during a commitment ceremony he wasn’t physically attracted to Michael, Stephen found clarity during a trip to the hairdresser, when he clicked with his stylist.
After instantly hitting it off with his hairdresser and flirting during the appointment, Michael was dismayed to learn Stephen had continued to text the hairdresser.
“I’m hurt from this,” Michael admitted to the cameras. “I’m pissed about this [and] my trust is betrayed.”
When the couple reunited to discuss the situation, Stephen admitted the experience offered him a light bulb moment of clarity.
“The fact that it came so easily with a stranger I had never met…[I realised] we are fighting a losing battle,” Stephen explained.
“I feel lied to, I feel disrespected, I’m confused. I’m upset, I’m hurt, I’m angry,” Michael told his husband. “Like all of my emotions are in a blender right now.”
Despite their relationship struggling, the couple agreed to join the rest of the contestants for the annual Couple’s Retreat – despite Stephen admitting he was “done.”
But, the change of scenery wasn’t enough to set their relationship back on track, with the couple both writing leave during the following commitment ceremony, in which Michael admitted he felt, defeated, deflated and exhausted.
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