Tash Herz is not the first and certainly won’t be the last Married At First Sight contestant to blast the show’s seemingly incompetent experts.
And as her troubled relationship with Amanda Micallef continues to crumble in front of our eyes every evening, the bartender is finally ready to reveal how she really feels about the pairing. Appearing on an episode of Network Nine’s Today, the reality TV star tore into love gurus John Aiken, Mel Schilling and Dr Trisha Stratford for matching her with an “aggressive” woman she cannot stand, adding there’s no way the experts genuinely believed they were right for each other.
“I have had so many people that know me so well just go, ‘What were they thinking?'” the 31-year-old said of her pairing with the strength coach. “We have different fight styles. She is really aggressive. I don’t care, call it passionate, it’s not passion, it’s aggression.”
The pair launched into their most intense fight after moving in together on Monday night’s episode, with Amanda leaving Tash in tears after their emotional altercation. Following the first commitment ceremony, they looked like they might be able to smoothe things out. But within five minutes of the pair moving into their apartment, it was clear that was never going to happen.
You could feel the tension rising as the pair started chatting about the ceremony’s events, with Amanda saying she felt like the experts made her feel validated in how she’d been feeling – which was that Tash hadn’t been giving her any emotion or affection.
Tash had other ideas. Speaking to producers, she explained: “I just felt a little like me being honest about my feelings wasn’t really recognised as the right thing to do, which I found bizarre. I feel guilt that I rejected her and that I hurt her, but I’m struggling with trying to give Amanda what she wants. I don’t know why all of a sudden, I’m the bad guy.”
“I didn’t feel my emotions validated at all last night,” she told her TV wife. “I’m really glad yours were but I also validated all of your emotions. I always put myself in your shoes and thought about it from your perspective. And felt guilt.”
And that’s when it all really kicked off.
“I just want to point something out to you,” said Amanda – perhaps not realising how aggressive she sounded. “Sometimes I can barely get a look in the eye from you. And you would find every opportunity to go and embrace people and be affectionate. And what do I get? I don’t even get a stroke on the arm from you!”
“Ummm I gave you a hug as soon as you came in, I always ask if you’re okay…” Tash said.
“And so you should! I’m your partner,” Amanda hit back. “You hold back, you hold back too much. Even if we’re on the couch your leg was the opposite way to mine. I was more nestled into Luke [Eglin] behind me…
In spite of their bitter spats and inability to see eye to eye on almost every issue they’re faced with, Tash revealed on Today that she doesn’t regret signing onto the series, admitting the strange and painful experience “taught me a lot about how you really need to trust yourself, even when you’re getting questioned”.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
