Mel from MAFS has infuriated fans. She just told us her side of the story.

This season of Married At First Sight started off with a bang.

Between the tense dinner parties and the standard honeymoon hurdles, one couple has found themselves at the very centre of the social media storm: Mel and Luke.

From the moment they met at the altar, the tension has been palpable with Luke arriving late to the ceremony and chewing gum throughout.

On screen, Mel has appeared visibly checked out, struggling to find any romantic common ground with her new husband. Social media has been flooded with backlash, with viewers labelling Mel the season's villain for her blunt attitude toward Luke. The couple's narrative has quickly settled into the familiar roles: the nice guy and the cold bride. 

But according to Mel, the reality of her marriage to Luke was far more nuanced than a simple case of unrequited affection.

Watch: Mel and Luke's Wedding on Married At First Sight 2026. Article continues after video.

She suggests that what viewers see at home is a "pressure cooker" environment that doesn't always capture the full dynamic between the couple.

While the episodes have largely focused on Mel's struggles to connect with Luke, Mel sat down with Mamamia and noted that the lack of romantic chemistry was a two-way street.

According to Mel, Luke saw their connection as purely friendly too.

"No one's really clocking on to the fact that he didn't really like me either," Mel told Mamamia.

"He made a comment at the honeymoon, being like, 'Well, this is just a friend vibe.' But no one attacked him for that. It's obvious when you're watching... there was no attraction towards each other. It's not one-sided, it kind of comes from both sides."

Image: Nine

She claimed that their interactions had a "sibling or cousin vibe," and that both parties were struggling to break through a romantic barrier that simply wasn't there.

"It actually is both of us. It's not him being like, 'I want to take you on a date' or anything like that. It's both of us having this awkward interaction," she explained.

Mel is candid about her regrets, particularly regarding her behaviour at the dinner parties. She acknowledges that she didn't always prioritise Luke's feelings while navigating the group setting.

"I wish I took Luke's feelings more into account... I got so caught up in the heat of the moment," she admitted. "I'm not sitting here saying I'm so proud of the way I handled myself. I've watched it too, and it's not nice to see yourself like that."

Image: Nine

However, she finds the personal nature of the public backlash difficult to reconcile, especially when it comes from other women and parents.

"There's a lot of mothers that are saying really negative things about me... I'm like, how would you feel if someone was commenting the same things you're commenting about me to your kids? I'm just an everyday person that was put into a very unique environment," she said. 

Mel reflects on the fact that in the "real world," a date without a spark would simply result in a polite text and moving on. In the experiment, that lack of connection is magnified by shared living spaces and constant filming.

"The hardest part was... your heart just wants to go home. But you're not there to go home. You're living with this person, and it's like you have a fight, but you still share a bed."

Ultimately, Mel views her time on the show as a learning curve in a very public arena. 

"If I could go back in time, for sure, I would have said different things. But it's my first time living life too."

Feature Image: Nine.