MAFS bride Alissa told us why she really almost dumped David at their wedding.

It's a well-worn rom-com trope. Boy meets girl. Boy gets faux-married to girl for a TV show. Boy is asked to propose to girl, and flat-out refuses. Oh wait, that's just on Married at First Sight.

This is exactly what happened when 33-year-old paediatric nurse and social media manager, Alissa, met David at the end of the aisle, a 31-year-old Nigerian-born former rapper and current e-commerce product manager.

And look, the whole thing was so awkward I did contemplate extracting my eyeballs, as it seemed like a more tempting fate than continuing to watch this sh*tshow.

Watch a teaser for the 2026 season of MAFS. Post continues after video.

So what went down? The vibes were weird from the start when Alissa decided that upon meeting David, it was the perfect time to PRANK HIM.

"I'm really, really sorry, I don't think I can marry you," she told David to actual gasps from their wedding guests (and me).

"It's completely understandable," a solemn David replied. Umm, is it? Wait, she's just joshing! HAHA! GOTCHA!

"Not until you get on one knee and propose to me first," Alissa requested. Everyone was laughing until it was made clear that David was not open to requests.

"It will happen, eventually, for sure," he replied.

RADIO SILENCE.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no.

David eventually did get down on one knee but oh boy, he took ages to do it and Alissa didn't budge one inch. Mamamia spoke to the divisive bride after her wedding aired so she could tell us exactly what was running through her mind.

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It turned out the whole thing was something she just decided to do on her way to the wedding.

"No one knew, I didn't even know. I was on my way to the wedding, and I was in the car, and… it became a very heavy moment. A couple of weeks prior, I was just packing up my life. Now I'm based in Sydney and I'm marrying a complete stranger," Alissa reflected.

"I freaked a little bit. I just want this guy not to hurt me and I want him to be all in. I decided in the limo that I was gonna ask him to commit to me, to marry me, to really give this thing a good crack and be all in for three months. Otherwise, if he wasn't going to do that, then he's not worth my time, and I don't want to go through with this."

But she was surprised that David didn't oblige.

"I didn't expect there to be a standoff like there was… I wanted to make it a little bit lighter because I could see the terror in his face. He was packing it, and I was packing it. Then what happened was we just had a 15-minute standoff."

Alissa couldn't quite wrap her head around David's refusal to propose to her before they got officially (TV) married.

"What do you mean? We're getting married. I commit to this experiment. I need that from you. I was a bit baffled."

Like viewers, she can recognise it was 'a very awkward moment' at their wedding. And if David didn't propose, Alissa admitted she was ready to dump him on the spot. Bit harsh, love!

"I was literally getting ready to do up my laces and be the runaway bride. I was ready to scoot on out of there, because is this guy for real? I just couldn't believe that he wasn't willing to ask me to marry him before we got married. I needed that."

Oh snap! Image: Nine.

Alissa has avoided checking what's being said about her wedding online, with many people left divided over her and David's antics.

"I haven't really looked into the backlash. I've been keeping my mind off social media and stuff… I think we both were just as stubborn as each other in the end. We both gave each other a red flag. It's a red flag if he's not going to commit to me."

However, Alissa added that what viewers didn't see was that the rest of the wedding itself was smooth sailing for the new couple.

"We were great. As soon as our vows were read, our vows were so similar… we really aligned on so many values and whatnot. We did really connect."

She understood why David was her match. "Tall, dark and handsome? Tick. Buff and looked after himself? Tick. When I met him, he smelled good. Tick."

Smells like MAFS spirit! Image: Nine.

Alissa decided to get married to a stranger soon after her six-year relationship came to an end.

"It ended seven months before… I was just living alone again, picking up the pieces and just finding my feet again. As a 33-year-old, I have nothing to lose. I'm established, I've worked hard, and I want to have a family — I want to find my person."

She described her ex-partner as her 'soulmate' during their relationship, but he couldn't commit.

"We were together for so long, but there was no commitment there. We ended up just going different paths at times, and clashing at times. We will always love each other, we didn't end on bad terms… it was a really sad time," she said.

The MAFS process was something she only started a few weeks before her wedding. "It was very quick for me. I think [I applied] like a month before [my wedding], or like maybe six weeks before."

When asked if Alissa actually applied, or was approached for the show, she said: "I don't know if I can answer that question." Alrighty, moving on!

In response to a rumoured girl gang called the 'boss babes' that expert John Aiken has teased will dominate the experiment, it sounds like Alissa wasn't in it.

"I can tell you there is a group that forms, and it is the most toxic group of women that they've ever seen in MAFS history. It's very interesting. I don't wanna spill too much tea because you're going to have to buckle up and get your popcorn."

Ultimately, Alissa has no regrets about her time on MAFS.

"I never held back. I never changed my personality. What you see is what you get. It comes out a bit abrasive at times — it's loud, it's authentic," she said.

"I'm proud of myself for showing up as who I am."

Feature image: Nine.