*Contains spoilers for MAFS UK*
MAFS UK has taken us on quite the journey this season with its fresh batch of couples: cheating allegations, showdowns, and plenty of drama.
However, recent events have taken the show to a whole new level.
Midwife Grace and operations director Ashley have always felt somewhat mismatched. Grace has always been clear about her outspoken commitment to feminism, whereas Ashley sees himself as more of an old-fashioned gentleman.
So, it's no surprise that they haven't always gelled. Ashley even said he felt "happier" without Grace after he came out of the Wife Swap week. We then saw the couple miss the last commitment ceremony, saying they “needed more time to reflect”.
In an explosive dinner party exchange, which broke out after Grace accused Ashley of making an "inappropriate" comment while they were being intimate, the couple admitted things weren't working and that their relationship was over.
While both individuals have had their ups and downs on the show (and perhaps were mismatched from the beginning), the public reaction has felt overwhelmingly targeted towards Grace.
MAFS UK has been hit with hundreds of Ofcom complaints regarding Grace's behaviour, with some labelling her as "cruel".
Grace, however, has remained firm in her convictions, and has been posting her opinions on social media.
In one post, she alluded to sexual interaction in the relationship.
"There’s a half-naked woman in front of me with a good body, what do you expect?" she wrote in the caption. "I expect you to accept no for an answer. I expect you to prioritise my discomfort over your desire for sex. I expect you to act like a grown man capable of self-control."
She then added "Sponsored by Canesten Duo 💅🏼" in reference to the popular thrush treatment brand.
In another post, she opened up about a discussion she had with the MAFS UK experts, which was aired on the most recent episode.
In it, she alleges that the interaction was "sanitised" and suggests she had left the experiment three weeks prior.
"@cplproductions – this isn’t good enough. You brought me out of my safe place, three weeks after leaving the experiment, so I could ‘tell my story’. Then you sanitised it. How could you?” she wrote.
“You have to raise your daughters in the same society that protects men at all costs. May they never come close to what you put me through.”
While these posts are an attempt on Grace's behalf to speak out about how she's feeling, and set the record straight, the comments are often flooded with negative opinions from the public.
Individuals online have accused her of being "defensive", "exhausting" and even accusing her of being "narcissistic".
But there are also plenty of comments which take aim at Grace's feminist politics, from suggesting she is "sexist" towards men, to asking "do you actually like men". When we see comments like this, it's clear where some of the backlash has come from - society's discomfort with women who push back against sexism, particularly when they do so in a way which isn't seen as palatable.
Whether or not you agree with how Grace's actions have been portrayed within the show (and please remember that there is always a level of editing in reality television), often she has spoken out about topics that cut to the heart of uneven gender dynamics within heterosexual couples.
From taking issue with the idea that she should perform a certain beauty standard for her male partner, to reminding us that consent can be withdrawn at any time, many of her arguments chime with unequal scenarios that IRL women are navigating in their own relationships.
And, of course, it's worth remembering the simple fact that Grace is a human: everyone defending Ashley against his detractors should remember that Grace deserves that same level of protection and respect.
MAFS UK continues on E4
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to Channel 4 for comment
