Married At First Sight always attracts its fair share of characters, but the most recent series of the Australian version of the show has really stirred up controversy.
Groom Jack Dunkley seems to be behind a lot of this series’s most talked-about moments. The 34-year-old made our jaws drop when he asked his bride, Tori Adams to ‘convince’ him that she was the ‘hottest’ contestant on the show.
And it appears that Jack’s chivalry knows no bounds, as seen in the most recent dinner party.
After Lauren Dunn confronted Jack about his behaviour towards Tori, Jack made a widely derogatory comment in response.
Addressing her partner Jonathan McCullough, Jack told him to 'muzzle your woman' – leading to gasps and immediate backlash from the other contestants.
And now, women’s charity Women’s Aid have weighed in on the incident, issuing a comment in response to Jack’s behaviour on the show.
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In a statement released to The Tab, a spokesperson for the charity explained: “Viewers of reality television, like the MAFS franchise, are increasingly aware of signs of coercive and controlling behaviour, as well as wider topics of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
“Each season, viewers will call out disturbing behaviours by contestants and it is vital that producers pay attention – not only vetting contestants properly before they start filming, but also intervening when there is controlling or abusive behaviour from contestants, and even removing them from the show when necessary for the safety of others.”
The statement continued: “The world of entertainment has a responsibility to viewers – including many young viewers who are forming their ideas about relationships – to show that harmful behaviours are not acceptable and that unacceptable behaviour will be addressed.”
Cosmopolitan UK has also contacted Women’s Aid for comment,
Jack himself has since apologised for the heated incident.
Speaking to 9Entertainment, Jack said: “I was disgusted obviously, at that point in time I was a bit of a broken man and everyone has breaking point. To Lauren's credit she kept on baiting and she got me there.”
He added: “The first thought I had was, 'What are my parents gonna think? What are my sisters gonna think?' I was pretty ashamed.
“I did walk back into the Dinner Party and apologised to Lauren. I said to her, 'I'm happy to go to battle with you, you're a big player here so happy to do battle and I apologise for that comment.'
“Lauren accepted my apology and we hugged it out.”
Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper’s Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
