In what was possibly the most dramatic commitment ceremony in Married At First Sight history, Sunday night’s episode saw Jess and Dan reveal their affair to the group and ask the experts to re-enter the experiment as a new couple.
After their respective partners Mick and Tamara were excused, experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling and Trisha Stratford agreed to let them stay. And viewers were not happy about it, to put it lightly, so much so that the hashtag #boycottMAFS exploded over Twitter.
“First time watching the show and it’s just another typical reality show where so-called experts have no real ‘roles’ except watch and condone adultery for the sake of ratings #boycottmafs shame on you experts, should be fired and no longer watching the show. #AxemafsAU,” wrote one outraged viewer.
“I won’t be watching it again. You’ve gone too far, rewarding the liars and cheats by giving them what they want. Disgusting behaviour by the ‘experts’. The show is pretty fake to begin with, but now it’s total trash,” said another.
Viewers are calling for the experts to be sacked after they allowed Jess and Dan to stay in the experiment. (Image: Channel Nine)
Though #boycottMAFS isn’t just a hashtag. Now a petition has been created, calling on Channel Nine to take the program off the air and by Monday morning, it had already collected over 9000 signatures.
“Tonight’s episode of Jess and Dan “hooking up” and the therapists allowing them to continue in the experiment is outrageous,” the petition reads.
“This show has highlighted and given the message that adultery, cheating, lying and partner swapping is ok and you’ll be rewarded if you partake in it. It’s wrong and immoral and should be banned from ever being broadcasted again. Shame on you Channel 9.”
The petition has garnered over 9000 signatures in a matter of hours. (Image: Change.org)
Meanwhile, expert John Aiken has acknowledged the “strong reaction” he and his fellow experts have received for their choice, but still stands by his decision.
“People have become very invested in the process and clearly have very passionate feelings about it, but this is the same experiment that has produced Jules and Cam, so although not everyone will like every outcome there is still a lot of positivity to take out of the experiment this season as people will see over the final weeks,” he told 9honey Celebrity.
WATCH: The experts on why they paired Mick and Jess together. Post continues…
This season, the experts have received a lot of backlash for their decisions and it’s not even the first petition.
When expert Mel Schilling called out Bronson for labelling his wife Ines a c—-, the online petition that called for her “be sacked or apologise” went viral and clocked up 27k signatures in just two days.
After the incident, Network executive producer John Walsh issued a statement saying, “There were 12 women in the room that night and a man used language that was highly insulting and inflammatory in reference to his wife.
“Mel acted in the only way appropriate by calling out the language — language that is not ever considered acceptable anywhere, anytime.
“We are shocked at the backlash Mel has received for defending another woman.”
