Ivan From ‘MAFS’ Says He Experienced “Bullying” By Experts Over Intimacy Questions
Last night’s episode of Married at First Sight gifted us a first for the series when two contestants straight-up refused to answer a question from the experts. It was actually iconic.
Seated on the experts’ couch during another commitment ceremony — after weeks of being asked nonstop about their intimacy levels — Aleks and Ivan finally snapped. When Trisha asked Ivan where the couple were at with their intimacy this week, he immediately shut her TF down.
“Our upbringing and our families – it’s generally not a topic we discuss,” Ivan replied. “So I guess we’re of the opinion that when/if these things progress, it’s quite private. We’re not after sexual therapy, that’s not why we’re here.”
As the couple were pressed by both Trisha and Mel, and told that they needed to discuss intimacy as part of the experiment, a frustrated Ivan hit back, “I’m of the opinion that my sex life is no one’s business but mine, and I don’t know why you keep harping on it,” he told the experts.
While the experts were less than impressed by Ivan’s comments, with Mel labelling him “hostile”, most viewers sided with the couple. Many took to Twitter to agree that Ivan and Aleks were well within their rights to refuse to divulge their personal information.
#MAFS Ivan saying the "We are not after sexual therapy" Is the BEST thing I have heard on this show EVER.
— Dear Jane (@austenite20) March 8, 2020
Entire #MAFSAU community cheering Ivan while he shuts down all the "intimacy" questions.#MAFS #MAFSAustralia pic.twitter.com/SLk1i1YVza
— Married At First Sight Experts (@mafsexperts) March 8, 2020
Ivan is 'hostile' because he doesn't wanna talk about his sex life on TV?
I'm sorry, but having these so-called 'psych experts' try to force someone into talking about a subject that makes them uncomfortable MUST go against some psychological/medical code, right? #MAFS pic.twitter.com/oM1vdoALfk
— seapunk aesthete ? (@BiancaNeveXO) March 8, 2020
Since the episode aired, Ivan told The Hit Network’s Sam & Rach that he felt like he and his TV wife were bullied by the experts in last night’s episode.
“It was pretty high pressure, there was a little bit of bullying towards me and Aleks. I don’t think any of the other couples copped it [from the experts] as hard as we did,” he explained. “Me and Aleks felt really uncomfortable in that situation and you only catch a glimpse of what was actually said and, you know, the discomfort. I was genuinely concerned about those lines of questioning and interrogation.”
The majority of viewers on Twitter applauded the couple for attempting to set boundaries with the experts. We’ve reached out to Channel Nine for comment.