Married at First Sight couple Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot were both chasing perfection in a marriage – but sadly that wasn’t with each other.
Despite the experts pairing them together because of a mutual desire to find a partner that met their incredibly high standards, neither was able to make their marriage work.
Scroll on to read about every high and low of their marriage on MAFS.
An explosive Final Vows
As they moved out of the apartment they shared ahead of Final Vows, Jacqui and Ryan were feeling very sentimental as they reflected upon the “wild, wonderful, and weird” time they had shared together.
While initially the pair both had hope for their future together, after some time apart both had a reality check and realised just how unhealthy their relationship truly was.
Ryan went first in Final Vows, telling Jacqui that while he liked her “messy hair” and “sexy time” they had shared, she was also a “high maintenance nightmare”.
“I will never allow anyone on this planet to criticise all the self-work I’ve done, my career, finances, or my masculinity,” he said.
“A healthy relationship is not a performance review. Right now I feel like we aren’t strong enough to continue this marriage. My heart is heavy with this decision; I will be walking away from this relationship,” he finished, his voice breaking with emotion.
Unsurprisingly, Jacqui didn’t seem upset to hear Ryan’s choice and went straight into delivering some critical Final Vows of her own.
“The good times in our relationship were only possible because I temporarily ignored my feelings, was patient, forgiving, and forever hopeful that you would change, but Ryan you didn’t,” she told him.
“There has been a lack of romance, a lack of effort, poor communication, and no compromise. You crossed the majority of my boundaries and your conduct fell well below the standard that I would accept in a marriage.”
“If this experiment taught me anything, it’s that you should have to fix your husband, he should do the work on his own. I’m not a rehabilitation centre,” she continued as Ryan shook his head in disbelief.
“Today I choose peace and to walk away from this relationship. In a world of red flags, you are the red carpet,” she concluded.
A month later the pair reunited at the reunion where Ryan told his former flame that she had made his life “hell” during their time together.
“If you were so dissatisfied and so happy why did you continue to write stay,” he quizzed her as her new relationship with fellow groom Clint came to light.
One final chance to mend their marriage
Despite telling the experts she was determined to make her marriage work at the previous night’s Commitment Ceremony, Jacqui was quick to revert to old habits the following day.
“I thought the feedback I was giving [Ryan] was for the better of both of us…I’m working on improving – it’s like me renovating the home because I want to live there in the future,” she shared.
The bride then apologised to her husband for her behaviour which he appreciated but then relayed to her that it was too little, too late.
“The fact that you feel that I don’t accept you hurts me, and I want you to know I do accept you. I’ve loved you since the day I met you and I really tried and I’m still trying, and I don’t want to walk away from this. I think you’re one of the greatest humans I’ve ever met,” she sobbed to him, pleading with him to move back into the apartment he had moved out of the week after.
Shortly after the couple were both given the opportunity to meet who the experts *almost* paired them with in the experiment – both jumping at the opportunity.
While Ryan meeting up with his almost-wife Vivian helped him realise just how committed he was to Jacqui, for her it was the opposite as she sneakily told her almost-husband that they should keep in touch.
“If you want me to give me your number, then I can text you. I will be out of this experiment in probably 10 days,” she told him.
As they met up after their respective dates, Ryan was wracked with guilt and revealed he was jealous that Jacqui had gone on a date with another man. Jacqui was delighted by this display of emotion, feelings Ryan quickly shared after she read out a list of things she actually liked about him to his face.
“Vivianne is great but it still doesn’t take away how great me and Jacqui’s relationship has been,” he told producers.
After apologising again for hurting him, he then decided to move back into their apartment, still unaware that Jacqui had swapped numbers with her almost-husband Rory earlier that day.
At the last dinner party of the season, the once controversial couple walked in hand-in-hand, beaming smiles on their faces.
Their renewed commitment to one another didn’t go unnoticed by the fellow couples at the dinner table, with Jamie even commenting that they were acting like one of the strongest couples in the entire experiment!
“Ryan is one of the strongest men I’ve ever met. He’s one of the most physically attractive,” Jacqui told everyone who would listen.
“Absolutely yes,” she told producers when quizzed over whether or not Ryan could be her partner for life.
The homestay from hell
Despite the up-and-down nature of their marriage, Ryan finally decided that the many low points of their relationship weren’t worth sticking around for at the penultimate dinner party of the season.
This came after he invited his wife into his south Sydney home where she was critical of everything from how he displayed his belongings, walked his dog and more. Jacqui also clashed severely with the two best friends Ryan brought her to meet.
“I just don’t think there’s a future for us,” the groom told a teary Jacqui after they clashed in front of the other couples at the table.
Fast forward to the following Commitment Ceremony and it came as no surprise to anyone that Ryan wrote leave, telling the experts that he wanted a partner and not a “critic.”
But Jacqui refused to accept this, writing stay, telling the experts: “I think Ryan is worth fighting for.”
“Why would you write stay when you have expressed unhappiness at multiple intervals,” a gobsmacked Ryan then told Jacqui.
Feedback Week and the Couple Swap
With Jacqui heading to Jeff’s apartment and Beth heading to Ryan’s apartment, Beth was surprised to see just how homely Jacqui and Ryan had made their apartment together.
In fact, there was even a shrine to their marriage compiled of countless happy snaps the unlikely pair had taken together – something that took Beth by surprise considering how she had watched Jacqui and Ryan behave around each other previously.
When quizzed on this by Beth, Ryan made it clear that he and Jacqui “don’t give a sh** anymore” about outside perspectives on their marriage.
As Ryan and Jacqui reunited, Jacqui let loose on her husband with an honesty letter where she admitted to him that she was concerned his identity hinged on outdated beliefs of masculinity and that he had a fragile ego.
She also noted that she didn’t believe that he had “enough financial skills” to contribute to their future family, with Ryan then telling her it would be “insulting” for her to even consider he would be a stay-at-home dad.
Despite this, at the dinner party, Jacqui was quietly confident that she and Ryan were still one of the strongest couples in the experiment.
“I actually think we’re a role model for the other couples whether they know it or not,” she said.
At the following Commitment Ceremony Ryan told the experts that he felt “attacked” and “on trial” for being himself by Jacqui, but she had a very different perspective: “I want to work through these issues, feedback is a gift,” she told him.
While Ryan said it was hard for him to be vulnerable and measure up to Jacqui’s high standards (especially when Jacqui was reducing his character so regularly) he did choose to stay in the experiment another week alongside his wife.
Ryan’s shocking intimacy act
At the couple’s retreat Jacqui left her fellow brides gobsmacked when she shared a X-rated detail about her sex life with Ryan, telling them that her husband only liked to be intimate when he wasn’t going to the gym.
“He wants to save his [testosterone],” she revealed.
After hearing about Jacqui’s revelation, Ryan was left furious, especially after the entire group began to grill him over his priorities.
“If I’m going to trust you moving forward, the sex life should be between two people,” Ryan demanded of his wife as he pulled her aside.
“Well you need to tell yourself that because you’re the one who’s brought it up in front of everyone over and over again,” Jacqui replied, referencing Ryan’s inappropriate comments at the men’s intimacy workshop and confession that they’d been intimate at the last Commitment Ceremony.
Ryan then shared a stern warning: “I’m only going to say this once. If it happens again, this relationship’s over,” he told her.
Despite the events of the previous few days, Jacqui and Ryan were all smiles on the couch as they were quizzed over the current state of their relationship, especially after Ryan finally got the hint to start complimenting his wife.
Allessandra also made a point of encouraging Ryan to “satisfy” his wife in other ways if he wasn’t eager to “use” his testosterone.
Weeks three and four in the experiment
After the drama of the previous three weeks, Jacqui and Ryan were stronger than ever by the time the fourth Commitment Ceremony rolled around and revealed to the experts that they’d even been intimate twice – both writing stay.
This was a huge shift from a week prior when Jacqui woke up the morning after the second Commitment Ceremony and decided to write a list pointing out all of Ryan’s flaws and every time her husband had let her down – literally.
“When you dropped me at our wedding, I did hit my head and it hurt me that you didn’t find out I went to a paramedic until a week later when I told you,” Jacqui cried to Ryan.
After her tears fell on unsympathetic ears, Jacqui then messaged groom Jeff, asking him to meet up one-on-one for a chat without Ryan and Jeff’s wife Rhi present, much to the hurt of both Ryan and Rhi alike.
Fast forward to the wedding of intruders Teejay and Beth and the pair continued to bicker as Jacqui complained that Ryan’s wedding vows weren’t as heartfelt as Teejay’s. In response, a furious Ryan said he was “disgusted” with his wife and that her theatrics at the wedding were the “last f****** straw” to end their relationship.
The following morning despite Ryan’s best attempts to get an apology from Jacqui over her behaviour at the wedding and for messaging Jeff behind his back, she refused, instead demanding an apology of her own from him.
“The fact that Jacqui messaged Jeff behind my back, you just don’t do that. All I need from Jacqui at this point is straight answers, the truth, and definitely some apologies,” Ryan vented before confronting his wife.
“I’m going to be leaving this experiment today. Unless you come up with any practical solutions on how you’re going to improve your behaviour going forward,” Jacqui told her husband in response to his request for an apology.
“You were treating me so badly. I was entitled to reach out out of desperation for someone to speak to. I’m not sorry for reaching out for help when I needed it,” she added.
But after a few days apart the couple were happier than ever!
“Feels good to be reunited with Jacqui and reconnect in ways I know we can. We’re in a really great place. After the mess that was [the wedding] we had some time apart and it’s really helped us leave the past in the past,” Ryan shared.
This newfound appreciation for one another was on full display at their third dinner party as Jacqui demanded compliments, and Ryan gave them to her – an exciting first in their relationship!
Despite the drama of the past week – which Ryan acknowledged wasn’t their “finest hour” – and despite Jacqui even bringing her controversial list of Ryan’s flaws (which she had previously denied existed to other brides when questioned about it) to the Commitment Ceremony, both decided to stay at Commitment Ceremony three.
“I’m committed to bringing out the best of us,” Ryan told the experts.
“I feel like I owe it to Ryan to give him the chance to be the man I know he can be,” Jacqui added.
Intimacy week issues
At their first Commitment Ceremony of the season the duo were quick to criticise all the apparent failings of their spouse, claiming incompatibility. But despite this, a shared bond over business acumen and cryptocurrency saw them both choose to stay in the experiment another week.
But shortly after during a visit to an adult store together where Jacqui showed off her figure in revealing lingerie, the lack of praise from her husband left a sour taste in her mouth.
While trying to establish intimacy later that evening with a sexy photoshoot, things went from bad to worse when Jacqui pleaded with her husband to compliment her and make her feel attractive and he refused, telling her she wasn’t gorgeous – yikes!
“He’s 36 and he doesn’t know how to make a woman feel good. It’s no wonder he’s single,” she lamented to producers shortly afterward.
The next day during a workshop with Alessandra and his fellow grooms, Ryan left the room horrified after making vulgar comments about his wife, telling them she had “crazy eyes” and that she gave “awesome h**.”
“You don’t say these things to put women down,” Dave later told producers, his fellow groom Jeff adding that the comments were “disrespectful.”
When bride Jamie later heard from her husband Dave about the comments she was equally appalled: “You can’t go saying your wife has crazy eyes in front of a group of men, especially when that was the comment Jake used to slag her off behind her back.”
Fast forward to the second dinner party of the season and despite entering as a united front, things quickly unraveled after it was revealed that Ryan had been talking about their intimate time together with the boys – Jacqui telling her fellow brides that they’d only kissed and cuddled despite Ryan’s claims of receiving oral sex.
“I’m feeling very humiliated and embarrassed. I really don’t think my sex life is relevant to this experiment. It shouldn’t be a topic of discussion for this entire table,” a hurt Jacqui shared.
“We are not compatible. He is not what I asked for,” she added after Ryan was unable to apologise or accept that his behaviour was disrespectful.
At the second Commitment Ceremony of the season, however, Ryan had changed his tune, apologising for his “crass, ungentlemanly-like” comments, even complimenting his wife. While they still had plenty to work on, both wrote ‘stay.’
An awkward letter from the heart
During confessions week the couple were quick to butt heads as they got used to living with one another and learned about each other’s habits.
Despite his bride asking him not to put his shoes on the couch or watch TV in their bedroom, Ryan refused to break his bad habits, a frustrated Jacqui later complaining to producers that she felt like she was “mothering” her groom.
Later in the week, Jacqui wrote a letter from the heart that she read aloud to Ryan about her plans for the future. Speaking about her intelligence, looks, and self-development, she said that she needed her partner to be “an asset” like she is.
The ambitious bride talked about her desire to create generational wealth, have a “financially literate” partner, and not rest until she made $500 million.
Taken aback, Ryan shared with producers that he found her confessions to be grandstanding and very surface-level.
Brutal honesty
Earlier that same week tensions reached a new level as the newlyweds completed the photo-ranking challenge.
While it was a moment where other couples bonded, Jacqui was less than impressed when Ryan ranked her third behind Carina and Rhi, and one in front of Sierah.
Elaborating more on his choices, he said he might have put Jacqui and Sierah equal third instead, saying the other bride had a prettier face, and that he preferred dark hair. Continuing his “100% honest” evaluation, he said he was drawn to the European look Carina possessed.
“It’s pretty s*** just knowing my partner has no care about my feelings, ” Jacqui said in a confessional. “I deserve someone who makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, and that’s not Ryan.”
Her rejection spiraled later that day when she tearfully told cameras she wanted someone who put in more effort: “He’s a low-effort-man who deserves a low-effort girl.”
Deciding to return the honesty in a task about previous partners, she decided to describe her ex-partner as someone “6’4″ tall, blonde, blue eyes, God-like body”.
Seeing this as an “impossible standard” set by his bride, Ryan then asked if she would have said yes if her ex proposed, and she said yes without hesitation, which frustrated the “warrior”.
Expectations in a partner and rocky beginnings
Despite having both brains and beauty, 29-year-old Sydneysider Jacqui says that she’s struggled to find a partner in the past.
“I’ve worked really hard on myself so I expect a lot from my partner. I’m too ambitious, I’m too much to handle.”
Expecting nothing short of perfection from her groom, the former Miss New Zealand turned consultant is looking for a man who will “take the lead” and “likes to be the masculine energy” in the relationship.
“I want to be the woman that makes him feel like a man.”
While her standards may be high, 36-year-old project manager Ryan might just meet those standards with high expectations of his own that he’s not willing to lower.
After both experiencing bullying at a young age, the experts hoped that by pairing the two together, they’d be able to grow together physically, emotionally, and intellectually as a couple.
A wedding with ups and downs
From the moment Jacqui’s sister Meghan spotted Ryan and his groomsmen she had her concerns, “they look like bad news” she whispered to her fellow bridesmaids.
Things went from bad to worse when Jacqui walked down the aisle and shared her concerns that her groom wasn’t blonde like she hoped and clean-shaven on their wedding day.
But to Ryan, he was thrilled by his wife’s good looks: “She’s not bad, hey” he told producers.
In their vows, Jacqui made her expectations clear, revealing that she wanted her husband to take the lead and give up his jacket when she was cold. While things seemed to be going well, Ryan didn’t take the lead after the ceremony and failed to take his new bride’s hand – resulting in her bursting into tears.
“I wanted a man to take the lead because I’m a f****** high-value woman,” she complained at the time.
But the drama didn’t end there! At their wedding photoshoot, Ryan was blind to Jacqui’s shivering, failing to be a gentleman and offer her his jacket, resulting in her having to ask him.
While Ryan believed they were hitting it off, Jacqui was having major doubts.
At the reception, a disappointed Jacqui began to slowly warm to her new husband after learning about his upbringing and ambition.
Connecting on their values, they finally started to hit it off but as they took part in their first dance, but Ryan misstepped and stood on Jacqui’s dress, dropping her and causing hysteria amongst the guests.
While Jacqui found humour in the situation, Ryan couldn’t let it go, pleading with the film crew to not show his dramatic dropping of his bride on television.
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