There has already been one runaway bride, but if walking away counts there were another three prepared to don their runners after a dinner party with all the couples revealed just how wrong the experts got it.
In one night dumped groom Andrew finds a match in already "married" Cheryl, while Scarlett flirts with Cheryl's "husband" Jonathan after discovering they have a joint love of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, as Deborah storms out on the evening and possibly the whole experiment.
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Although Andrew got jilted after the altar, the 38-year-old Perth firefighter still joined the other couples and discovered he knew two of the brides, Perth twins Sharon and Michelle, who he played mixed netball with on Friday nights.
But his interest quickly turned to 25-year-old hair salon assistant Cheryl, seated next to him, after being noncommittal over "no wife snatching" at the start of the evening.
Cheryl in turn offered herself up at the first chance, despite having a "husband" present in 29-year-old entrepreneur Jonathan, telling Andrew "you can pick me" and later revealing to him that she was not attracted to her husband.
"Jonathan and Cheryl are just two different people, the ideal guy that she wants and that she's told us is not Jonathan," says 30-year-old San Fransican Scarlett, who discovers blonde-loving Jonathan is a "staunch Republican" and fellow "NRA supporter". Â
"I actually get along with Jonathan very well, we click, we have a lot in common."
"How come they didn't put youse two together?" questions Deborah's husband John, which is the case in point.
![Far better suited, could this be the start of something new? Cheryl and Andrew hit it off on Married At First Sight.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/m/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
And Scarlett isn't afraid to tell Cheryl that she likes Jonathan.
As the drinks flowed, especially in the brides' glasses, so did the emotions, with Cheryl eventually dissolving in tears after feeling "like complete shit" after being ignored by Jonathan all evening and clearly hitting it off with Andrew, who she shared more of a connection.
![The awkward evening between Cheryl and Jonathan was obvious.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/m/m/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
Jonathan tells the camera: "It just feels so foreign with her and it doesn't feel like she wants it either. That's the feeling that I'm getting from her."
"Cheryl's chatty and heaps of fun, not bad looking either so that was good," says a grinning Andrew. "F--- I shouldn't have said that. But yeah I think I would have probably been a better match than Jon actually."
![On confronting Jonathan, Cheryl decides she is "done" with her husband.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/m/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
On confronting Jonathan Cheryl said, "I'm done with this, no honestly I am", and sought assistance from Anthony's wife Nadia as she cried in the corner.
"I got matched with the complete opposite person, he's only in this for himself, I know," she said. "Now I understand why I don't go even for guys in suits, because they act like this. I can't deal right now, hey, I just want to go home."
![Cheryl in tears over her bad match on Married At First Sight.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/m/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
Jonathan tells the camera: "Where does this leave Cheryl and I? Well, to be honest not in a very good position. I'm more than willing to make any exceptions but I just don't think she's in it the same way I am."
"He's so stuck up he doesn't even want to be in this, he's just here to look good, it's annoying," Cheryl continues to Nadia. "I hate feeling like this, I've never put myself out there for this and I knew it would crumble, I knew it though."Â
![Scarlett moves in on Jonathan, as the so-called 'expert' matchmakers witness the marriages falling apart.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/k/s/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
As Cheryl leaves, Scarlett moves in on Jonathan by exchanging star signs, "we're actually a good match", and evidently phone numbers after it's revealed in the next episode promo that Jonathan gets caught in a "texting scandal".
"This is two hours of text. We should've been matched we'd have been cute as shit," he tells the cameras from his hotel bed.
![Texting scandal: Jonathan spent hours talking to Scarlett.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/s/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
But 53-year-old Deborah was the first to ditch her groom, saying she was going home after getting into a heated conversation with Cheryl over John.
"I am going home because IÂ don't want to be sitting with a bunch of 30-year-olds who are drunk, siding with someone when they haven't even spoken to me about how I'm feeling or anything I've been through. And when I went to speak, no one would let me speak and I am 20 years older than these people. Where's the respect?"
![Scowling Deborah makes a quick getaway after the conversation turns in favour of her husband John.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/l/v/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
It turns out that by John removing his wedding band he hurt Deb. "You dumped me on the wedding night."
She continued: "He told me on the night of the wedding and every single night since 'it's never gonna work', so it's not me that's not giving it a go, it's him, it's him that's walked out, it's him that's got a separate room, it's him that's taken the ring off. He's the one that doesn't like me so don't put it on me."
![Getaway vehicle: Deb could be #runawaybride 2.](/web/20170208125602im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/n/t/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8f7h.png/1486548919316.jpg)
But John countered that he "her story seems different to my story" given her comments that "I couldn't be more disappointed in what you are" because he wasn't a Polynesian Islander, with culture.
The show has already been criticised by season two brides Simone Lee Brennan and Clare Verrall who both felt like they'd been manipulated by TV producers.
Brennan claimed her match-up with Xavier, a 26-year-old sales manager, was faked since he was recruited to the show.
"My faith in the 'matchmaking' process dwindled away somewhat when my TV husband shared with me immediately post-wedding ceremony that he hadn't dated for years and never actually applied for the experiment but was angling for a hosting gig rather than a life partner."
While Verrall's mismatch with 32-year-old Jono Pitman wasn't the only failed marriage, with her claiming "they all broke up within weeks. Many of them have new partners now and can't wait to move on".
It goes to show that the old fashioned meet and greet is far more effective than matching complete strangers on paper.
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