You can hardly blame 53-year-old laidback larrikan John for giving up on matchmakers after his infamous "marriage" with yoga-loving Deborah, also 53, on Married At First Sight dissolved before it had even begun.
But John isn't bitter. "I'm not emotionally scarred, I'm ready to date again," he said.
And despite A Current Affairs' attempt to provide John with a bevy of available, keen women (crying out "'Marry me John") it certainly did not eventuate in any dates.
"That was weird, I've never had something happen like that in my life before, obviously, but again it was very flattering and I'm just appreciative; not only from the support of my family and friends but also of strangers," he told Fairfax Media.
Related Content
"[Channel Nine] portrayed me well, I'm not getting any flack, they've been amazing. I just couldn't believe that happens actually."
Most of John's fans on A Current Affair were aged from 51 to 58, divorced or separated, and being put forward by their daughters, who had been watching the show.
"He has this aura about his that's just so genuine and as I said when I squeezed him that's he's nice and snuggy," said one of John's more aggressive seductresses, who suggested having a spa with him on ACA. "I fell in love with him."
John has given MAFS's matchmaking some thought, especially after seeing the criticisms laid by former brides that it felt fake, and says he's unsure about the process and whether his pairing could have just been because Deb and he were the only ones their age, given everyone else was 20 years younger.
"I wondered the pool they had to choose from .. they might not have had a lot to play with, if you know what I mean, they wouldn't have had the number of applicants to sift through to matchmake," he told Fairfax Media.
"I don't know how many people applied... But I'm sure they wouldn't have deliberately matched us for failure, I don't think that.
"Maybe they were having their own little experiment to see if two people who were opposite and rather set in their ways and at this age, 'cause you are and look that's just a fact; the older you get the more set in your ways the more routine you become... and Deb hadn't dated in 11 years.
"So I think it was quite a culture shock for her to actually date and sleep with somebody and live with somebody."
He has plenty of respect for Deb despite their differences, but he's only kept in touch with Nick, who also lives in Melbourne, and Sean 'the Cowboy' and Susan.
"I found Deb different from me and sometimes she was charming, but I did feel like I was getting on her nerves a bit ... I can't know Deb's motives. But it wasn't a bad experience for me," he said.
"I lead a very routine life and to go away to Samoa and to mix with those other people, who I found to be lovely, was a good experience. I have no regrets whatsoever."
As for the other poor match-ups in Jonathan and Cheryl, and Scarlett and Michael, John believed there was a chemistry between Michael and Scarlett but he had an inkling about Cheryl.
"Just before I left I noticed Andrew was staying, so I did have an inkling of it but I wasn't to sure as to what," he said. "Everyone had an inkling but no one knew until they walked through the door at the dinner party last night."
Despite not being ready for the public response to him, "it's crazy ... overwhelming, I didn't expect that at all", he's still planning to take any new relationship "nice and slow".
"I'm hopeful of meeting someone soon but I have taken my foot off the gas a little bit."
Would he consider being matched again?
"No probably not, I'm going to go back to the old fashioned way and see if I can meet somebody out that's what I'm going to do," he concluded.
"Or actually I have got a few friends, who've said – which is crazy and why have they never said this before, I'm amazed – but 'ah, look I know somebody; this girl who is just right for you' ... so I might just have a look and see what's happening there.
"But I'm not going to eHarmony or anything like that. I'm not going to go on the internet, no."
0 comments
New User? Sign up