MAFS Australia bride Mel Akbay has found herself at the centre of growing backlash, but now one of her closest friends has stepped in to defend her.
As tensions rise on the hit dating show, Mel’s pal has insisted there is more to her than what viewers are seeing on screen.
It comes ahead of emotional scenes tonight, where husband Luke Fourniotis is left in tears during their first commitment ceremony.
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During the episode, Mel tells the experts she struggled from the start after Luke arrived late to their wedding and chewed gum during their vows.
She explains those moments caused her to shut down almost instantly.
Fellow bride Bec Zacharia is left stunned, telling her husband Danny Hewitt: “She didn’t even given him a chance.”
Meanwhile, Luke becomes emotional as Mel remains silent beside him.
MAFS Australia’s Mel defended by close friend
The scenes are likely to spark strong reactions from viewers, many of whom have already criticised Mel’s behaviour.
However, her friend Tara has publicly backed her.
Posting on Instagram Stories, she shared a photo of the pair embracing.
In a short message, she wrote: “@melpoppy guys she’s a nice girl, ily.”
Tonight’s episode proves difficult viewing as Mel and Luke are the first couple to face the experts at the commitment ceremony.
Sitting on the couch in a pale pink dress, Mel admits she cannot move past Luke forgetting the rings and arriving late.
She also points to his behaviour during the vows.
“The lateness at the wedding. He was chewing gum while we were doing the vows,” she says.
“I really did want my fairytale. I just wanted to feel that spark, but I just couldn’t feel it with Luke.”
Luke is then asked how her reaction has affected him.
“It definitely knocked my confidence a lot and made me think, ‘What am I doing wrong?'” he says.
“It’s tough, it hurts. I was excited to get to know someone and have fun with it.
“I really tried to do whatever I could and gave it my best shot. That’s the thing.”
He then breaks down in tears as the rest of the group watch on in shock, with expert John Aiken pointing him towards a box of tissues.
‘A whining toddler’
Attention then turns back to Mel, who reveals she has chosen to leave the experiment.
“This experiment has been a lot harder than I thought it was going to be and I can see that Luke and I are different people unfortunately, so that’s why I have decided to write ‘leave’,” she explains.
Luke, however, decides to stay.
Because of the show’s rules, the couple must remain in the experiment for another week to see if things can improve.
“I really want to prove to Luke that I’m not a mean person,” Mel says, admitting she is surprised by his decision.
Viewers in Australia, who have already watched the episode, have been quick to share their thoughts online.
One wrote: “The stupid rule they have to stay when one partner says to leave is ridiculous. Why put him through another week with this person?”
Another commented: “She is like a whining toddler. She needs to go home and grow up.”
A third added: “I pray they both say leave at the next commitment ceremony.”
Read more: MAFS Australia star Bec ‘fired from job’ following explosive scenes: ‘They can’t have her there’
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