The MAFS Grooms Didn’t Work Out, Hear What Stephen Has To Say About It
Married At First Sight has wrapped its latest season and gay grooms Stephen Stewart and Michael Felix did not make it through to re-commit to their marriage. Stephen has opened up about his current relationship status and whether he’s still in touch with the hairdresser he flirted with during his TV marriage to ex-husband Michael.
Reflections on reality
Reality game shows can create intense environments, especially when romance is involved. A series like Married At First Sight creates a bubble in which contestants must form connections under a microscope, which can, in many cases, cause unique stresses in a new relationship.
In the case of Stephen and Michael, MAFS first gay grooms in years, trying to form an organic connection under reality TV conditions proved too difficult a task. In their last commitment ceremony, the couple both decided to leave, citing trouble hitting it off. There was contention in their relationship when it came out that Stephen had messaged an unnamed hairdresser via Instagram.
“We could have a laugh and we had common interests and it was just an easy conversation,” Stephen tells Yahoo! Lifestyle.
Reflecting on the spark he felt with the stranger, Stephen realised it was a sign that his marriage to Michael wasn’t working. “And I think that for me was like a [realisation that] it shouldn’t be this hard with Michael…
“I think deep down Michael obviously knew that. We caught up at a later date. We were sitting there having a drink and it was like, we really just have no chemistry.”
When couples both choose to leave the experiment, there isn’t usually contact between them afterwards, but Stephen says this wasn’t exactly the case with him and Michael. “Typically when you both write ‘leave’ on the couch you get separated, but we were in a really good place,” he says.
“We kept in contact over the months after the show. I think rewatching it and everything that’s come with this show and the interviews and the storyline that’s been portrayed, that did cause a rift with us.”
On a brighter note, Stephen shared that he’s now seeing someone new and enjoyed watching MAFS with them, describing it as a unique experience to navigate a new relationship while watching his partner’s journey on the show.
