Married at First Sight bride Melissa Rawson has revealed the major career change since relocating her young family to the Gold Coast.
The 35-year-old is now working night shifts at The Star as a hostess in the ‘high roller’ areas of the casino.
Unlike the majority of former MAFS participants, the mother-of-two has chosen a blue collar hospitality job instead of attempting to live off her 15 minutes of fame with a podcast, memoir, and influencing career.
On Monday, Melissa explained the details of her new role on her personal blog, Her Second Shift.
‘Last month, while scrolling through LinkedIn, I came across an intriguing ad for a Host. The industry and nature of the job piqued my interest,’ she wrote.
‘After a single interview, I had the job within a week, and then earlier this month, I officially started my new role as a Premium Service Host.
MAFS bride Melissa Rawson is now a Premium Hostess at The Star casino on the Gold Coast
‘More casually, I work in the high-roller areas.’
Melissa added: ‘Although confidentiality agreements and filming bans prevent me from sharing too much, I can tell you this: working in the high-roller sections of a casino is an extraordinary experience.
‘In such a vibrant environment, there’s always something unexpected that makes me go, “Wow” every day.’
The self-described mummy blogger has maintained a strong following years after her appearance on MAFS due to her candid revelations about parenting and unfiltered confessionals.
In her lengthy blog entry, Melissa detailed the difficulty to find work after appearing in the ‘controversial’ TV series in 2020.
‘I honestly could not care less about the past; however, an employer may think otherwise,’ she continued.
‘So I wanted to avoid causing trouble for myself or guests by socialising too openly, managing drunk or unruly patrons, and overlooking potential conflicts of interest by not disclosing my background fully.’
Melissa previously worked for the Victorian state government in the road law sector and said she’s been pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoys her new work.
Melissa previously worked for the Victorian state government in the road law sector and said she’s been pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoys her new work. Pictured with husband Bryce Ruthven and their twin sons Levi and Tate, three
Flowers that Melissa’s husband Bryce bought her to celebrate her first week on the job
In a cheeky swipe at her old job, the mum heaped praise on the casino for its employee perks, which she said leave the government’s in the dust.
Those include a free buffet meal per shift, uniform laundry service, penalty rates for evenings, weekends, and public holidays, and 30 per cent staff discounts at all group-owned facilities.
‘The perks at The Star are fantastic, especially compared to my years in government, where the only benefit I received was a yearly flu shot,’ Melissa wrote.
The former reality TV personality also noted that ‘discretion’ is of the utmost importance for the casino’s wealthy clientele.
That meant she had no option except to be honest with her employer about her stint on national TV.
‘To this day, I still attract the occasional curious person who crosses paths with me and wonders, “I’ve seen her before; where do I know her from?”‘ she continued.
‘Fortunately, the company—especially my leaders—have been very supportive.’
Melissa called her first few night shifts ‘eye-opening’.
‘Every shift is different,’ she said.
‘The psychology of entertainment, risk, and reward is something I have never considered in depth before, and now has me questioning even my own simple financial decisions.’
‘So far, the job has been really enjoyable,’ she added, with praise for the diversity of her co-workers’ cultural backgrounds.
‘As for the guests? They’ve all been lovely so far, some more interesting than others…’ she teased.
‘It’s never a dull day!’
Melissa last worked in hospitality more than ten years ago, and she encouraged others to try out new jobs – that on the surface – might not seem like ‘the right fit’.
‘A job you might not think is the right fit could end up being the one you truly love! So why not dive in headfirst and give it a chance? You might be pleasantly surprised!’ she concluded.
The season eight bride shares her two-year-old twin sons with husband Bryce Ruthven, whom she met on the Channel Nine dating experiment.
Bryce and Melissa’s relationship was easily the most controversial during the explosive season.
He was infamously branded as ‘toxic’ after he told Melissa she wasn’t his ‘type’ on the show and copped huge backlash from fans at the time.
Fortunately, the pair worked things out legally exchanged vows back in February at a beachside wedding ceremony in Sorrento, Victoria.
