The Married At First Sight couples retreat may have been designed as a chance for the cast to reconnect and repair fractured relationships.
But for groom Filip Gregov and his partner Stella Mickunaite, the experience quickly turned into what he describes as an 'absolute war zone'.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the loved-up pair lifted the lid on the chaotic week that left several relationships hanging by a thread.
'Look, they called it a retreat, but it was an absolute war zone,' Filip said.
According to the groom, the tension did not erupt immediately.
'We had pizza the very first night and everyone had quashed their things,' he explained.
The MAFS couples retreat may have been designed as a chance for the cast to reconnect and repair fractured relationships. But for groom Filip Gregov and his partner Stella Mickunaite, the experience quickly turned into what he describes as an 'absolute war zone
Speaking to Daily Mail, the loved-up pair lifted the lid on the chaotic week that left several relationships hanging by a thread
'Bec was getting along with Gia. Alissa and Gia made up. Everyone was hanging around the pizza ovens having a good feed. The vibe was good and everyone was communicating.'
However, the calm did not last.
Filip revealed that Bec's
'That throwaway comment - look, in hindsight it was pretty poor taste,' he said.
'The way it was done and laughing about it after… it wasn't the best. That literally just set up epic division from then on.'
Over the following days, alliances formed and tensions escalated as the retreat spiralled into chaos.
'Bec and Danny were isolated. Rachel was not in a good place. It just took over the whole retreat,' Filip added.
While the drama engulfed many of the other couples, Filip and Stella largely managed to keep their relationship intact.
'Look, they called it a retreat, but it was an absolute war zone,' Filip said. According to the groom, the tension did not erupt immediately. In fact, the cast initially appeared to put their differences aside during a rare moment of peace on the first night
'Bec was getting along with Gia. Alissa and Gia made up. Everyone was hanging around the pizza ovens having a good feed. The vibe was good and everyone was communicating'
But Stella admits the pressure of filming and the constant tension around them made the experience emotionally draining.
'It wasn't nice. Retreat felt really draining and exhausting,' she said.
Despite their strong connection, Stella confessed that the intense environment triggered personal insecurities.
'Two hearts are on the line and my fears of abandonment started to creep up,' she revealed.
'You don't have a switch button while you're there. You're always miked, always filmed. There's no time to wind down or gather your thoughts.'
The lack of privacy also proved difficult.
'You're basically rubbing shoulders with people the whole time. You don't have privacy at all,' she explained.
'You can't run away, you can't hide. Everything just feels very contained.'
But Stella admits the pressure of filming and the constant tension around them made the experience emotionally draining. 'Retreat felt really draining and exhausting,' she said
'It wasn't nice. Retreat felt really draining and exhausting,' she said.
To protect their relationship from the surrounding chaos, the couple made a conscious effort to carve out time alone.
'We would wake up quite early just to have a little bit of peace and quiet for ourselves,' Filip said.
'We protect our time and our energy. We always have each other's back.'
Stella agreed, adding that communication was the key to keeping their relationship strong while other couples imploded.
'There's no conversation that we don't have,' she said.
'I'm very vocal about talking about things that are on my mind straight away.'
The pair also enjoyed a brief escape from the retreat when producers organised a day trip to the beach - a rare moment of calm amid the chaos.
'That was actually really funny,' Filip laughed.
'A few people came up because they thought Stella looked really young and that I was this old man. They started getting stuck into us.'
While the couple managed to stay focused on their relationship, Filip hinted that the retreat would have serious consequences for the wider group.
According to the groom, the conflict between several brides soon spilled over into the men's friendships.
'The guys were always at arm's length from the drama,' he said.
'But the retreat definitely brought it out. You'll see more of that between Scott and Danny.'
He believes the growing divisions among the women forced the grooms to take sides.
'Both women are strong in their convictions and want to feel chosen,' he explained.
'Everyone needs to know their place. That was the vibe.'
Despite the ongoing drama, Filip insisted the key mistake many couples made was focusing too much on the chaos around them instead of their own relationships.
'Anyone inviting other people into their relationship - that's where the anxiety and all the BS comes from,' he said.
'That's literally what you're seeing on TV.'
For Filip and Stella, however, their connection has only grown stronger during the experiment.
