Married At First Sight's Luke Fourniotis has finally revealed why he chose not to walk away from the experiment during Sunday's episode – despite being publicly rejected by his TV wife Melissa Akbay in front of the entire group.
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Speaking to Daily Mail, the 30-year-old farmer confessed he seriously considered leaving but ultimately decided he did not want his journey to end in negativity.
'It didn't feel right to leave the show without even giving the experts a chance,' Luke said.
The reality star admitted the experience had taken a heavy toll on his confidence, revealing he felt like he had lost himself inside the experiment.
'I'd become an absolute shadow of myself. I lost my confidence and I just really didn't like it,' he said.
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'I didn't want to leave on that note. I didn't want to leave with animosity towards Mel. I didn't want everyone to look back at the experience and think it was just horrible.'
Married At First Sight's Luke Fourniotis (pictured) has revealed why he chose not to walk away from the experiment during Sunday's episode – despite being publicly rejected by his TV wife Melissa Akbay in front of the entire group
Speaking to Daily Mail, the 30-year-old farmer confessed he seriously considered leaving but ultimately decided he did not want his journey to end in negativity
His decision to stay came after Mel bluntly declared there was 'no spark' between them and that she had hoped for a 'fairy tale' romance – comments that were delivered in front of their fellow brides and grooms.
While Luke said it was not the first time he had heard the words, he admitted the public nature of the rejection cut deep.
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'Hearing it in front of the whole group makes you feel even more vulnerable,' he explained.
'It's almost embarrassing being on the receiving end of that.'
Despite the sting, Luke insisted he remained hopeful that the pair could reset their relationship by stripping it back to basics.
'Forget about intimacy, forget about romance, even physical touch – none of it,' he said.
'We just need to work on becoming friends first because up until now we've never been able to do that.'
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Intimacy Week, he hinted, would look 'very different' for them compared to the other couples.
'It didn't feel right to leave the show without even giving the experts a chance,' Luke said
'I'd become an absolute shadow of myself. I lost my confidence and I just really didn't like it,' he said
Despite the sting, Luke insisted he remained hopeful that the pair could reset their relationship by stripping it back to basics. 'Forget about intimacy, forget about romance, even physical touch – none of it,' he said
Luke also addressed the moment the experts delivered a blunt wake-up call to Mel during the Commitment Ceremony – a confrontation many viewers interpreted as vindication for him.
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'I never want the experts to come for Mel,' he said carefully.
'But it was beneficial that they were able to call out some of the things that were actually hindering progress. It gave me a sense of hope.'
The groom did not hold back when reflecting on scenes that showed Mel discussing their relationship with the other brides.
He said watching her criticise him while offering 'no green flags, no red flags' left him feeling blindsided.
'I was putting my best foot forward and trying the best that I could,' he said.
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'It was so upsetting. It hurt more than anything.'
Luke also addressed the moment the experts delivered a blunt wake-up call to Mel during the Commitment Ceremony – a confrontation many viewers interpreted as vindication for him
Luke revealed that after those conversations aired, he began noticing a shift in how some of the brides treated him behind the scenes.
'I remember walking down the corridor and a few of the girls kind of brushed me off. I was thinking, "What have I done wrong?"' he said.
'It all made sense when I saw what had been said.'
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He also shut down rumours that he had encouraged his sisters to post negative comments about Mel online.
'The comments had already been deleted before she even brought it up,' he insisted.
'I asked my sisters to delete them because it reflected poorly on me. I haven't been talking badly about her. That's just not fair.'
Luke further denied speculation he had been coordinating media coverage or planning articles behind the scenes.
'That's completely not true,' he said.
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He also shut down rumours that he had encouraged his sisters to post negative comments about Mel online. 'The comments had already been deleted before she even brought it up,' he insisted
While he conceded he had not yet developed romantic feelings for Mel at that stage, Luke maintained he genuinely wanted to form some kind of connection.
'I wouldn't say I had feelings for Mel,' he admitted.
'But I really wanted to break through and just get along, have some laughs and chill out. I really wanted to form some sort of connection.'
Whether that connection can survive the mounting tension remains to be seen.
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Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine.