Married At First Sight groom Scott McCristal has broken his silence in an explosive interview, revealing the real story behind his turbulent relationship with bride Gia Fleur.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Scott said watching the Couples Retreat unfold on television last week has been difficult, admitting it brought back memories of what he described as a 'toxic environment' inside the experiment.
'It's hard to watch, because it just brings back the toxic behaviour and people's foul mouths,' he said.
The groom, who had largely stayed out of the drama during filming, insisted he always tried to support Gia publicly even when tensions were building behind the scenes.
'I'm just a man who sticks by my woman, no matter what,' he explained.
'When you have genuine feelings for someone, you're always going to support them - whether it's a good or bad decision.'
Married At First Sight groom Scott McCristal has broken his silence in an explosive interview, revealing the real story behind his turbulent relationship with bride Gia Fleur
Speaking to Daily Mail, Scott said watching the Couples Retreat unfold on television last week has been difficult
But Scott claimed their dynamic became complicated when disagreements happened privately.
He alleged that while Gia was affectionate around the group, things could quickly escalate behind closed doors if he attempted to address her behaviour.
'Around everyone else she's good to me, she's nice to me,' he said.
'But when it comes to being in private and I try to pull her aside about something, she doesn't like being called out.'
According to Scott, the couples retreat marked a turning point in their relationship.
He said the mounting pressure inside the experiment began triggering arguments that had previously been kept behind closed doors.
'There was only so much I could handle in terms of the behaviours that were happening,' he admitted.
'I would turn a blind eye to a lot of it because I'm good at ignoring negative stuff, but that's when I started saying, 'This needs to stop.'
The groom, who had largely stayed out of the drama during filming, insisted he always tried to support Gia publicly even when tensions were building behind the scenes
'When you have genuine feelings for someone, you're always going to support them - whether it's a good or bad decision,' he explained
But Scott claimed their dynamic became complicated when disagreements happened privately
Scott also revealed that tensions escalated when Gia began pushing for their relationship to progress faster than he was comfortable with.
Behind the scenes, he claimed she repeatedly questioned why he had not yet told her he loved her.
'She would drop hints like, 'Why haven't you fallen in love with me yet?' he said.
'I'm like, 'You can't force me to tell you I love you. It takes time.'
The groom suggested Gia may have developed stronger feelings for him earlier in the experiment, which only added to the pressure.
'I think Gia had more feelings for me at that time,' he explained.
'She even said she's used to people begging for her, getting on their knees. I'm just not that kind of person.'
Scott also lifted the lid on the couple's off-camera disagreements, revealing they argued over surprisingly personal issues.
'Around everyone else she's good to me, she's nice to me,' he said. 'But when it comes to being in private and I try to pull her aside about something, she doesn't like being called out'
Scott also revealed that tensions escalated when Gia began pushing for their relationship to progress faster than he was comfortable with
'You wouldn't see this stuff on camera because it was personal,' he said.
'There were arguments about things like me wanting to be safe and use protection. That would turn into a whole day of fighting.'
According to Scott, Gia sometimes interpreted his cautious approach as a sign he wasn't serious about the relationship.
'She'd say things like, 'You're not here for the right reasons,' he recalled.
'I'm thinking, 'What are you talking about?'
The groom also addressed Gia's dramatic walkouts during filming, including scenes where she stormed out of group events.
While viewers may have been shocked, Scott said he never believed she would actually quit the experiment.
'I knew she wouldn't leave because I knew how much she genuinely cared about me,' he said.
'She would drop hints like, 'Why haven't you fallen in love with me yet?' he said. 'I'm like, 'You can't force me to tell you I love you. It takes time'
According to Scott, Gia interpreted his cautious approach as a sign he wasn't serious about the relationship. 'She'd say things like, 'You're not here for the right reasons,' he recalled
'But I was annoyed that she could just up and leave without telling me.'
At one point during filming, rumours circulated that Gia had walked out of the show entirely - something Scott insists was misunderstood.
'I said she left. That doesn't mean she left the experiment,' he clarified.
'I just thought she'd gone home for a bit.'
Despite the chaos surrounding their relationship, Scott maintained that at the time he still believed they could work through their issues.
'I was in a good relationship at that point,' he said.
'There was no reason for me to leave.'
Scott also weighed in on the dramatic retreat exit by fellow couple Danny Hewitt and Bec Zacharia, revealing he wasn't surprised by their decision to temporarily walk away.
'That environment was toxic as hell,' he admitted.
'If people had the chance to leave, I don't blame them.'
He even suggested Danny may have done the right thing by removing Bec from the situation.
'Danny pulling her out probably saved their relationship,' he said.
'Sometimes you just need to reset.'
Meanwhile, Scott claimed tensions among the brides were constantly shifting during filming, describing the group dynamic as exhausting.
