It all became too much for Married At First Sight bride Lauren Hall, who revealed she was seriously considering quitting the show after a fiery clash with her fellow cast, branding them ‘absolute feral people.’
The 37-year-old corporate gifting business owner found herself at the centre of a dramatic showdown after tensions reached boiling point during the cast retreat, where a discussion about relationships spiralled into a chaotic argument.
In explosive scenes aired on Monday night, Lauren and her on-screen husband Clint Rice, 43, woke up ‘completely drained’ following a tense group conversation the night before.
‘There is no part of me that wants to go and sit in that group right now,’ Lauren said, visibly frustrated.
‘Going and sitting in a group of loud people, trying to get a word in on conversations I really don’t even care about – it’s exhausting.’
The conversation, which initially started as a debate over alpha male traits and leadership in relationships, quickly turned sour as her co-stars challenged Lauren’s views.
At one point, the discussion saw fellow participants questioning whether her husband Clint’s reserved nature actually made him the kind of strong, assertive leader she claimed to want.
‘Lauren, do you think there’s a chance that maybe Clint is an alpha male, and maybe the fact that he’s seeing what you need and compensating in your relationship by doing things that don’t seem as masculine is actually alpha male behaviour?’ one contestant asked.
The bride appeared taken aback by the scrutiny and later told the cameras that she felt ‘experimented on’ rather than part of a genuine matchmaking process.
‘It’s a social experiment, and I feel experimented on. I’m happy to leave now,’ she declared.
As she considered her future on the show, Lauren confided in a co-star that Clint had also expressed doubts about continuing in the experiment.
‘Even Clint doesn’t want to do it anymore. Clint is the one that brought it up this morning,’ she revealed.
However, others were not convinced, with some cast members suggesting that Clint was simply trying to support Lauren rather than making a personal decision to quit.
‘I feel like he’s such a genuine guy and he wants it to work. And I just feel like you’ve wasted his time a little bit by not trying hard enough,’ one bride hit back.
Tensions erupted further when another contestant accused Lauren of not caring about the show or her relationship, prompting her to deliver her scathing assessment of her fellow participants.
‘They are absolute feral people,’ she raged.
Despite her frustrations, Lauren ultimately remained in the experiment but made it clear that her patience was wearing thin.
‘I just can’t do the relationship chat any longer. I don’t really want to be talking about other people’s relationships, and I don’t really want to be talking about mine,’ she admitted.
Clint, on the other hand, appeared torn over the future of their relationship and whether they should continue their journey.
‘I’m here to get to know Lauren and really work on our relationship. But I’m hopeful and positive we’re in a good place to advance our connection,’ he said.
Lauren’s emotional revelations come amid a season filled with controversies, including explosive dinner parties and heated confrontations between cast members.
Fans have taken to social media to react to the drama, with some supporting Lauren’s feelings while others accused her of giving up too soon.
‘Lauren talking about quitting like that? She was never really in it for love, was she?’ one viewer tweeted.
‘Honestly, I don’t blame her. Those people are wild,’ another wrote in defence of her feelings.
With Lauren still in the experiment for now, all eyes are on whether she will follow through with her plans to leave or attempt to salvage her relationship with Clint.
Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine