Married at First Sight has been running for 17 seasons, and follows singles who agree to marry someone the moment they first meet.
The series is based on the Danish television series Gift Ved Første Blik. Given the show’s premise, the drama that ensues on screen shouldn’t come as a shock to audiences.
However, when cast member Michael awaited the arrival of his bride-to-be, very few could’ve predicted how it would turn out. Michael was left at the altar by the woman, whose identity was kept a secret. While this is an outcome some might think is common on the show, it was the first instance of this happening in its entire 17 seasons.
Michael Was Left At The Altar By A Mystery Woman For The First Time In The History Of The Show
During the second episode of the 17th season of Married at First Sight, Michael is seen waiting at the altar for his bride. Despite appearing nervous, he was reassured by one of his groomsmen, “Calm your nerves.”
As he watched his bride-to-be walking down the aisle, he introduced himself as soon as she approached him.
“I’m Michael,” he said.
However, the woman didn’t appear to be comforted by his presence or his introduction. It was then that she dropped an unexpected bombshell.
“I’m sorry,” she began. “I don’t think I can do this. I don’t want to marry a stranger.”
While he was shocked, Michael handled the situation with grace and complete understanding.
“Look, it’s a lot,” Michael began. “You know it better than most that this is a tough journey. So, I can understand the doubts and all the worries that come with it and even though we’re just meeting, I do wish the best for you. If this is a journey you don’t want to take, I respect that.”
She then thanked Michael for being so nice about her sudden decision.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “Wow, what an amazing guy. I’m sorry.”
This was the first time someone was left at the altar in the history of Married at First Sight. After she left, Michael was comforted by his guests and admitted he didn’t think the wedding would have that outcome.
“I didn’t see that happening, but…” Michael said, before being reassured by his groomsman, “You’re good man.”
Michael then spoke to the camera and reflected on the situation.
“I’m humbled. I’m embarrassed. I’m sad,” he said. “I couldn’t move her enough or compel her enough to even give this a shot.”
Michael continued, “I will admit, it didn’t turn out like I hoped. I will admit that I saw my journey being married at first sight as much different than what it ended up being. It’s a failure.”
He did, however, say that he didn’t want to allow this experience to ruin his future relationships.
“I wouldn’t want today to influence how I approach future women that could potentially be romantic partners of mine,” Michael said. “Whether that means marriage, whether that doesn’t mean marriage, I don’t want today to have a negative influence on that.”
It was then that Michael read a letter that was left to him by the woman who had left him at the altar.
“Dear Michael, I can’t express how sorry I am to have not given this marriage the chance you deserve,” she wrote. “I hope that one day you’ll be able to fill the adventure book up with incredible memories of you and your future wife. You couldn’t have been more gracious and empathetic towards me. And it shows what a great man you really are. You are a true gentleman, a kind soul. I wish you the best.”
- Michael then reflected on why he wanted to be on the show in the first place:
- “I chose to get married at first sight, because I saw it as an opportunity to be my best self,” he said. “I saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to find someone extraordinary and to do something extraordinary in the process. I wanted to be a husband going through the journey of love and understanding what it takes to grow and nurture that. That’s an experience I’ll always be seeking.”
Michael Said That Rumors Of His Experience Being Staged Are Definitely Not True
Following the airing of Michael’s rejection, fans swarmed social media speculating on the woman’s identity. Some falsely claimed her name was Chloe Brown. However, other fans were quick to point out that Brown was actually Michael’s replacement bride following the rejection of the first one.
“Yeah, my understanding from what’s been posted in this sub is that he marries Chloe 2 months later in March which is why the season is late in airing. There’s a marriage license application for the two of them in March floating around. The others were all in January,” a fan wrote on Reddit.
Another fan account confirmed, “NOTE: Chloe is not the ‘runaway bride.’ They get married Approx 6 weeks after the initial weddings.”
- However, fans were still speculating about not only the identity of the first woman, but the reality of the situation. Some believe the whole thing was staged and there are a lot of conspiracy theories as to what the truth is.
- “The voice seemed fake. U can’t see her face but u can tell the sound doesn’t seem to match the way her head is bobbing,” someone wrote. “Another possibility is that it’s one where they knew each other and the wedding scene is a complete reenactment to keep people interested in him while they scramble to find him another bride and it’s going to be some great redemption story. I hope it’s the latter personally. There’s not too often where I feel bad for someone on TV but I genuinely felt bad for this dude.”
- Someone else theorized, “Something definitely feels fishy (they kept her reveal a surprise) but I think there is an untalked about angle. If she had signed the paperwork and backed out then the Producers still wouldn’t want to show her face or talk to her. Doing so would encourage others I future seasons to just goof around to be in tv for a hot minute. In my humble opinion.”
Michael himself would address these theories and rumors during the Married at First Sight reunion special.
“By no means was it staged,” he said. “And the audience probably doesn’t mean any malice — that’s just how they feel in terms of how everything was presented — but it can be tough at times because it’s like, well, those are real emotions from me.”
The host, Kevin Frazier, told Michael that he didn’t believe he was acting when watching the scene of him breaking down afterward.
“I was doing my best up to that point to not break down because I wanted to maintain a level of strength in that moment,” Michael explained. “You know, there’s a bit of pride that comes in — and especially among my friends and family — I didn’t want them to worry any more than they already were worried.”
He continued, “But it did become a little bit overwhelming just because, as I’m recapping everything, as I’m seeing their reaction, that kind of just created that rush of emotion.”
Michael Revealed That He Is Ready To Find Love Again After His Experience On The Show
After Michael was left at the altar, he was questioned by sociologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz, who asked if he was open to taking “another chance” at love.
“You know, you emotionally and mentally tune yourself for this,” Michael said of joining the series. “And I discovered things about myself that I didn’t realize in the moment, like I knew I was ready for marriage, but I didn’t know I was that ready. So to answer your question, I would 100% do this again.”
Psychologist and sex therapist Dr. Pia Holec then reassured Michael, telling him, “You’re gonna make someone extremely happy.”
Michael was also asked by Pastor Calvin Roberson what qualities he was looking for in a future partner.
“I mean, of course, I would love an intelligent woman, someone that you know, is very witty and quick, and is very invested in themselves,” Michael explained. “And I think maybe what I didn’t articulate as well [is] how much I appreciate silliness, too. I know it doesn’t come out here as much but I’m a pretty silly person.”
“And I kind of love that levity of like, you can be that strong version of yourself in whatever form you need to be, but that you also have that latitude of like letting yourself be silly and goofy,” he added. “But I would also reiterate that sweetness, like you might be a hard ass at work but there’s that sweet nature that really you foster inside of you.”