Married At First Sight groom Ryan Donnelly has hit back at accusations he is ‘obsessed’ with his ex-bride Jacqui Burfoot, saying she is a ‘mess’ and he is glad to be away from her.
The jewellery designer, 29, stunned MAFS fans when she took her shock relationship with fellow groom Clint Rice a step further when the pair became engaged.
During Daily Mail Australia’s exclusive reunion dinner in Sydney, Ryan, 36, said he is staying ‘far, far away’ from the pair, adding that while his ego took a hit during the show it has since ‘recovered’.
‘I’m obsessed with not being around her,’ he said of accusations he is ‘jealous’ of her new man and ‘humiliated’ over how their relationship played out.
‘I have a full-time job. I’m staying far, far away from that mess.’
When asked if his ‘ego was crushed’ by the entire experience, he added: ‘My ego is fine. He’s recovered; he’s doing really well. He was on life support there for a while.’
‘You can’t hold yourself to your own ego. You can’t let it imprison you… I definitely changed for the better.’
Ryan was also asked to reveal how he discovered Jacqui and Clint, 43, were now an item, but he declined to give a straight answer.
‘I heard whispers. A little bird told me… He goes by many names. He is a protector. He is a supporter. He is a giver of life,’ he joked.
‘It was the almighty MAFS gods. They dropped it. A message in a bottle came to my house during the floods.’
It comes after Jacqui broke her silence on her ex-husband Ryan’s shock claim about her engagement to co-star Clint.
The pro golfer made the shock proposal during a MAFS viewing party in Sydney on Sunday evening—and Ryan was quick to dismiss it as a ‘publicity stunt’.
Jacqui slammed Ryan in an interview with The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick on Monday morning.
‘Ryan doesn’t take anything I do well. Like, nothing I do is good enough for him,’ Jacqui began.
She then said Ryan had a reputation for spreading false stories about her in an attempt to discredit her.
‘Whether it’s, “Oh, she’s not in love, it’s fake…” He’s always got something negative to say. He can’t just move on. He will be like, “Oh, she’s cheating” and next minute, “It’s fake, a publicity stunt.”‘
Jacqui then issued some blunt words to her former flame: ‘Move on mate! You dumped me, too.’
In footage shared to TikTok, Clint was seen on bended knee popping the question to his ladylove before producing an impressive diamond ring.
It didn’t take long for the news to reach Jacqui’s former MAFS TV groom and other cast members who were attending Daily Mail Australia’s exclusive Reunion Party at the Ovolo Hotel in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo.
Ryan didn’t mince words after viewing the clip.
‘I just want to say cheers to the happy couple,’ he began.
‘It was completely candid and unplanned, not a publicity stunt, I’m so happy,’ he continued, sarcastically.
Elsewhere, Ryan made fun of Jacqui’s background as a jeweller.
‘Oh, [was the ring] Jacqueline Lee Jewellery, maybe?’ he sniped.
After hearing the ring was not from Jacqui’s business, Ryan took a further dig, saying: ‘Sorry, we’re dealing with class here.’
Footage from the Daily Mail Australia event showed Ryan could hardly contain his laughter as he watched the loved-up couple’s viral moment.
Other cast members were also in hysterics as Jacqui planted a joyous kiss on Clint’s lips.
Later in the footage, Jacqui proudly flashed her blinding diamond ring to her adoring MAFS fans as she grinned with glee.
Ryan had previously claimed his on-screen bride Jacqui was ‘never really on the show to find love’.
In a no-holds-barred interview with Daily Mail Australia, Ryan revealed Jacqui formed a secret connection with Clint while they were still married, all while maintaining what he called ‘an agenda’ to control her narrative.
Ryan didn’t hold back when asked why he thought his marriage with Jacqui imploded so dramatically.
‘Her motivation was to be the main character [of the show], I think,’ he said bluntly.