For those who witnessed last night’s episode of Married At First Sight Australia, it should come as no surprise that Bryce Ruthven has already earned the title of villain for season eight.
And if you, like us, thought that his conversation with on-screen wife, Melissa Rawson, was uncomfortable—and downright awful—to watch, then his latest on-air rant, about his ex-fiancé Lana Bongioletti, is leaving many infuriated.
After he admitted to breaking off their engagement last year, Bryce appeared on Hobart radio show, Jimmy & Nath, earlier this week to share his side of the story.
Off to an excellent start, he began by referring to his former partner as the ‘devil’, then proceeded to laugh at the news that his ex apparently watched his MAFS wedding with her new boyfriend, before adding she’s “not the best person in the world”, as per The Wash.
“The devil? [laughs] No, I actually reached out to her when I found out I was doing the show. I thought I’d do the common courtesy thing before someone sold a magazine article or something. It’s just one of those things.”
After being asked about his ex-fiancé, Bryce revealed that she is not a “fan” of him appearing on the show, saying:
“Obviously she’s not a fan of me doing the show. She is in a relationship now and has a new boyfriend. They’re living together and from what I’m told, they watched the show together [laughs], which is great for them,” he says (unconvincingly, if you ask us).
“I know I wouldn’t want to watch my ex with my new girlfriend. Look, I ended it. There was a lot of things that happened behind-the-scenes. I just wasn’t happy with her, to be honest. She’s not the worst person in the world—but she’s not the best either. That’s probably the best way to describe it.”
The rumour mill has recently speculated that given how long the MAFS application process takes, it looks as if Bryce instantly applied after calling it quits on their five-year relationship.
Viewers of the current season may recall last night’s episode, where Bryce left his wife Melissa in tears following a bout of brutal honesty towards her.
When asked if she’s his usual type, he responded: “Erm, it’s a tough question. I’ll be completely honest, not 100%. I’ve always gone for the blonde hair, blue eyes and tan kind of girl. Someone who is usually taller. I can’t 100% say that if I saw you in a bar I’d come up and buy you a drink, because I don’t know. When I saw you I was like, ‘Not my type, but she has blonde hair, she’s not ugly.'”
And while he sees her start to get visibly upset, he continues his morale-building speech, by asking her: “Were you hoping I’d say you were the most gorgeous girl in the world? Is that the answer you were hoping for? I feel like you’re a little hurt by what I’ve said.”
Speaking to producers afterwards, an emotional Melissa revealed: “I don’t know what to say to that. Bryce’s reaction was very cut and dry. I don’t want to be that emotional girl, but it’s just not a nice feeling. I understand though, everyone has a physical type and for Bryce it’s not me.”
Taking the lowest possible road following a break-up, it’s important to note that Bryce’s poor behaviour is far from villain-worthy TV content.
In fact, calling your ex-partner degrading names, making your current on-screen partner cry because of hurtful comments on her appearance and then gaslighting her to turn the sympathy onto them is an unhealthy and toxic way to treat others.
Of course, if you’d like to form your own opinion on Bryce’s behaviour, Married At First Sight airs at 7:30pm tonight on Channel Nine.
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