Images: Nine
In an explosive interview with TV WEEK, Jack rejects claims he’s the manipulator he’s being portrayed as on Married At First Sight Australia 2024 – and hits back, accusing two brides caught up in cheating scandals of being “absolute hypocrites”.
“I’ve never met bigger hypocrites in my life” the 34-year-old says.
This week, the couples fly to Byron Bay in northern NSW for Retreat Week. As they bond with one another and see how their relationships handle a group holiday (with lots of wine, dangerously), secrets surface. As usual, Queenslander Jack isn’t far from the drama.
Rumours circulate that Jack has been flirting with Sara, which he denies, and he makes a body-shaming quip that hits one of his fellow grooms hard.
Jack defends himself against the claims, while relishing the fact that a fiery dinner party exposes one of his enemies for potentially cheating on her husband.
A cheating bride
Jack alleges that not one, but two MAFS brides have been cheating.
“Apparently, Sara’s been sleeping with her ex-partner of five years while she’s in a relationship leading right up to the show,” he says. “Then, every single time she’s out with the girls coming home late from curfew, cancelling dates with [husband] Tim, where do you think she is? Meeting up with her ex!”
Sara’s response to these dramatic allegations?
“It looks worse than it is,” Sara explains. “There was no actual cheating. My ex and I are still very good friends, but I will say it was a bit of emotional cheating, because I didn’t tell Tim he was there [on a night out].”
A secret fling
Jack’s second bomb is that another bride had a fling with a man in Bali only days before her wedding day.
“After filming [of this season of MAFS], she ends up going back to this guy, which all comes out at the reunion [episode], and he rejects her,” he says.
“This is a woman who hated me from dinner party number one, all because I had a 12-week relationship I ended seven weeks before meeting Tori. Meanwhile, she’s having a fling with a guy in Bali a week before she marries her husband.”
Body shaming
Jack denies targeting fellow groom Tristan in an off-camera moment after Timothy claims he called the group “whales”, saying it was just another of his “jokes”.
“I walked into the pool and said, ‘The whales are out’ – meaning me, Lauren and Jade,” he explains. “It was a self-deprecating joke, and the girls laughed their a**es off. They clearly aren’t whales – they looked amazing. Now, Timothy, my arch-nemesis, brings the moment to light, claiming I’ve called everyone a whale, knowing it would trigger Tristan [who has body confidence issues]. I was disgusted. I said, ‘Timothy, I would never say that to anyone who wouldn’t find it funny.’”
Stronger than ever
The Jack pile-on continues when the other brides beg Tori to open her eyes to his behaviour. Despite their pleas, she chooses to stand by her man, which Jack claims was because she could see through their “mean girl” behaviour.
“Tori knew what they were doing,” he says. “They were attacking the ‘villain’ to get airtime. Lauren and Sara were more invested in creating drama than in their own husbands.”
So, is Jack the designated scapegoat of the season, or is he deflecting the heat onto others to save face?
