Selina Chhaur admits her relationship with her Married At First Sight Australia groom Cody Bromley has been “a crazy rollercoaster ride”, but now the pair’s rocky start has finally given way to a beautiful romance.
“It was very much a slow burn,” agrees Cody, 31, telling Woman’s Day the pair’s newfound cosiness “was well-earned”. He explains, “The last week before the couples retreat, we had to do a hard reset and it progressed naturally from my end.”
The Sydney personal trainer and swim instructor insists he was always attracted to Selina, but “that sexual desire wasn’t there” earlier on. However, it’s now “developed on natural terms”.
Selina, 32, agrees the duo have managed to turn things around. “At this stage of the experiment, we’ve put everything to the side and really listened to the experts,” the Adelaide hairdresser says. “We’ve come such a long way. I’m so proud of us getting to know each other on a deeper level.”
Another serious snag the couple are still trying to resolve, though, is Cody’s controversial confession that his attraction to Selina was affected by her Cambodian-Chinese ethnicity.
“I handled it terribly,” Cody admits. “Saying, ‘I’m not a racist!’ was the worst thing to say. It was very much a foot-in-mouth situation.” He admits he “thought about” asking producers to cut the footage, but he sighs, “If I could go back, I wouldn’t say it.”
“To be honest, I really do feel he judged the book by the cover, and all I wanted was for him to just pick up the book and make an effort to get to know me because there are so many layers,” says Selina, who confesses that she still worries about her family’s reaction to his shocking comments.
But even at their lowest point, Selina never considered following in fellow bride Carolina Santos’ footsteps by seeking out another groom. “God, no!” she gasps. “I’ve been cheated on in the past, so I just don’t condone cheating or even glancing at someone else’s partner. That’s just disgusting.”
With homestay week now upon them, Selina and Cody are crossing their fingers it only brings them closer.
“I hope I can delve more into Cody’s world and find out more about him,” says Selina. “We’ve been in a
little MAFS bubble, which is amazing, but you see a whole other side to your partner when you see them interact with their friends and family.”
Despite their ups and downs, she’s feeling positive about their future. “We just have so much in common,” smiles Selina. “It’s so nice being with Cody. I can just be myself.”
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