Cute couple Caitlin McConville and Shannon Adams had an instant connection on their wedding day, then an “amazing” honeymoon. But could one of Married At First Sight’s most notorious challenges turn out to be the beginning of the end for them?
Brisbane makeup artist and nightclub host Caitlin, 27, came into the relationship experiment after two years of no intimacy.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m human – some days were much harder than others,” she confides. “But I made the decision to only give those parts of myself to someone I could trust, who valued who I was as a person and saw me as more than just a sexual drive-through.”
She and Melbourne personal trainer Shannon, 30, found they had plenty in common on their honeymoon.
“We listened to meditation before bed and talked about our own personal development journeys,” she says.
Shannon’s comments don’t sit comfortably with Caitlin.
This week, in Confessions Week, Shannon is set the photo-ranking task, where he has to rank pictures of the brides in order of attractiveness.
“I did let Shannon know I didn’t mind where he placed me in the challenge,” Caitlin explains. “After all, attraction can grow as you get to know someone and we’d just met!”
But there’s a problem. “Some of the comments he made during and after that task were definitely concerning for me,” she adds.
She expressed her disappointment to Married At First Sight producers, saying that Shannon made many “red flag comments.”
Caitlin became even more upset when Shannon initially ranked her second but then moved her down to third place.
“If I went and put [Caitlin] in second, I would have been lying to myself,” he said. “Their natural beauty shines more than yours.”
Later on, Shannon returned to the apartment crying after talking on the phone to his ex-girlfriend, who he was in a relationship with for seven years and had a child with.
“I still love her,” he told Caitlin before breaking down into tears.
While she remained composed in front of Shannon, Caitlin couldn’t hold in her tears as she spoke to the camera crew.
“I’ve done nothing but support him.” (Image: Nine)
“I’m always in this position, it’s not new. I was just hoping that this time maybe that I would be with someone who could love me,” she said.
Shannon confessed he was hoping to get over his ex-girlfriend via the experiment but kept his ex “on the fence” in case MAFS didn’t work in his favour.
The commitment ceremony was where Shannon was faced with some harsh truths as the relationship experts didn’t hold back, telling Shannon he would not been here had the experts been aware that he was still in love with his ex.
Although Caitlin admitted her new husband’s situation had felt like she been “slapped with all [her] traumas at once” she wanted to give the relationship a chance and so did Shannon.
That’s despite him revealing that had their roles been reversed, he would be a “hypocrite” and abandoned the experiment.
Shannon organised a lovely candle-lit dinner at home with Caitlin’s favourite dish, a classic chicken schnitzel. But his ‘grateful for another chance at love’ attitude didn’t stick around too long.
“That physical attraction, I don’t know if it’s there.”
Caitlin noticed the significant energy shift between them. While confronting their feelings, Shannon revealed had his wife “wowed” him during the wedding ceremony, he would have cut all ties with his ex.
“What are you my teacher?” (Image: Nine)
“You are a good-looking girl, just not in my eyes,” he told Caitlin.
An emotional Caitlin told the camera: “That whole conversation was about that I wasn’t good enough… I’ve done nothing but support him.”
Despite his attempts to interrupt Caitlin as she voiced her feelings, she stayed strong despite him saying “what are you, my teacher? Alright dad.” And she continued this mentality as she walked into the dinner party alone.
The next commitment ceremony was the pairs final. Despite the hurtful words thrown around and admitting everything was said to “hurt her”, Shannon wanted to stay in the experiment. Meanwhile, Caitlin desperately wanted to leave.
“I deserve to be treated like a human being.” (Image: Nine)
While the relationship experts asked Shannon what he would do differently in order to save the relationship, vague answers like “buy her flowers” or “reflection [on his] attitude” weren’t enough proof the relationship could survive.
John offered Caitlin an out, she responded: “I deserve to be respected; I deserve to feel wanted; I deserve to be treated like a human being. You don’t deserve me.”
“I came in here really hoping to meet someone who I could love and who could love me.
“This isn’t what I wanted… I deserve that chance, but this man does not deserve me.”
In her choice to leave, all the girls hugged Caitlin while Shannon walked out without saying goodbye.
