From the moment we were introduced to Melissa on season 10 of Married At First Sight Australia, it was clear that she was going to be providing quite the entertainment.
The hens party in episode one was when we first met Melissa, and the 41-year-old single mum made it immediately clear that sexual intimacy was a big priority for her in a relationship, as she rather candidly told her fellow brides-to-be, “I’m gonna f**k my husband on the first night!”
However, the ‘sex feen’ finds herself matched with someone who is a bit more of a conservative sexual being: Disney-loving dad-of-two Josh.
Though Josh is not the ‘Thor’ she was hoping for, Melissa found herself instantly attracted to the wholesome fella and kept gushing to cameras about how she couldn’t wait to get him into bed.
But the day after Melissa and Josh’s wedding a MAFS producer asked Josh whether he and Melissa “consummated” their marriage and Josh replied, “No, last night we just had a really lovely kiss and cuddle and went to bed.”
However, Melissa told the show producers a completely different story.
“Was sex last night with Josh good? Yes. Last night went off with a bang! I was looking for a big, burly man to throw me around on the first night and let me tell you, Josh has it covered,” Melissa shared.
Later on in the episode we found out who was lying, as the newlyweds had a discussion about what they divulged to the producers.
“They asked you if you’ve had sex with me, right?,” Melissa asked Josh.
“They have a few times, and I just said, ‘No,'” Josh answered.
“You’re lying,” Melissa shouted in reply.
“Well, I mean I’ve got some integrity where I’d keep some things for us,” Josh then said.
Later on Josh told the producers that he has Christian conservative parents, so there’s already some early signs that the sex-obsessed Melissa doesn’t have a husband on the same level as her.
While things seemingly improved after the pair hashed out their difference, during confessions week it became tumbling down as they looked back at their wedding day and Josh discovered how his bride was mainly interested in his physical aspects.
And made him concerned they had no deeper connection and only one of their needs were being met. It was later revealed Josh’s fear were confirmed as Melissa didn’t know what her husband did for work.
“I still have some concerns around the fact that Mel seems to think that’s a defining personality trait, and talking about her sexuality. There has to be something deeper,” Josh said.
“I can’t quite shake that I’m seen as a sex object here.”
Josh’s response left Melissa feeling “rejected” and later expressed her concern that the relationship would get “very boring” quickly.
“I don’t know if you came on here to find a friend or to have a wife and have a active sex life with,” she said.
“If I’m not having sex with you, I don’t feel like I get anything else from you. And it makes me not want to lie next to you.”
Although Josh remained calm in front of his wife, he exploded to the camera crew!
“I am a man and I am not a f—–g disposable sex toy,” he said.
“I’m not having an ultimatum put to me to have sex in order to further the relationship.”
In an attempt to save their relationship and put in some boundaries the pair decided to remove sex from the table temporarily. We are yet to see if these two can hash out their problems with the experts.
In what began as a wholesome start to intimacy week, with the pair building a Lego set of Thor’s hammer while talking about their childhoods quickly turned sour.
During their date Josh felt relieved, telling cameras: “I don’t feel like a sex object today… I feel like we’re bonding.”
However the next morning he felt nothing he did was “good enough” as Melissa began questioning his lack of physical intimacy while sleeping, saying: “You don’t cuddle at night time at all.”
Melissa then began to question the relationship, only leading to a fight later in the day. Shocking Josh with the accusation he had an intimacy problem.
“You don’t know how to love,” she yelled. “I’m too much for you.”
“I feel like I’m too dominant for you and it freaks you the f–k out.”
Josh responded: “You don’t have a depth to you to understand anything other than sex.”
Now, the dad is questioning whether he can stay in the experiment.
During the next commitment ceremony, Josh broke down into tears after listening to Melissa question his manhood and emphasise that he had a problem with physical intimacy. Even going so far as to call herself “the alpha” in the relationship.
He alleged that his ‘wife’ attempted to control his time on his mobile phone, when he read books and when he can go out. It all became too much for Josh as he walked away from the couch, with all the grooms in-tow to support him. Upon returning, Melissa apologised and said she was unaware of just how upset he was.
Given the circumstances, Josh leapt at the experts offer to opt out of the experiment despite Melissa’s decision to stay.
Following their departure, Melissa began to receive hate comments and Josh has pleaded with fans to stop.
“Mel and I have had a chance to heal from our experiences… I’ve experienced some highs and lows since then,” Josh said.
“I ask you as an audience to please be respectful and kind to Melissa. There isn’t a need to attack her at all – I understand people will want to but that doesn’t make me feel any better and it just perpetuates a cycle that we should all reflect on.”