Married At First Sight drama or MAFS Australia drama explained: Beards and battles dominate hit reality TV show

Dubai: Tensions ran high on Monday night’s Married At First Sight as Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly clashed in a heated argument over an unexpected demand—Jacqui wanted Ryan to shave his beard.

According to Daily Mail, the dispute began when Jacqui, 29, admitted she wasn’t fond of Ryan’s signature facial hair and insisted he get rid of it for her.

The conversation in the latest episode on Season 18 reportedly turned intense after Ryan teased her about never having seen her clean their apartment. Unimpressed, Jacqui fired back with a bold insult.

“Your beard isn’t very manly… and tonight, I’m shaving it off!” she warned.

Ryan was quick to push back. “If you do, be prepared for an immediate divorce,” he shot back. “Threatening to shave a man’s beard is dangerous ground.”

Jacqui questioned why Ryan wouldn’t consider her preference, arguing that a clean-shaven look would make him more attractive to her.

Ryan, however, refused to budge. “I like my stubble. That’s my choice. Just like you control your appearance, I should be able to do the same,” he told her.

Feeling dismissed, Jacqui vented to the cameras. “This isn’t just about a beard. Ryan refuses to compromise on anything in our relationship,” she said. “He’s so attached to his identity as a man—it’s exhausting. His brain is so small, I can’t even have a proper conversation with him.”

Ryan, in turn, defended himself, claiming Jacqui had been trying to change him from the moment they met.

“She’s asked me to shave since day one, and I even offered to trim it as a compromise,” he explained. “But honestly, Jacqui is the most difficult person I’ve ever dated. You can’t keep asking someone to change their appearance over and over and expect them to just go along with it.”

Despite the intense argument, Ryan later attempted to smooth things over by taking Jacqui flower shopping in the upscale Sydney suburb of Manly. Picking out a pricey bouquet, he hoped the gesture would help mend their relationship.

“Today’s been ridiculous, arguing over petty stuff,” he admitted. “We need to stop being stubborn and focus on the fact that we actually care about each other.”

The drama between the couple hasn’t been confined to the show. Jacqui has since taken to social media, using a secondary Instagram account to accuse Ryan of being controlling and emotionally abusive during their time together.

Ryan, however, has denied all allegations, calling them “horrific lies.” Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, he claimed Jacqui’s accusations were baseless and revealed private messages where she allegedly begged him to stay with her after filming ended.

“From the moment our wedding episode aired, Jacqui has been on a personal mission to ruin my reputation,” he said. “She’s posted defamatory claims not only about me but also about my friends, other MAFS participants, and the production team.”

Ryan further condemned her actions, stating:

“She’s making serious accusations without a shred of evidence. It’s damaging and completely untrue. Worse, she’s trivializing real victims of abuse, which is absolutely sickening.”

With their relationship in freefall both on and off-screen, the question remains: is there any hope left for Jacqui and Ryan, or is this MAFS experiment unlikely to have a fairytale ending?

Where can you watch it?

Season 8 is streaming on OSN+.