MAFS Australia 2026 bride Mel Akbay has issued an apology following criticism of how she treated her  husband Luke Fourniotis.

People have been left unimpressed during recent episodes of the dating show, where Mel admitted she “felt single” despite being newly married to Luke.

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The pair tied the knot earlier in the experiment but quickly struggled to build any real connection, with their honeymoon failing to spark much chemistry. The first dinner party rolled around, and things still hadn’t improved. One of the first things Mel said was that she was “so excited” to speak to someone who isn’t her husband. Ouch.

While chatting and laughing with the other brides, Mel appeared distant from Luke, prompting another bride to comment: “You’ve actually put up a full block, you’re like, ‘Don’t breathe on me’.”

Agreeing, Mel replied: “It’s cement.”

Later, she joked at the table: “Ahh, help me! I still feel single,” while Luke sat nearby, a moment that didn’t land well.

Speaking to camera, Luke admitted the situation was taking its toll: “You can’t be positive forever, especially when you see a lot of the other couples getting along really well. You can’t keep going if nothing changes.”

He added: “It gets to a time where it’s like, just, flogging a dead horse.”

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People quickly took to social media to call out Mel’s behaviour, with many saying she came across as unnecessarily harsh. One wrote: “It’s fair enough if Mel doesn’t fancy Luke and isn’t feeling it but there’s no need for the rudeness,” while another said they “feel sorry for Luke”.

Following the backlash, Mel shared a statement on Instagram addressing how she came across on screen.

“There were moments where I didn’t communicate well and came across insensitive,” she said. “For that I’m truly sorry to anyone who felt hurt or offended.”

She described the experiment as a “huge learning curve”, admitting that watching the episodes back had made her reflect on her behaviour.

“I’m not perfect, and seeing things play back has made me reflect on how I handle certain moments. All I can do is acknowledge it and keep growing,” she continued.

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Mel also apologised for the lack of a romantic connection between her and Luke, adding: “I’m sorry for not developing romantic feelings for Luke and that the experiment didn’t go the way we had both would’ve hoped. Luke is a good person and I genuinely wish him the best.”

Addressing a moment that had been talked about, she clarified: “Another moment that’s been circulating is the scene about Luke sleeping on the floor with a towel. That was said jokingly between us in the moment. Luke slept in the bed the entire time.”

She went on to say she hopes people will allow her to move forward: “At the end of the day, I’m still learning like everyone else. I care deeply about treating people with kindness and respect. I hope people can allow me the space to move forward and show who I really am.”

Mel also hinted at more context to come in upcoming episodes, referencing an unaired moment from the Rapid Revelations task, and added that she did spend time with Luke’s family despite how the wedding episode appeared.