Some are calling it the worst dinner party in MAFS history.
And now I know why.
What aired on Wednesday night wasn’t just dramatic television. It was a cruel and calculated bid for ratings – and according to the bride at the centre of it all, Brook Crompton, it should never have been broadcast at all.
Behind insults about bad hair extensions and cheap Target boots lies a far bigger story – one involving formal complaints, legal letters, and a bitter dispute over duty of care.
This wasn’t just messy. It was disturbing.
After Dinner Party 2, Brook sent several written complaints to the production team, raising concerns about their duty of care.
What aired on Wednesday night wasn’t just dramatic television. It was a cruel and calculated bid for ratings – and according to the bride at the centre of it all, Brook Crompton, it should never have been broadcast at all (Pictured with her MAFS husband Chris Nield)
Some viewers are describing Wednesday night’s dinner party as the worst in Married At First Sight history – and now I understand why (pictured: Brook Crompton at the dinner party in question)
Behind insults about bad hair extensions and cheap Target boots lies a far bigger story – one involving formal complaints, legal letters, and a bitter dispute over duty of care. (Bride Stella Mickunaite pictured at the dinner party)
In an email dated November 4, she wrote: ‘I was in no state to be filmed while intoxicated.’
She argued that production failed to properly assess her fitness to participate in filming after consuming alcohol prior to entering the dinner party.
‘If a participant arrives having consumed alcohol prior to filming, it is the responsibility of production to ensure they’re fit to appear on camera,’ the email continued.
She described ‘a lack of appropriate assessment or intervention’ and called the situation ‘deeply concerning.’
When her complaint was rejected, Brook escalated the issue by sending a cease-and-desist, requesting that all footage from Dinner Party 2 be completely removed rather than just softened or edited.
The production team responded, stating they have ‘systems and processes’ in place, including staff holding Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certification and careful monitoring of alcohol consumption.
They admitted they were aware Brook had brought a bottle of champagne right before the dinner party and referenced written communication advising she should only consume two glasses within a two-and-a-half-hour period.
In an email dated November 4, Brook wrote: ‘I was in no state to be filmed while intoxicated.’ She argued that production failed to properly assess her fitness to participate in filming after consuming alcohol prior to entering the dinner party
The production team responded, stating they have ‘systems and processes’ in place, including staff holding Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certification and careful monitoring of alcohol consumption
Alissa (pictured) was left in tears on the night
Production further stated that when Brook entered the dinner party, she showed ‘no clear signs of intoxication physically or verbally’ and showed no signs of impairment in her pre-dinner interview.
Therefore ‘no exception to standard post-production procedures’ was warranted. In other words, the episode was going to air.
‘I understand that you and the production team have a duty to protect yourself and the show. But I also have a duty to protect myself and my wellbeing,’ Brook responded in a further email.
‘I take this matter very seriously and expect the same level of accountability and duty of care on production going forward.’
Perhaps production should have heeded Brook’s warnings, because what aired on Wednesday night will go down in MAFS history – and raises serious questions about Channel Nine’s duty of care for contestants.
I reached out to Channel Nine for comment but at the time of publication, hadn’t heard back.
Right before the dinner party began, Brook’s husband Chris and the rest of the cast believed she had exited the experiment permanently. Instead, she turned up unexpectedly, declaring she had ‘unfinished business’.
‘I’m not gonna let my b***hes fight some other b***hes by themselves,’ she announced as she took her seat.
From there, things spiralled.
Perhaps production should have heeded Brook’s warnings, because what aired on Wednesday night will go down in MAFS history – and raises serious questions about Channel Nine’s duty of care for contestants (Bride Rebecca Zukowski is pictured)
The irony was difficult to ignore. This is the same bride who previously expressed outrage at comments made about women’s physical appearance during casting footage – a contradiction relationship expert John Aiken himself labelled ‘ironic’
The feud that began during the Red Flag/Green Flag challenge – where accusations of being ‘fake’ and participating in a ‘show-mance’ were first thrown around – reignited with force.
Gia escalated first, throwing insults at Stella. ‘Barking babe, that’s lovely,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you go back in your kennel, babe?’
The wording struck a nerve, echoing last year’s controversial ‘muzzle your woman’ comment.
Then Brook joined in.
‘Hey babe, while you’re at it, get the stripper boots off babe! Get the stripper boots off. If you’re gonna buy stripper boots, buy 100 per cent lamb, don’t buy faux-leather… Seriously, where’d you get them from? Tar-Jay?’
It wasn’t playful shade – it was deliberate humiliation.
The irony was difficult to ignore. This is the same bride who previously expressed outrage at comments made about women’s physical appearance during casting footage – a contradiction relationship expert John Aiken himself labelled ‘ironic.’
Alissa’s attempt to diffuse things was met with venom, with Brook yelling: ‘Alissa, shut up! Shut up Alissa, you ratchet idiot!’
The insults escalated – ‘fake,’ ‘loser,’ ‘f***ing lame b***h’.
Visibly shaken, Alissa pleaded: ‘I’m done with your bullying. I’m done. This is enough… I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, leave me alone.’
But nothing could silence Brook and her cronies. It was deeply uncomfortable to watch.
After years covering this franchise, I’ve seen dinner parties implode – wine flying, secrets detonating, marriages combusting on air. This one wasn’t explosive entertainment; it was simply ugly.
What makes this backlash especially notable is its reach beyond the current cast. Former bride Awhina Rutene posted bluntly:’ This is not an edit, this is them. You can’t blame production when the words are coming directly out of your mouth, this is your character.’
Ankita Karungalekar, who exited the experiment after scandal-related allegations with her groom, Micah Lomu, admitted she tuned in after receiving ‘so many DMs.’
‘What I saw was incredibly disrespectful and hurtful… Honestly, the episode shouldn’t have been aired.’
Former bride Rhi Disljenkovic called the behaviour ‘vile.’
‘Never seen anything like it. How can anyone be backing this? Why is no one speaking up?’
And Ashleigh, perhaps most ominously, posted: ‘Gia and Brooke’s unaired footage is so much worse. Watch them blame the ‘edit’.’
That comment takes on new meaning given Brook’s formal claim that she was intoxicated and her demand to have the footage pulled. While Brook insists she should never have been allowed to enter the room in that state, former brides argue the behaviour speaks for itself, regardless of editing.
Production maintains protocols were followed; Brook says they were not. Viewers are now calling it the worst dinner party in the show’s history. This is no longer just a feud between brides – it’s a dispute over duty of care.
And once a participant claims they were too intoxicated to be filmed – and raises that concern before broadcast – airing the footage anyway stops being just dramatic television and crosses a line.
Speaking to me this week, Alessandra Rampolla didn’t just defend this year’s Married At First Sight edit – she all but suggested some contestants should be thanking their lucky stars.
‘I think what we’re seeing is absolutely accurate,’ she told me matter-of-factly.
‘I think everything has been absolutely fair and oftentimes very kind to everybody involved.’
Kind? Let that sink in.
Because if you’ve been watching this season unfold – the tears, the tantrums, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife – you’d be forgiven for thinking certain cast members had already been exposed at their absolute worst.
According to Alessandra, we haven’t even scratched the surface.
‘Of course there’s always so much that is missed,’ she added, hinting that what ends up on the cutting-room floor might be just as explosive as what makes it to air.
And in a pointed clarification, she insisted: ‘I would not say it’s been worse than what we actually all lived.’
Translation? What you’re seeing isn’t some Frankenstein edit stitched together for shock value. If anything, it’s a polished version.
For a show regularly accused of villain edits and dramatic manipulation, that’s a bold claim. And coming from someone who sat through every raw, unfiltered moment in the experiment, it carries weight.
If this is the ‘kind’ version, I wouldn’t want to see the uncut one.
