MAFS’ Adrian reveals real reason he quit the show

Married At First Sight 2025 participant Adrian sat down with Yahoo Lifestyle to chat all about the new season.

Video transcript

Thanks, Adrian, for coming into the studio.

Thanks for having me.

First question, are you OK if we use subtitles for the video, or next question?

Nah.

It's funny because a lot of people talk about these subtitles in the comments, and then everyone on the show messaged me and was like, What's everyone talking about?

We understood you perfectly fine.

And I think people need to understand where I'm from in Sydney is where my accent comes from.

I grew up in a multi.

Cultural, um, community, and Aboriginals, islanders, Australians, Europeans, and that's just how we talk.

Anyone in Sydney, or most people will understand me, and if you don't, keep move along.

What has been the response to the public commentary so far?

You know what?

Online, people don't seem to like me too much.

I, I think it's a certain type of people, but out in public, everyone comes up to me.

Like, we've been.

With a lot of people um from the crew, and those guys would say, most people come up to me and say hello, and honestly be the most friendly people, like, engaging with the people that actually like me, and um it's the best, like they're so friendly, people take photos.

A fair few um girls that have called their mum on the phone as well saying, oh my mum wants to speak to you, like it's cool as, I love it.

So um the engagement you see online is not what you get offline.

If we talk about why you went on the show, I feel like a lot of people, It would be silly for people to say, I went on purely for love.

I feel like that's like 1% of people go on the show for love.

And, and honestly, I don't think anyone's answered this question like this.

Everyone goes, oh, you've been on the show for fame, or you've been on the show for your business or whatever, to everyone that goes on the show.

But understanding that everyone that goes on the show, Is usually open for love, and the byproduct of going on the show and putting yourself out there to the world to judge, to love or to whatever it might be, is getting somewhat, and you can say you're 2 minutes of fame, you can say it can excel your business.

So that is a byproduct of putting yourself out there to the world.

Just like if you were on social media and you put posting every day, if.

Eventually, hopefully, you will blow up and you'll be a based on social media or an influencer or or content creator, or whatever it might be.

This is just putting yourself out there to 3+ million people an episode 4 times a week.

So it's a byproduct.

And what, what is wrong with someone wanting to go on a show, finding love, becoming famous and excelling in the business.

Like, if you can do it all in one hit, a majority of people would do it if they're willing to put themselves out to the world, and that's just the way I viewed it.

Would you say there was one motivation stronger than the other, or was it 50/50?

Um, I have said this on the show and they haven't aired it.

I'm a spiritual person and I believe everything happens for a reason, and this opportunity got offered to me.

I've never watched mass.

I hardly watch reality TV.

I hardly watch TV.

If I watch anything, it's YouTube.

And, um, the opportunity came and I thought, You know, I'm the type of person that listens to my intuition, and if it feels right, then I will do it.

And I said, you know what, I can go on the show and potentially be loved by everyone, or I can go on the show and learn something and be like, OK, well, I thought I was a type of person, or, and learn something from that.

So there was no negatives going on the show for me.

Yeah, OK, you cop some hate online, so what?

I, I was, prior to, um, going on the show, I had my own social media platform.

I had videos where they've hit millions of views, where people hate, where people love.

Like, I was already well aware of what might come my way, and I already copped some of that anyway and I don't care what people have to say about me.

I don't, and I think that's how everyone should believe.

Did you?

Have any sort of strategy then, um, no, I didn't, to be, yeah, going on to the show, um, my strategy, my strategy was, Be myself, say what I believe and be honest and be true to myself, and if people don't like that, that is fine because I can watch that show, At times and be like, OK, I could have been more vulnerable, I could have been more soft.

I couldn't have said that sometimes, but then I watch things where I'm like, no, I'm glad.

That was say the controversial moments and I'm glad that I said that, I'm glad I didn't let someone else change my opinion just because 10 people on the table were yelling at me.

Like, you don't know the story, you don't know what me and Athena were doing the whole time.

You don't know everything about a relationship.

Just because you let the producers get into your head, I'm like, I don't care, I'm not gonna say sorry.

But I shouldn't be sorry.

So then how have you felt watching the show back?

Um, good.

No, I feel like in a weird way, hopefully I can inspire people to just be yourself and speak up.

Like, the most controversial topic the first week was me and Athena on our honeymoon, of me saying, I don't know how I feel about, um, you know, dating someone with a kid.

That was controversial, but that's the truth.

I, I, a lot of people online were saying that's a red flag.

If anything, it's the complete opposite.

You should want someone.

That thinks deep and hard about coming into your child's life, and I did that, and everyone goes, oh well, you didn't want someone with a kid you shouldn't have went on the show.

I never said anything about that, and actually prior to the show, There's one thing that I made it clear to the experts, and just like Elliot said, um, you know, if I don't get what I want, I will leave.

Um, I made it clear that the only thing that I I ideally wouldn't want, or the only thing I didn't want was, um, someone with a child because it's a big responsibility and to walk down the aisle and all of a sudden be a stepdad, that's a lot.

You know, no matter when you have kids, your own or other people's, um, It's gonna, you at least you like when you have your own kids, you got 8 months to mentally prepare and all that, all that time before that to um you know, build up to wanting to have kids and that sort of stuff.

And that was the only thing.

I was like, am I gonna be ready to be a dad in 2 weeks when my day of the wedding is.

And that was a big responsibility, and those things also did matter to me.

And then I walked down the aisle, and even you and my vows, like, the dog thing was the cheesiest thing ever.

Like, I didn't even wanna say that.

I was like, everyone does it, it's so old, it's not funny anymore.

And they were like, Oh, just say something about your dog, say something about your dog.

I knew straight away.

And then, you know, by her and her sister's reaction, I knew straight away she had a a kid.

And then when she asked me, I was like, be honest, OK, right now, I don't know how I feel about it.

And I was honest.

It doesn't make me a bad person.

If we talk about the big drama this week.

What was shown was you quit the show because you weren't included in the promo shoot.

How accurate was that storyline?

I absolutely didn't leave for the promo.

Um, me and production had a chat privately off camera a week a week to the promo, and, um, that was something we had in private.

And then we went to the promo, and the reason why I didn't get into that promo, I believed was for that topic that we spoke about in private.

Out of 10 people that day, 9 went, including Athena.

They didn't explain to me why I wasn't in it, which is fine.

I went and sat in the tent for 20 minutes, and I was like, it was 30 degrees past that day in a warehouse, and now I'm stuck in a tent.

They wouldn't even let me leave.

And then I was like, you know, I was sitting there, I was like, I was getting angry.

I was like, you know what?

I'm going.

I'm not waiting 3 hours for them to finish, just to go do some red flags and green flags like you've seen prior to the show, like, get out of here, who cares?

I didn't want to do that.

I think it's quite cringe anyway.

So I say I'm leaving, I go back to the apartment.

So I was like, you know what, if you need me tomorrow, I'll come back tomorrow and do those things for you.

I'm chatting with that house AP standing my side just saying, you know, I'm feeling a bit worked up.

And then I get a call from someone on production, and they're just yelling at me.

They're trying to say, one lady on the phone was like, Hey, Adrian, why did you leave?

And I'm trying to explain my side.

And then she's this other lady didn't know who it was, is yelling at me, oh you're leaving and blah blah blah blah blah, and I'm trying to speak and just like, OK, I, I never said I wasn't gonna go back.

So anyways, I'm just trying to explain my side and this woman just kept yelling.

And yelling and yelling.

I'm like, All right, see you later.

Like, I, I'm not sitting here going back and forth over something so stupid.

And then she goes, pack your bags and leave the experiment.

And I go, OK, no worries.

I start packing, she's filming and I go, Nah, you know, I'm not packing, whatever.

I keep my clothes, I don't care.

I walk straight out.

And then I go, that's why when I left, you see my bag's still there.

I never took my luggage with me.

And when I come back in, you see me with one backpack, um.

He saved me one backpack because I never grabbed my luggage, cause I never chose to leave.

And then the only thing I did was put the ring down cos I'm like, well this lady seems pretty pissed off.

I don't want them saying I stole their property, so I left the ring there.

And I told Athena this, but I guess like, you know.

And you've got 15 people in your head trying to say otherwise, it's hard to know who's telling the truth.

OK, a lot to unpack there.

So this woman, she was a producer, but not one that you were familiar with.

I wouldn't say a producer, but she's definitely probably the highest point up there in production.

OK. And she told you to leave.

Yeah, I was told to leave.

OK, cause I pissed her off because I left the promo.

And The promo shoot, yeah, so that was the the social media promo videos, and the same day as the big promo that had the 10 people including Ryan and yeah, Athena.

Yeah, there was.

Friday, Friday was a perma day.

I was there, there was 10 of us, 9 men to do it.

But it wasn't about the perma that I missed out, and I explained this 100 times, and I explained this at the commitment ceremony, whether they show this, they probably won't.

It had nothing to do with the promo.

If I cared, why wouldn't I have stayed for the next 6 hours of the day, but I didn't.

The only person that was getting hurt that day by leaving was me, no one else.

That's why you didn't see me much prior to, The show airing, because I missed out on the promos out of my own choice.

I didn't say see you later, Athena, I didn't say see you later, married at first sight.

I was told to leave, so I got my my bags and go, see you later, try me, I'm going.

So what was shown on TV and teased in the commitment ceremony was John saying you gave an ultimatum that put me in the promo, or I won't come back.

What's the truth there?

It's it's TV.

Like they have to, they had to make sense of why I left.

They're not gonna say on.

On national TV but he told Adrian to pack his bags and leave.

They're gonna make me look like the bad guy.

Again, it's funny with the narrative they're paying me to be right now, that OK, if anyone's gonna do anything stupid, it's gonna be Adrian.

And here's something that I can 100% guarantee you, most people would say that's something that Adrian would do.

Yeah.

I feel like.

So because you didn't want to film the videos, they ask you to leave.

I mean, that doesn't make much sense with the storyline on the show.

Was there any more to their reasoning of why you want to kick you off essentially?

Um, nah, to be honest, I think I just heard, there was no other reason.

I think I just heard that lady's ego.

Athena, speaking about the situation, said she thinks you left because, in her words, you were embarrassed to not be included in the promo.

Yeah, that's not the case you're saying.

Yeah, from my understanding when Athena said that by going off the time of day they filmed that, Athena wouldn't have.

Athena wouldn't have spoken to me at that time.

So the producers would have told her, they would have then asked her on the camera what happened.

She would have gave the answer, the producers would have told her, Well, I think he left because the promo, I'm pretty sure that's what she said as well.

One thing you said as well, I feel like they didn't really show, but the way they portrayed it was you were done with Athena as well, but you're saying you were happy to continue the relationship outside.

Yeah, I said that on the phone when I called.

Even when they said, when they played a few things that I said over the phone, I'm like, Me saying, I think it was.

There was something that I repeated 3 times, like Wye or something like that, I'm like that's, I wouldn't even say that.

Like that's not something that would come out of my mouth, that's weird, um.

And I think that anyone with a logical mind watching that and listening to the way I was speaking in the tone of voice, there was so much more to it than me just leaving because of promo.

And even watching the dinner party.

Watch the dinner party, you won't let them show what I was saying.

Because every and you won't show much people coming at me about it, because when I explained myself to everyone, everyone was like, OK, well, he's right.

And like with most things, they're showing me, they're not showing my side, and There's a reason why you don't see a bunch of people at dinner parties come at me, because when I do speak, I make a lot of sense.

So at the dinner party, you were telling everyone about the producer that had.

Oh, no, I didn't didn't say certain things.

I said why I left.

But they were all like, yeah, totally fair.

OK, that was it.

And just to get the timeline straight, so the promo that had the 4 couples plus Athena and Ryan, that was essentially you had left at that point, and that's why you weren't in that specific promo.

Yeah, I wasn't in that promo because that's the one.

Um, I wasn't in that dancing promo that everyone else was in, and then as they were walking, we were all walking together, and then the guy goes, no, come back.

He goes, you go sit in the tent.

I'm like, why?

And then he was like, no one gave me a reason either, and, um, yeah, then I left after that.

OK. How did you then come back?

What was, how did I come back, they asked me to come back.

OK, in production, asked me to come back.

I wasn't coming back, but they're like, oh, I'll get Adrian back and honestly, because I care about Athena, whether people believe me or not, that was the main reason I came back.

I couldn't give a shit about being on air anymore.

I couldn't give a shit about being on TV anymore.

I already had 5 weeks and I know they were in impact for 5 weeks.

I know I would have had a lot of airtime, um, I didn't care about that anyway, so.

you know, production called me, asked me to come back and then Athena also asked, so I came back.