MAFS EXCLUSIVE: Surprising reason Madeleine didn't attend explosive reunion

There were plenty of bombshells as the MAFS cast came together for the show's annual dinner party reunion on Sunday night, but one bride was missing. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that former Home and Away actress Madeleine Jevic did not attend, despite the program highlighting the fact her ex-husband Ash Galati was there with the group.

A show insider tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the producers decided not to invite Madeleine because they felt her "unpredictability" could "derail" the whole evening.

"Most people in production thought that Madeleine struggled with the pressures of the experiment during filming, so it felt easier not to bring her back – especially for a dinner party that was inevitably going to be an intense one from the start," the insider added.

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A second source tells Yahoo Lifestyle that "virtually no cast members have had any contact with Madeleine" since her abrupt exit from the show, and it's "as if she was never there" for her four-episode stint.

Ash shared a photo from the dinner party on Instagram with the caption: "Surprised I got an invite, but I’m happy to see everyone. Sensing some drama tonight, maybe with a side of meat."

Fans took to X to share their surprise after realising Madeleine wasn't attending the reunion, with one user writing, "No psychic lady! Anyone else missing?"

"Is no one going to mention that Madeline isn't there?" another questioned.

Behind the scenes of Madeleine and Ash's split

It comes after an insider revealed to Yahoo Lifestyle that there "was a lot more" behind Ash and Madeleine's exit from the show, but producers "did not want to dramatise it, and felt it was easier to let them go quickly and quietly".

The insider says: "Madeleine's erratic behaviour had raised quite a few eyebrows during her first week on the show, with no one quite sure if she was acting or it was real. After Ash wrote to stay – she point blank said to producers she refused to carry on with the experiment and was going home.

"It's not uncommon for participants to threaten to quit like this and no one can be held against their will, with producers then tasked with talking them around to continue with the experiment. Yet with Madeleine, it felt easier to let her go as questions about her state of mind with the pressure of the experiment had already been raised by other cast members and crew.

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"ESA producers [Endemol Shine Australia] will never compromise their duty of care for the sake of content or storylines."

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