Married At First Sight UK viewers fume over ‘controlling’ and ‘manipulative’ Brad as he talks about ‘teaching’ Shona and ‘allowing’ her to be angry
Married At First Sight UK viewers have slammed Brad for being ‘controlling’ after he spoke about ‘allowing’ Shona’s feelings in Wednesday’s episode.
The couples were faced with another challenge as they had to decide whether to stay together or go their separate ways in a second commitment ceremony.
And Shona and Brad spoke about their struggles over the last week as they came face-to-face with the experts after they clashed at a dinner party over other couple’s opinions.
During Tuesday’s episode, Brad told Shona to ‘shut up’ and suggested she was being ’emotionally immature’ after she shared her disappointment about the other couples ‘doubting’ them.
The couple addressed the conflict during the commitment ceremony, but Brad was quick to brand Shona as ’emotionally immature’ before speaking about ‘teaching’ her about her anger.
Manipulative’: Married At First Sight UK viewers have slammed Brad for being ‘controlling’ after he spoke about ‘allowing’ Shona’s feelings and ‘teaching’ her in Wednesday’s episode
He shockingly said: ‘Not that I’m in a position of authority or to teach her, but if I allow her to get angry, is she ever going to learn?’
Expert Mel Schilling immediately confronted Brad over his language and interrupted him when he tried to speak on behalf of Shona, while he was also warned that his behaviour could become ‘dangerous’.
And viewers were quick to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, to fume over Brad’s ‘manipulative’ and ‘controlling’ language as they branded his behaviour as ‘disgusting’.
One viewer fumed: ‘If I allow her to get angry’ you don’t need to ‘allow’ her 2 do anything. She’s her own person.’
Another said: ‘Shona should show him her anger and punch him in the face,’ and a third tweeted: ‘If I allow her to get angry’ WT actual F?!!
A fourth commented: ‘Allow? Learn? He is so f**king manipulative. Disgusting, vile man. She isn’t a dog you can train. P***k.’
While a fifth wrote: ‘Brad is very controlling. Why are the producers allowing these type of people on the show?,’ and another added: ‘Brad speaks and acts like some deranged cult leader.’
During the commitment ceremony, Brad addressed about their row at the dinner party and shared his belief that they were at ‘different levels of emotional maturity’.
He said: ‘Situations where Shona has felt to get involved when it’s unnecessary, I struggle but we’re at different levels of emotional maturity.’
‘Controlling’: While discussing their row at the dinner party, Brad was quick to brand Shona as ’emotionally immature’ before speaking about ‘teaching’ her
After prompting from the experts, Shona asked him: ‘Do you think I’m emotionally immature?’
To which Brad replied: ‘I think there’s traits.’
Shona then admitted she didn’t know how to feel before saying her ‘natural human reaction’ at the dinner party was to wonder why other couples were ranking them low in terms of compatibility.
Brad then said: ‘I’m living in my vessel, so all I need to care about is the way internally. This is what I was trying to explain to Shona, they’re so entitled…’
But expert Paul C Brunson said of Brad telling Shona to ‘shut up’ at the party: ‘You did not allow Shona to exist in her feelings in that moment. I wanted to say Brad chill!’
To which Brad said: ‘Not that I’m in a position of authority or to teach her, but if I allow her to get angry, is she ever going to learn?’
The other couples looked visibly shocked by his comments while expert Mel confronted Brad over his remarks and cut him off when he tried to speak for Shona.
When asked if she felt like he was trying to teach her, Shona said: ‘Yeah, he’s like my teacher.’
‘He will obviously try and explain what he feels, but then it comes across sometimes as cold and stern,’ she added.
Expert Paul insisted: ‘A teacher-student relationship never works as a romantic relationship.’
Mel then asked: ‘Shona, I’m interested in your perspective on that, does he preach to you?’
Slammed: The other couples also looked visibly shocked by his comments while expert Mel confronted Brad over his remarks and cut him off when he tried to speak for Shona
However Brad started to reply as he said: ‘I guess you could-‘ but Mel cut him off as she said: ‘I’m asking Shona.’
When asked if she felt ‘equal’ to Brad, Shona then said: ‘I feel like sometimes he is above me, but that’s just me in life.’
Brad was then warned about using language like ‘allow’, to which he replied: ‘100 per cent, I feel like that is what I want to do, I want to allow her to have the space.’
But the experts hit back with: ‘You don’t need to allow her to do anything, she’s your equal… she’s an independent thinker and she’s got a lot to bring to the table. We’re calling this out because these are the kinds of pattern that can become dangerous.’
Despite the conflict, both couples committed to staying with each other in the experiment, rather than walking away from the marriage.
It is not the first time Brad has been criticised for his behaviour as he was slammed for shouting at Shona to ‘shut up’ during a tense confrontation at the dinner party in Tuesday night’s episode.
During the scenes, Brad read a long, awkward speech to Shona in front of the others before a contradictory argument over ‘external validation’ saw him shout at her to ‘shut up.’
The cringey moment had the other contestants squirming in their seats while viewers of the show branded him ‘laughable’ and a ‘cult leader in the making’.
The couples were tasked with asking each other questions around the table with Shona asking Brad: ‘How do you feel about me.’
Beginning his lengthy declaration of love, Brad said: ‘Right now, even stronger than I did previously. I am very aware of love and love’s experiences because I have been through a lot in my life.
‘In this experiment I’ve been forced to let go. Any egotistical traits I’ve been forced to surrender and let this just take over.
‘So, when I started to feel the warm fuzzy butterflies rise up from my spine to the solar plexus I was like “oh no” and the universe was going “are you joking me?”
‘I see you and I love you,’ he concluded grabbing Shona’s face.
Nathaniel, whispered to Ella: ‘I call that bulls*** straight away. ‘
Meanwhile, expert Paul C Brunson added: ‘That presentation was for the group.’
As the other contestants rolled their eyes and yawned at Brads speech, Shona stressed: ‘People are clearly doubting us now. They don’t think we are their favourite couple!’
Brad then erupted: ‘It’s emotionally immature to be shook by other people’s opinions!’ before telling his wife to ‘shut up’.
Sharing their thoughts on Twitter, one fan wrote: ‘The irony of this guy spending 10 minutes declaring his love in a big speech then saying he doesn’t care about external validation. He does my head in.’
‘Everyone else’s expressions whilst Brad is talking about how he feels about Shona have got me creased,’ another added.
Row: During the episode, Brad read a long, awkward speech to Shona in front of the others before a contradictory argument over ‘external validation’ saw him shout at her to ‘shut up’
Boring: The cringey scenes has the other contestants squirming in their seats while viewers of the show branded him ‘laughable’
‘Brad talks some absolute nonsense. So much posturing. It’s laughable. And she’s deluded,’ a third posted.