Abbie Chatfield slams 'Married At First Sight' producers over racist comment

Abbie Chatfield has strongly criticized the producers of Married At First Sight Australia (MAFS) for allegedly avoiding discussions on race after a controversial moment aired during the latest episode.

Chatfield took to Instagram while watching Sunday night’s commitment ceremony with her boyfriend, Peking Duk frontman Adam Hyde.

The episode featured groom Jake Luik making a racially charged remark about bride Awhina Rutene during the photo ranking challenge.

According to Daily Mail, Jake was heard saying, "I'm not racist or nothing. I like Caucasians mainly, mostly," before adding that Awhina, who is of Māori descent, ranked higher due to her “physical features.”

Additionally, a visibly shocked Chatfield reacted in real-time, exclaiming, “WHAT?!” She later condemned the show's producers for failing to give Awhina an opportunity to respond to the remark before it was aired.

Moreover, Chatfield said, “The reason why that conversation was shut down, I can guarantee you, is because the producers are too scared to speak about race. That [comment] needs more than that [amount of screen time]. These producers are too scared to go into the f***ing race thing.”

As per the publication, Chatfield, who has been recapping the current season of MAFS on her It’s A Lot podcast, argued that Awhina should have been informed off-camera about Jake’s comments so she could decide whether to address them publicly.

Furthermore, Chatfield continued, “She’s embarrassed in that room, hurt, blindsided. The right thing to do would have been to tell Awhina and let her decide if she wants to confront it on the show.”

It is worth mentioning that Jake, who faced backlash from viewers, later defended himself in an exclusive interview, claiming his words were taken out of context and edited unfairly.

He also alleged that producers pressured him to make detailed comments about each bride during the ranking challenge.