Chris Robinson and Sam Stanton’s love story on Married at First Sight started out like they were meant to be.
With near-identical vows, they went from strength to strength, until their relationship fell apart.
Read more below.
What happened at the final Commitment Ceremony?
After sitting on the couch, Chris explained why he wanted to leave last week, but regretted it and wanted to show Sam how much he cared.
Even though he said he “really tried”, Sam disagreed.
“I just feel like you were saving face,” he said about the his lack of effort on the farm.
Sam also felt like Chris did not forgive him for airing their issues to the group, and suggested it was a “point of no return” for the farmer.
While Chris did find it challenging, he also explained that he struggled with intimacy.
When Alessandra asked if he flagged it with Sam, Chris said he didn’t because he was worried that he would hurt his feelings.
Mel expressed her disappointment that “the wheels had fallen off” for the pair, despite their initial progress.
“It is disappointing,” Sam said.
“I came here to find love and I know that I’m a slow burn and I know that I get anxious once I do get feelings for someone, because it takes me so long to build feelings for someone…it’s just really disappointing that it ended all ended up like this but high hopes for the future.”
Despite not working in the experiment, Chris said he still wanted to be friends. They then both wrote leave.
Scroll on to read more about their relationship during the experiment.
Another dramatic Dinner Party
Despite Sam opting to end the relationship at Chris’ farm, they made a bombshell return to the MAFS Dinner Party after calling off their marriage.
However, it wasn’t a positive return for the couple, who remain well and truly broken up, but decided to attend to share their experience with their co-stars.
The couple had been fan favourites, but Chris dropped a bombshell when he wrote “leave” at the last Commitment Ceremony, and they couldn’t get over the hurdle, with Sam ultimately calling things off during Homestays.
They each shared their side of the story, with Sam voicing his sadness about how Chris didn’t try to make things work.
However, when Chris tried to interject and argue that he had given things a shot, Sam snapped back that they weren’t going to “interrupt” one another.
Sam argued that Chris had only bought him flowers and a card at Homestays so he’d be able to tell the group that he gave it a shot, with Sam unconvinced by his intentions.
“I know that you were checked out of this relationship already, I know you didn’t want to give it a go,” Sam said.
However, Chris argued that he had taken on board what the experts had told him at the Commitment Ceremony and wanted to give their relationship another chance.
“I tried my hardest to turn it around, I got the feedback from the experts, I took it on board, I took accountability, I realised I wanted to grow and learn as a person. I wanted to come out the other end, and I’m sorry, I was doing that,” he insisted.
The other contestants pointed out that Sam appeared to be putting the responsibility on Sam, with Chris pointing out that he had ended it.
However, Sam said he had only done so after Chris said he didn’t have feelings for him anymore, ending his hopes that they had a future.
They failed to see eye to eye during the tense conversation, but ultimately agreed that they weren’t a good match, drawing a line under their relationship.
It seems clear that they will both write “leave” at Sunday night’s Commitment Ceremony, ending their stay on MAFS for good.
What happened at Homestays?
They went into Homestays in a very awkward place after the turn of events, setting off late and hardly speaking to each other on the way to Chris’ farm.
Things briefly took a positive turn after Chris admitted the experts made him realise he had “a lot of work to do” as he apologised to Sam for getting heated and defensive.
Though the couple appeared to be in a better place, their old communication issues flared up again when Sam presented a book with a list of questions for Chris, asking him if he understood what he had done wrong the week before.
“I felt like I was 15 getting in trouble with a teacher or something,” Chris confessed.
Things then took a very unexpected turn when Sam said he couldn’t see their relationship working, with Chris immediately interpreting his remark as a break-up.
“I think my feelings are pretty gone,” he admitted. “I can’t see this working.”
Chris agreed, though he confessed he “wasn’t expecting” the sudden turn of events.
Speaking to the camera, Chris admitted he was somewhat relieved that they had “broken up” after their difficult week of arguments.
A downtrodden Sam said he wished that Chris had fought for their relationship, adding, “It’s not how I envisioned that this would end, I’m a bit annoyed to be honest.”
Sam then packed his bags and left Chris’ farm as it was clear that their relationship was well and truly over.
Why did Chris write leave at the Commitment Ceremony?
Their exit from the experiment was not a total shock after Chris wrote “leave” at the last Commitment Ceremony because he wanted to prepare for being a father, given he has two children on the way.
“I’ve been going back and forth the last couple of days, and I’ve actually decided that I need and want to go and put my dad hat on, and I would like to leave,” he said.
The whole group were left stunned, with expert John Aiken remarking that it was a “huge turnaround” from their positivity the week before.
“I just think I need to concentrate on this next thing that’s coming, and he’s an amazing guy, and he’ll be amazing for someone, I just don’t think it’s me for the moment,” Chris added.
Sam broke down in floods of tears as he was blindsided by the decision, admitting he hadn’t expected Chris to “give up” on their relationship.
“I didn’t see that coming,” he emotionally shared.
“I thought this was the first hiccup we’ve had, and we’d both come into this ready to take on feedback, and then try and implement that and see if that could help. It just hurts that you’ve just given up because it got tough for a few days. I just can’t believe it.”
Sam wrote stay, meaning they had to remain in the experiment to work on their issues, though their continuation was short-lived.
What happened between Chris and Sam?
While they were originally one of the experiment’s strongest couples, things came crashing down during Feedback Week after their first row.
Sam was left upset over Chris telling expert Mel Schilling about their plans to move after the experiment, with the groom feeling blindsided as he hadn’t heard had a say in the arrangements.
During Feedback Week, Sam revealed he hadn’t felt listened to, but Chris failed to see why his partner was upset, arguing that he had just tried to pose an idea about their life after the show.
They failed to resolve the issue, and on their way to the Dinner Party, Sam dropped the bombshell that he would be bringing it up to the group to get advice.
“Just a heads up, I’m not super happy with how things ended last week,” he said.
“The only reason I haven’t spoken about it is because I didn’t feel like I was getting through to you by myself, and I feel I need some people around to give us both some perspective on the situation.”
However, Chris was left enraged by the turn of events, particularly when Sam accused him of “gaslighting” and said his apologies hadn’t been genuine.
“I’m fuming, I’m angry. My husband and my partner has just dropped a bombshell on me five minutes before entering a social gathering,” he raged.
They walked in separately as things remained icy between them, before Sam explained their situation to the group, leading to further tension.
“I feel like this could have been done in a different way, we could have done it privately,” Chris argued.
Danny Hewitt then argued that Sam was only trying to help their relationship by bringing the issue to the wider group, much like they do in sessions with the experts.
Chris tried to apologise again, but Sam started laughing, leaving his partner even more enraged.
“They are in real dire straits, these two,” John Aiken remarked.
Chris described the situation as a “dagger to the heart”, adding, “It’s a f**king joke.”
Things remained icy between the couple as they failed to resolve their issues.
A passing comment that caused lots of damage
The tension came from Chris sharing his hopes for his and Sam’s future outside of the experiment at the previous Commitment Ceremony, sharing a plan where they would split their time between Sydney and his 60-acre farm.
However, Sam was left taken aback by the revelation, admitting it was the first he had ever heard about it, and shared his frustration with Filip Gregov on Monday, March 16.
Filip encouraged him to tell Chris how he felt; however, the conversation didn’t go exactly as Sam had hoped.
“It was like you made a decision,” Sam started, before Chris quickly cut him off.
“That’s not true, I said if this were to work outside the experiment, the most ideal plan would look like us getting a place in Sydney and then living at the farm,” Chris replied.
“It felt like you were saying, this is the only way,” Sam continued, admitting he didn’t feel consulted in their future plans.
“They asked a question, ‘Are you looking at the future?’, and I answered it,” Chris replied.
Sam was left “shocked” by how the conversation went, arguing that Chris had been “instantly defensive”, which he denied.
“It would be nice for you to mention sometimes that it is a big weight on my shoulders,” Sam added of potentially having to change his lifestyle outside the experiment.
“I think it’s ridiculous, at 38, I don’t need to argue about coming up with an idea for us after the experiment,” Chris argued to the camera.
Sam was left feeling unheard and said he had wanted Chris to be more apologetic about hurting his feelings.
“I don’t know how I feel, when someone tells me that something I did hurt them, I’ll always lead with an apology,” he added.
The next day, tensions continued between the pair as they couldn’t see eye to eye, with Sam once again arguing Chris was “defensive” and talking to him “sharply”.
Sam asked him to soften his communication in the future, to which Chris replied, “Sure, I’ll take that on board.”
Does MAFS groom Chris have children?
Chris entered the experiment with two children on the way, having decided to start a family through IVF.
After not sharing the news about his two incoming children at his wedding, and alluding to something personal at their honeymoon, Chris ripped the band-aid off during Intimacy Week.
When they were tasked with watching one another’s auditions, the farmer and gym owner scrambled and wanted to share it directly.
He didn’t have to worry, though, because when he explained that he was a donor for one of his friends, Sam congratulated him right away.
Sam also shared his excitement when he revealed he also had another child on the way.
“It’s not going to affect me wanting to date you or be with you,” Sam said.
“It means that I do want kids at some point, and I also said that if I got closer to the age of 40, it would be something that I would take into my own hands and do it, which is exactly what you’re doing, and I think that it’s awesome that you’ve found a way.”
Relieved by this reaction, Chris admitted he wished he had said something sooner.
“I’m so glad that I told him, and it turned out pretty well; it felt amazing,” he shared.
However, it later became a talking point in the experiment as Sam felt like he was having to make all the sacrifices in their relationship to accommodate for Chris’ growing family.
What happened during Chris and Sam’s honeymoon?
Eager to deepen their connection, Chris and Sam headed to Tumbi Umbi in New South Wales for their honeymoon.
Like many MAFS couples, they were met with the honesty box — a chance to share their thoughts and feelings openly.
Though they both value life on the land, Chris felt a wave of anxiety when it came to revealing something deeply personal. In the end, he chose to wait for the right moment.
“There’s something I want to tell you, but I’m not going to answer that question just yet,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like the right time. I want to get to know you a little bit better first.”
Despite Chris’s hesitation, Sam was understanding and patient, happy to learn more when his husband felt ready to open up.
What happened during Chris and Sam’s Married at First Sight wedding?
While excited, Chris initially felt nervous as he approached his new match — but any worries melted away the moment he saw Sam.
The pair quickly bonded over shared careers, interests, and values, which they reflected on during their vows.
“Finding love in Adelaide has been tough. I’ve focused on my career for a long time, but now, I want to focus on this,” Sam shared.
“I’m just hoping you can reignite my passion for love and romance,” Chris said during his vows.
As the wedding unfolded, the couple also discussed their plans. When asked, Sam admitted he had some concerns about dating someone older, worried that they might want to start a family sooner than he was ready for.
“If you wanted kids next year, I don’t think I’d be ready for that just yet,” he said, unaware that Chris is expecting two children.
Chris found the admission “disheartening,” but chose to learn more about Sam before revealing anything about his own situation.
They started off as one of the strongest couples in the experiment, before things later took a turn for the worse.
Who are Married at First Sight’s Chris and Sam?
At 34, Sam has carved out a successful life in Adelaide as a cycle spin studio owner.
Before MAFS, Sam experienced two meaningful long-term relationships, both of which ultimately ended due to distance.
For 38-year-old farmer and gym owner Chris, the experiment was about finding a partner who shares his ambition — and his desire to build a family.
While he knows parenthood is often a journey couples take together over time, Chris is already preparing for an extraordinary new chapter.
He has two children on the way, with one due just months after his wedding. One baby is being welcomed via surrogacy, while the other is the result of Chris donating sperm to help a close friend start her own family.
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