Mel Akbay has raised eyebrows on Married at First Sight Australia, for comments about her husband, Luke Fourniotis, and her struggles to connect with him.
Hoping to find the “blue” to her “pink”, she went into the experiment in the hopes of being swept off her feet.
However, the 2026 bride initially found it hard to move past him arriving late to their wedding, and chewing gum during their vows.
After some stern words from the castmates and experts, they both agreed to turn over a new leaf. Even though they are in a better position on the show, she admitted that it isn’t romantic.
Now, Mel has hinted at her relationship status after the show as she exclusively provided a major life update to New Idea.
“Honestly, I am the happiest I have ever been right now,” she gushed. “I love my life, and I am in a place where I feel happy and confident.
“Obviously, I have days where I feel down or where it’s hard to get out of bed but those darker times make the happier moments feel even better.”
When asked what her biggest regret in life is, she said she didn’t have any.
“I believe most things (not all!) happen for a reason,” she continued.
But her life hasn’t been without its challenges, with Mel revealing that the biggest thing she has had to overcome in life is “learning to truly love myself and recognise my own worth”.
She also made a cryptic comment about learning to “raise her standards”, though she didn’t clarify if she was referring to anyone specific.
“For a long time, I put other people’s needs ahead of my own and accepted less than what I deserved because I didn’t want to rock the boat,” she said.
“Eventually, I realised this only leads to losing yourself. I overcame this by doing the inner work. Lots of reflection, surrounding myself with the right people, listening to happy music and rebuilding my confidence from the inside out.
“I learnt to be happy in my own company to back myself and raise my standards.”
What has happened during MAFS between Mel and Luke?
Hoping to have her “rom com” moment, the 28-year-old communications specialist has so far left fans speechless with her perceived lack of effort in the experiment.
She also ruffled feathers when she revealed that her husband made her life a “living hell” and said he had no green flags.
“He hates me so much that he’s trying to find any reason just to be mean, but the only thing I’ve done is not have feelings for him back,” she said during Revelations Week, which horrified the other brides.
Not only that, but her talking about doing a “stalk” of previous ex-partners also rubbed her TV husband and fans the wrong way.
Mel and Luke have since taken a more positive turn; however, she has insisted that things are not romantic for them, as their relationship doesn’t look promising.
What has Mel said about her time on Married at First Sight?
While fans have slammed her for not giving her groom a chance, she said she didn’t give up during the experiment.
“What I will say is I didn’t go on there just to throw in the towel straight away, and you’ll see, I do try,” she told The Canberra Times after her awkward wedding aired.
“The whole experience was so hard for me, not just the wedding. It’s a really high-pressure environment. Your personality kind of changes because I was feeling nervous and anxious all the time. But, no, I don’t throw in the towel straight away. I do give it a red hot go.”
Watching the show back, she acknowledges that she would have approached her relationship differently.
“I wish I took Luke’s feelings more into account… I got so caught up in the heat of the moment,” she told Mamamia.
“I’m not sitting here saying I’m so proud of the way I handled myself. I’ve watched it too, and it’s not nice to see yourself like that.”
However, she also told the publication that the lack of connection was a two-way street.
Who is Married at First Sight bride Mel Akbay?
The 2026 bride was born in Sydney and moved to Canberra when she was three years old.
She studied communications and public relations at the University of Canberra, and eventually moved into public relations and government work. Before this, she also worked at Hit 104.7 radio.
Although she is now based in Sydney, she continues to work with a team in Canberra.
Having been single for the last six years, she’s hopeful to find her forever.
With love, she exclusively told New Idea that her loved ones would say that she loves “too hard and fast”.
“I give my whole heart and sometimes that’s meant holding on to people who weren’t right for me,” she shared with us.
“I guess they would also say that’s what makes me me.”
With her friends getting married and having children, she fears she’s being left behind and wants to settle down.
With this though, she knew she needed to work on herself, which was one of her biggest challenges to overcome.
“For a long time, I put other people’s needs ahead of my own and accepted less than what I deserved because I didn’t want to rock the boat,” she told New Idea.
“Eventually I realised this only leads to losing yourself. I overcame this by doing the inner work.
“Lots of reflection, surrounding myself with the right people, listening to happy music and rebuilding my confidence from the inside out. I learnt to be happy in my own company to back myself and raise my standards.”
Find out if Luke and Mel are still together here.
