Steve Powell and Rebecca Zukowski have finally called it quits on Married at First Sight Australia after their turbulent romance.
The relationship came crashing down at the Commitment Ceremony on Sunday, February 22, when they both wrote leave.
The decision came after Steve declined to take part in Intimacy Week with Rebecca and got into an explosive argument with expert Alessandra Rampolla when she questioned him about it.
Scroll on to read everything you need to know about their MAFS journey.
Are MAFS stars Rebecca and Steve still together?
Things came to a head at the Commitment Ceremony, when Rebecca admitted she had been feeling “unheard” in their relationship.
“I felt unheard in the relationship. I felt every time I tried to voice how I was feeling, I was getting shut down and spoken over,” she shared. “I feel like he wasn’t vulnerable, he didn’t show up for me.”
However, Steve hit back with, “I just disagree. We did have what I would consider to be a personality clash.”
John Aiken argued that he was using a “cop out” excuse, and pushed him on what he had done to make Rebecca feel appreciated in their relationship.
“Apart from the organising lunch, nothing, because I’m not romantically wanting to lead Rebecca on,” he replied.
Alessandra then pressed Steve on their conversation during Intimacy Week, arguing he hadn’t been receptive to any of her advice, which he denied.
“To refresh your memory, what actually happened, you had a very difficult time listening to an opinion that wasn’t yours,” Alessandra replied.
“You spoke over me, you disrespected me with your words and also with the tone of voice that you spoke.”
Alessandra argued that he’d once again been giving “lip service” and hadn’t provided any clear answers on his relationship with Rebecca, before they moved to the decision.
Both Steve and Rebecca decided to leave the experiment, marking an end to their MAFS journey.
“We started off fantastically well, and since then, it’s been going downhill. I chose to leave,” Steve said.
“Well, thank you for finding me a match, it hasn’t quite worked out,” Rebecca added.
“I came here for love and I didn’t get what I wanted. I’m not going to settle and waste any more of my time, I wrote leave.”
What happened between Steve and Alessandra?
Steve famously clashed with Alessandra during a tense exchange on the show, and was accused of disrespecting her.
On Tuesday, February 17, the grooms were separated from their partners to attend a workshop with Alessandra to report back on the brides’ Ultimate Fantasy Nights as part of Intimacy Week.
However, tensions quickly rose in the room as Steve was left unimpressed by Alessandra’s questions about his relationship with his bride, Rebecca.
The grooms were outraged over the way he spoke to Alessandra and argued he was “full of s***”, claiming he isn’t interested in Rebecca and is lying to her about it.
The drama kicked off when Steve revealed Rebecca hadn’t completed her Ultimate Fantasy, which saw her buy a costume and offer to put it on in a bid to feel more “desired” by Steve.
However, her partner said he would rather she didn’t put on the outfit, with Rebecca voicing her “disappointment” that he didn’t even want to try and get involved in her fantasy.
Speaking to Alessandra, Steve argued that it made him “very uncomfortable” in front of the cameras, with Alessandra then asking him if he had tried to progress things with her when the cameras left.
“We talked it through but then we had a falling out after that and didn’t stay in the same room last night,” he revealed.
When grilled on what happened, Steve revealed that he had questioned Rebecca’s intentions for being in the experiment, accusing her of wanting TV fame.
The other grooms were left shocked by his remarks, with Scott arguing, “I think Steve is a bit full of s***.”
Alessandra then told Steve, “On her ultimate fantasy night, she doesn’t get to act out her fantasy and then gets a little judgement for why she’s here, it doesn’t sound very good for Rebecca.”
When Alessandra continued to question Steve, he snapped back with, “I don’t have an earpiece in my ear, I’m not waiting for someone to tell me what to say.”
“I’m not waiting for anybody to tell me what to say, honestly, the lack of respect that you’re showing me as someone who’s here to help guide you is appalling,” Alessandra fumed.
“Really tread lightly, I don’t take to this well.”
Scott argued that Steve should apologise to both Alessandra and Rebecca for his attitude, while Danny also voiced his shock.
Afterwards, Steve was asked whether he had taken on board any of Alessandra’s advice, with the groom making his feelings very clear.
“I didn’t take a lot of it, to be honest, I found there was a lot of contradiction in the room, I listened, I heard and didn’t really take anything from it, to be honest,” he said.
What happened between Rebecca and Steve?
Just hours after his clash with Alessandra, Steve and Rebecca had a tense conversation in which he brutally told his bride she was “too much” for him and left their apartment.
“I think I tried anyway, so,” the disgruntled groom said, with Rebecca fuming that he “didn’t want to try” or “take accountability” for his actions.
“I’m sorry it hasn’t worked out the way you wanted to,” he added.
Rebecca was left alone in their apartment and was enraged at his lack of effort, adding, “That has to be the weakest man I’ve ever met in my entire life.”
Before Rebecca and Steve went to the Commitment Ceremony, they debriefed on Revelations Week.
Steve remained coy and did not mention any red flags he mentioned to the other grooms about his wife.
However, when he later praised their relationship to the experts on the couch, she was not convinced.
When Alessandra asked her about her experiences, Steve interrupted and started to answer before the expert reminded him that she asked her.
While Rebecca respected their solid foundation and friendship, she said she wanted more.
“I’m craving affection, and I want to feel like I am desired by my partner,” she admitted, sharing her attraction to her TV husband.
For Steven, who said he’s “more conservative”, he explained that he takes things at a slower pace, in order to know when they are right.
When asked if he felt attraction, he said he did at the honeymoon, and still does.
Despite saying this, Rebecca admitted that she did not feel it.
“I’m scared now, to be honest,” she continued, getting teary and sharing that she was “terrified” about being rejected.
Despite being on different pages about attraction, they both wrote stay.
Steve’s Revelations Week bombshell
While the other couples considered them to be a united front at the first dinner party, Revelations Week revealed that they are not on the same page.
For the final task during the confronting week, brides and grooms united separately to share red and green flags about their spouses.
Even though Steve assured his wife that they were in a good place, he had a different story when he spoke openly with the grooms.
While he said he saw “multiple” green flags with his TV wife, he didn’t name them before explaining that she has several red flags, which stunned the other men.
The 50-year-old creative director said he was “more conservative” than Rebecca, and at times, did not understand humour when it included sexual innuendos.
He also claimed that he needed to “talk all the time” and felt like he had “no downtime” from her.
“Rebecca’s not my usual type,” he continued. “What I mean by that is that her personality is less conservative than mine.
“On top of that, just the emotions. Her emotions are very high and very low. I’m not sure what I’m going to get,” he shared.
“That kind of worries me, you kind of lose a bit of trust, because you’re not sure [of] the person you’re waking up next to.”
He also said that Rebecca is “very opinionated” and more “outspoken”.
This was awkward, considering that Rebecca was praising her husband in another room, and said she was not worried about their relationship.
What happened at Rebecca and Steve’s wedding?
Their wedding was a day to remember, especially when Rebecca’s 19-year-old son, Austin, walked her down the aisle.
While she has raised her son as a single parent, she said she felt regret when she split with his father when he was a toddler.
“I felt like a complete failure,” the leasing manager from Victoria said.
Now that he’s moved out of her home, Rebecca is ready to open her heart to someone.
And her wedding to creative director Steve was billed as one of the most fairy tale moments the Channel Nine show has seen!
Upon first meeting, they immediately put each other at ease before sharing heartfelt vows.
Steve, who has four daughters, said that he’s ready to have adventures, with lots of fun and laughter along the way.
“Being a father has been a gift, and I promise to bring that same love and devotion to our partnership,” Steve told his TV wife. “Here’s to creating lasting memories and sharing them with you today.”
In her vows, Rebecca promised to be vulnerable, open, and honest with her husband throughout the experiment, as her son proudly watched on.
During their reception, they bonded over their family values.
Steve said he is close with all his girls, which Rebecca deeply admired.
“I always wanted a bigger family and to marry someone who had children,” she shared.
“How he speaks about them is really beautiful, genuine, and authentic, so for me, that says a lot about Steve and his character as a person. I can’t believe how happy I am right now.”
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