Throughout the experiment the couple’s mismatched relationship culminated in Connie’s infamous ‘mirror list’ of behavioural demands for her new husband.
However, Jonethen tells New Idea that there is more to the story than what was shown on air … He reveals for most part, his relationship with Connie was fake. In fact, he had told producers on numerous occasions that he wanted to leave to spend time with his sick dad who had suffered a stroke.
“I told producers that I was leaving and that there was nothing they could do about it.”
But despite his request, Jonethen claims the producers were desperate for him to remain on the show.
“They had already lost so many contestants so that’s when they said to me, ‘What can we do to make you stay?’”
As a result, producers offered him a secret deal – stay in the experiment and they’d let him
fly home.
“I got the terms of my contract rewritten halfway through,” Jonethen explains.
“Connie didn’t care … She was just happy that I was still there.”
Meanwhile, another MAFS contestant alleges that Connie was also pressured to stay in the experiment.
“[Two producers] pulled Connie aside for over two hours and they made her rewrite what
she had written on her card,” says the anonymous fellow participant.
“They stood over her and put pressure on her to write ‘stay’ instead of ‘leave’.
“Connie came out and she had been crying,” the insider continues. “It was a very harrowing situation for her and filming was delayed for 2.5 hours that night because of it all.”
According to the contestant, the producers needed Connie and Jonethen to stay because so many other couples had left.
For more, see this week’s New Idea – out now!
