When it comes to controversial Married At First Sight (MAFS) participants, Bryce Ruthven is arguably one of the most memorable. No, he never called a bride a “ratchet idiot” like Brook Crompton or told another groom to “muzzle their woman” like Jack Dunkley, but the former radio host was accused of “gaslighting” his partner Melissa Rawson and having a “secret girlfriend” throughout the experiment.
Since appearing on the reality show five years ago, Bryce and Melissa have proven the haters wrong by welcoming twin sons and officially tying the knot in 2023 — making them one of only six couples to stay together after meeting in the experiment.
So, how does Bryce feel about his on-screen portrayal now, and how has he changed since his time on MAFS? The TV groom opened up about his experience on the latest episode of PEDESTRIAN.TV’s podcast Villain Edit — and not only does he look different, but he comes across as a completely different person.
How Bryce compares to recent ‘villains’ on MAFS
Bryce believes that he’s been pushed down the ranking of controversial MAFS “villains” in recent years from the top five to the “top 10 to 15”, which is something he definitely isn’t mad about.
“I think every year that the show goes on, I get knocked down that pecking order,” he remarked. “I’ve seen some of the people over the years, this year in particular, where they make me look like a saint.”
Bryce said 2026 participant Tyson Gordon has definitely skyrocketed to “the top five per cent” of villains due to some of his controversial comments on the show. However, he doesn’t think the “anti-woke” groom should be criticised for having an opinion.
“I don’t agree with pretty much anything that he said. But at the same time, too, I’m of the opinion that you can’t shoot someone down for having an opinion on certain things,” he said.
“He’s a Trump supporter and all that sort of stuff, so they’re in their own category, those sorts of people. But one or two comments — or maybe 10 in his case — doesn’t define a whole person. You’re seeing a small percentage of these people on the show.”
The power of editing
In 2026, reality TV viewers are well aware that editing impacts a person’s on-screen portrayal through music, frankenbiting (when quotes are chopped and changed) or missing context.
This is something Bryce knows about all too well, and he explained how a lack of context made one of his comments toward Melissa on the show so controversial.
“[My comment was that] Lyss wasn’t the type of person I would go for if I was out at a bar — and I did say that, but what they never showed was the rest of the conversation,” he detailed.
“I said, ‘If I were out in a bar, would I go up to you in public? Probably not, but I’ve come to this experiment to push myself out of my boundaries and my stereotype of what I thought was the right sort of person. I said, ‘This is what I came here for, to meet someone like you, who is not the usual person I would go up to in a bar’. But of course, full context doesn’t make for a good TV show or set up a villain portrayal.”
Bryce also claimed that footage of Lyss crying after he made the comment was shown out of context, as it was actually taken from another scene altogether, proving how editing can often manipulate viewers to feel a certain way.
So yes, some comments and actions on the show are inexcusable with or without context, but viewers need to consider whether they’re getting the full picture.
The importance of a reality TV villain
Love them or hate them, you can’t deny that a MAFS “villain” gets people talking about the show and therefore boosts ratings. Bryce said that he’s yet to meet Gia Fleur — who is dating his friend Alan Wallace — but thinks personalities like hers are integral to the series.
“I know people are giving a lot of crap online and whatnot… but you need people like Gia on this show. Otherwise, you’re not going to watch it, and you’ll get bored,” he said.
“If we didn’t have someone like Gia on this show, you wouldn’t have any drama and you wouldn’t have talking points and you wouldn’t be hooked into watching night after night. So while you might not agree with things she’s done, or you might not like her, you need to understand that you need a Gia on this show.”
There were countless controversial female participants on MAFS before Gia, and there will be many more after her, so viewers may as well just accept her for what she is: incredible television.
How Bryce has changed since MAFS
Not only did the unique experience of copping backlash from viewers across the globe force Bryce to do some self-reflection, but he revealed that starting a family shortly after filming the series fundamentally changed him as a person.
“Having kids kind of matures you very quickly as well. Our situation — having the boys born 10 weeks premature and then going through that 10-week NICU experience — matured me 10 times from my time on the show. It’s probably the best thing that ever happened to me, and it changed me as a whole person,” he shared.
“To be fair, I never used to show a lot of empathy to people and whatnot, but now I’m very empathetic to people in situations and a lot more understanding that people can go through challenges.”
It seems that while the experiment didn’t give Bryce the edit he wanted, it ultimately gave him the life he needed.
Obsessed with reality TV? Check out PEDESTRIAN.TV‘s new podcast Villain Edit, where we unpack all the wild, chaotic and messy moments from your favourite shows. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
The post MAFS’ Bryce Ruthven Has Spilled A Bunch Of Tea About How The ‘Villain Edit’ Really Works appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
