Married At First Sight viewers were not happy with the show's decision regarding Matt and Whitney on Thursday night, as the pair were given permission to remain on the show amid a cheating scandal.
Viewers slammed the decision by the experts to allow the pair to continue to process as a new 'dating' couple, despite them both starting the series married to other people.
Things exploded during a recent dinner party episode when it emerged the 32-year-old barber from Huddersfield had feelings for Whitney, 31, a legal assistant from St Albans.
Whitney was paired with Duka, while Matt married Gemma – who was understandably not happy about the situation.
Following a heated argument at the table, with a distraught Gemma telling Matt she felt “used” and that Whitney “should be ashamed of herself”, scenes showed Matt and Whitney sharing a kiss on a bridge and then spending the night together.
In the fallout, Whitney and Duka and Matt and Gemma decided to leave the experiment as couples, before Whitney and Matt asked to rejoin the show as a new pairing.
Thursday night saw the experts gather to discuss the possibility, before meeting with the contestants to share their decision and discuss the recent scandal.
Experts Mel Schilling, Charlene Douglas and Paul C Brunson wasted no time in berating the couple for their behaviour in the Commitment Ceremony where the truth fully emerged.
They called them out for how they handled their secret romance and their actions towards their partners, as Whitney and Matt initially claimed they had done nothing wrong.
On reflection, both contestants shared they could have handled things differently, but still suggested they did not regret anything.
Matt said: "I know the way everything happened was wrong, but equally at the same time it felt right. Neither of us planned this it, wasn't a planned thing."
Paul then hinted they would be sent packing, saying: "Whitney and Matt, this has been very tough for all of us and the reason why is because you two were married to two different people. You too had a code with those people and you both broke that code.
"And for that, I can't endorse you coming back into this project, I just can't."
But he soon added: "So I have a question for you, how are you gonna convince me otherwise?"
Matt told him: "I understand lines have been crossed but I just think something really good can come off the back of something really bad. I do think it would benefit us greatly with you on our team."
Whitney agreed: "We are so new, I think it will really help us."
Mel then told them: "We have checked out the science and you are a strong match on paper, but the way you went about this we are not happy with this.
"We are very disappointed in the way it happened, but we can see there is something real here, the science backs it up and we are willing to allow you back into the experiment as a new couple.
"Not a married couple but as a dating couple and we really hope you honour that opportunity and make the most of it."
While some viewers were glad they could stay, purely for the drama, others slammed the "disgraceful" decision.
One viewer wrote: "Matt and Whitney being allowed to carry on in #MAFSUK is f**king ridiculous."
Another agreed: "This is a disgrace. Matt and Whitney getting told to respect the other couples. What a joke."
A third fan added: "Whitney and matt: totally the wrong decision, I'm very very disappointed, this is not right, makes a mockery of the whole process."
Meanwhile, a fan disagreed with this and said: "I strongly believe in soulmates. I think you can even have more than one in life if you’re lucky. Sometimes, that can get messy. Especially when you find each other when there are 3rd parties involved. Doesn’t make it “wrong”. Good luck to Matt & Whitney I say."
A second viewer wrote: "I’m sooo glad their back. Bring on the carnage this Matt and Whitney story line about to give us reality tv at its finest."
Married At First Sight UK airs weeknights at 9pm on E4.
