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Ryan Donnelly's friends Adam and Karla, on Wednesday, revealed to Daily Mail Australia their multiple attempts to remove Donnelly from Married at First Sight Australia 2025 filming. The friends documented Ryan's daily mental health decline through phone calls and messages while he filmed the reality show. Adam and Karla staged a weekend escape plan when they witnessed Ryan's deteriorating relationship with Jacqui Burfoot.
Production staff allegedly convinced Ryan to continue filming when he considered leaving, per The Daily Mail. His friends maintained contact throughout the experiment, recording specific instances where Ryan felt trapped. The friends concluded their revelations by mentioning Ryan's preparation for the reunion episode.
Friends reveal Ryan Donnelly wanted to escape Married at First Sight Australia filming
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Friends of Ryan Donnelly stepped forward to share their observations of his experience filming Married at First Sight Australia 2025. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on March 19, 2025, Adam and Karla expressed significant worry about Ryan's well-being during production. Their concerns led them to propose a weekend away from the experiment.
Adam shared the moment when he attempted to convince Ryan to leave the Married at First Sight Australia apartments.
"Don't worry about the curfew, just stay the weekend. What are they going to do? Kick you off the show? You're the main star here," Adam told Ryan.
The friends suggested Ryan spend weekends at his Sydney home instead of staying with Jacqui. Karla described Ryan's emotional state during filming as troubled. She observed his repeated refusal to exit the experiment stemmed from genuine feelings. She stated,
"He actually cared about her. Even though she was constantly making him feel worthless."
Adam also noted producers used encouraging words to maintain Ryan's involvement. Daily contact between Ryan and Adam revealed intensifying issues. Adam explained,
"Every day, it was just a new form of depression. You could hear it in his voice, he was just getting worse and worse.”
The production team's involvement also became more apparent as Ryan's friends observed changes in his responses to their concerns. Fellow contestant Katie Johnston reached out to Ryan following her departure from the show.
"She told me, 'I feel so sorry for you. I don't know how you survived being with that!'" Ryan revealed to Daily Mail Australia.
Relationship dynamics
The relationship between Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly took multiple turns during Married at First Sight Australia 2025 filming. Their first major conflict emerged over Ryan's facial appearance when Jacqui, 29, requested him to shave his beard. After Ryan teased about apartment cleaning, tensions escalated into a heated exchange.
Jacqui made comments about Ryan's beard not being manly and threatened to shave it while he slept. Ryan responded firmly by stating this action would lead to immediate relationship termination. Despite Ryan offering to trim his beard as a compromise, Jacqui maintained her stance.
Ryan later attempted reconciliation by purchasing flowers in Sydney's Manly area, but the underlying tension persisted throughout their time on the show.
Ryan Donnelly background
As per the official MAFS bio, Ryan Donnelly, a 36-year-old project manager from New South Wales, entered Married at First Sight Australia 2025 with defined dating preferences and relationship goals. His background includes extensive dating experience in Sydney, where he built a reputation for planning thoughtful dates and showing consideration for partners.
His experience before the show involved dating Sydney women while maintaining clear boundaries about personal values. During filming, Ryan displayed protective instincts and focused on supporting his partner's ambitions.
The NSW resident brought his project management skills into relationships by carefully selecting venues and maintaining structured communication approaches. Ryan emphasized physical chemistry while valuing emotional connections in relationships.
Married at First Sight Australia airs on 9Now.
