reality tv

"I want you to take this and leave": Mum's outrageous offer to son's fiancée on national TV.

 

The mother/daughter-in-law relationship has a reputation for being particularly fraught. You know how it goes: a disagreement here, some over-involvement there. Well, Channel 7 ‘reality’ show Bride and Prejudice: Forbidden Weddings is doing its bit to keep that stereotype alive and kickin’.

The archetypal tension comes courtesy of mother Fatima and 20-year-old Jess, who is engaged to marry Fatima’s son, Seyat.

Despite undergoing group therapy on the program in a bid to foster familial harmony, Fatima remained intent on breaking up the couple.

Why? We’ll allow her to explain: “I want my son to be with a home girl, more of a European style that looks after Seyat. Jess is a slutty party girl,” she said… out loud… on national television.

“They are too young to get married. I don’t think they’re ready. In order to get married, you need to have money; Seyat and Jess have nothing. I want them to break up.”

bride-prejudice
Yeah. Ouch. Image: Channel 7.
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Given insulting Jess right to her face didn't seem to scare her away, Fatima resorted to a tried-and-true method of persuasion. An envelope stuffed with hundred-dollar notes.

“You know how you wanted to travel overseas? You still want to travel don’t you?” Fatima asked on Monday night's episode.

“And you wanted lots of money? Because you told me you don’t have money."

Cue the nudge of the envelope...

“Well I’m here to offer you $10,000, in cash and a trip overseas all over the world. I’ve got the ticket and the money here for you," she continued.

“So I would consider you [sic] to take this now and leave Seyat, because you and I know there will be problems. I want you to take this now and leave.”

Video via Channel 7

How Jess responds to the offer remains to be seen (on next week's episode), but it seems fans have some suggestions.

"I'd take it and go back to my boyfriend and put the extra 10k into my wedding and say, 'thanks bish'," one wrote on Facebook.

"I would [have] asked for $50k plus world trip 1st class," added another.

Someone else wrote: "She should say no and see how much she can drive the price up [because] no one gives their last price at the first negotiation. I reckon she could push it to over $15k."

And this: "Get out now girl! They're going to make your life miserable."