The relationship between Married at First Sight couple Jono Pitman and Clare Verrall was never exactly what you’d call smooth. And now, four months after the show ended, it seems little has changed.
The Melbourne tradie has publicly slammed his on-air ex over her comments about the meagre $110-a-week allowance given to contestants on the controversial matchmaking series.
“Obviously the reality TV show added some more stress to your life! But you have to expect that!” Pitman wrote in a heated Instagram post.
“Everyone else from the social experiment seems to be doing extremely well and are able to continue with their normal life because they choose to #spotplayingthevictim #beensilentfortoolongnow✌????️ #letitgoletitgo❄️❄️❄️ [sic]”
(Post continues after video.)
Pitman’s comments come after Clare Verrall vented on Instagram about how her time on MAFS 2015 actually cost her “thousands”.
“No you don’t get paid a wage, you get a $110 per week but they don’t contribute to your rent for the house they are filming in or the dates they want you to go on,” she responded to a follower’s question.
“I work in sales and it had a big impact on my work as you can’t just ‘go to work normally’ as they claim. Doing the show probably cost me thousands in lost revenue. That’s why whenever someone writes ‘they just do it for the money’ I have a good laugh!”
But her on-air ex isn’t having a bar of it.
“We knew exactly what we were getting paid per week and the “allowance” we EACH received for the honeymoon before we went on the show! [sic]” he hit back.
“If we over spent on the honeymoon or (spent the money on non related expenses that had nothing to do with the honeymoon) then that would come back on us one would think. [sic]”
Clare and Jono on their, erm, happy day. Image: Channel 9.
Pitman also encouraged those contemplating going on the show not to be discouraged by Verrall's comments.
"You only live once and who knows you might find the one ????," he wrote. "And if you think your going to make money out of it don't do it as your doing it for all the wrong reasons. [sic]"
Pitman and Verrall's tumultuous relationship, undoubtedly one of the more controversial of the series, ultimately imploded in episode five — an unhappy ending the show's matchmaking experts put down to communication issues.
Read: “It was irresponsible for MAFS to put Clare and Jono in the same room – let alone marry them.”