Exclusive: David reveals real reason he 'proposed' to Alissa after brutal on-screen break up
EXCLUSIVE: When a relationship's in trouble, a proposal seems like an unorthodox way to try and fix things – but that's exactly what MAFS groom David tried as he attempted to win back Alissa.
The pair had taken off their wedding rings after a big fight, but ahead of the final Dinner Party, David had regrets.
Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here.
He was desperate to fight for their relationship, declaring his love to Alissa and returning her ring in a very dramatic way: by getting down on one knee.
"I want you to know how much you mean to me," he told his wife during the cocktail party.
Watching on, the rest of the group was in disbelief.
Yes, sort of. Nine
David told nine.com.au the bold move was a callback to Alissa controversially asking him to propose when they met on their wedding day.
"For me, I was just saying, 'Last time you asked me to do it to prove how I felt, and this time I'm just going to do it voluntarily to prove that I'm here for the right reasons'," David said.
"From my perspective, I started to make excuses and think maybe she needed reassurance, so I did get down on my knee again just to give her that."
Remember this? Nine
David's grand gesture was supposed to show Alissa how serious he was. Nine
Alissa did not have an enthusiastic response to David's gesture, sharing a simple "thank you".
EXCLUSIVE: David reveals secret off-camera deal broken by MAFS co-star
Watching on, the experts were horrified.
Yep, horrified. Nine
"I cannot believe that was her response to him getting on his knees and saying that he loves her. He just poured his heart out to her," Alessandra Rampolla reacted.
Alissa told cameras she was "so confused" by David's change of heart.
Alissa was not very receptive to the romantic move. Nine
Looking back, David realised reassurance wasn't what Alissa was looking for. In fact, he now realised she was checked out.
"At that dinner party, I got no empathy. That was probably the hardest night for me in the experiment, and that's when I got my full answer as to where things were heading."
"That Dinner Party showed me exactly what I was dealing with."
READ MORE: Which couples are still together from MAFS 2026?
Even so, David was still happy he laid all his cards on the table and said it pointed to a lot of personal growth.
"Taking off the ring and walking out, it reminded me of times where if I saw a red flag I'd be out the door," he said.
"With Alissa, I saw heaps of red flags, but I stayed because I gave the experiment a crack.
"So, me coming back at that final Dinner Party was me again trying to undo what I'd done in the past. It was my last shot to prove to myself I gave this the full go."
Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here. Episodes stream weekly, immediately following the explosive Married at First Sight Dinner Party episode on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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