It was a very awkward moment in last night’s episode of MAFS Australia when Mel Akbay admitted to some pretty “stalker” behaviour. In a conversation with her partner, Luke, she explained the lengths she’d go to to keep track of a previous ex.

The room went silent after Mel told Luke: “[I’d] get in the car with my friends and drive past his house multiple times during the night time to make sure he was home. We’d do laps. Go to the servo, get a treat. Laps. If his car was there, it meant that he was home.”

The show then cut to her audition tape, during which Mel explained: “I’m not a stalker…well I am, but [my exes] don’t know that,”

While Mel didn’t seem to be embarrassed about her past behaviour, it didn’t land well with everyone. One anti-stalking advocate actually spoke out criticising the producers of MAFS Australia for allowing her on the show in the first place.

Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, Di McDonald, founder of Stalking Awareness Day Australia (SADA), expressed disbelief Mel was allowed on MAFS Australia. She even wrote to the TV channel asking them to pull Mel from the show.

She said: “I think she should have been removed. They’re trivialising stalking. What we go through is hell and some people don’t make it. And here they are making light of it.

“Mel has to be made aware of just how damaging stalking someone is and that there are consequences for it.”

Mel has spoken out addressing the stalking comments since MAFS

via E4

Since coming off MAFS Australia, Mel has spoken out about the comments, saying she does “regret” her past behaviour.

“I do not think stalking is funny and l absolutely do not condone that behaviour. I was referring to something from when I was 17 and joking with friends, and it was careless of me to say it the way I did”, she said on social media.