We’re used to MAFS Australia participants whining about how they got the “villain edit” or their exes got the “hero edit”. But Rachel has opened up about getting the “sad girl edit” on MAFS. This totally changes how I see her and the other brides.

Rachel told Mamamia: “I felt like I was shown to be this woman just begging for this man consistently. The show has definitely given me a different level of confidence, but I always carried myself with confidence. I always knew who I was.

“I feel like the storyline was building up for me to have my heart broken. That’s the ‘poor Rachel’ edit.”

I kind of see where she is coming from. Do you remember how in the early episodes of MAFS, we kept hearing about how unloved and vulnerable Rachel was? Many previews and recaps replayed her saying: “I’ve never been told I’m beautiful by my partner. I’ve never received compliments like that.” I dread to think how many times I’ve seen the clip of Rachel holding up the sign that reads “kiss me please…”

I’m cringing at the memory of this scene
(Image via Channel 4)

Rachel felt that although some of the experiences she spoke about on the show were “sad”, that sadness “doesn’t define” who she is. She told Mamamia: “I’m not the girl who’s just continuously walking around with heartbreak.”

Overall, Rachel does seem to be contented with how the show was edited. On the podcast It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield, Rachel said she felt MAFS was generally a “true depiction of how it was actually happening”, although there were “things left out”. She threw shade at cast members who blame all their bad behaviour on the producers.

Rachel theorised that other brides’ behaviour led to the season having a “theme” of “competitiveness between the women”.

“Coming to that second dinner party, [we] find out that there’s a WhatsApp group chat within the women, right? I was not in it. I was not part of the cool club. And so, instantly, it’s like you’re given this theme of ‘I want to be top dog’. It was just this undercurrent of competitiveness between the women to one up each other.”

Rachel added: “I definitely had situations where I think production may have been a little bit disappointed that I didn’t pop off, because I’m like, ‘It’s just not who I am. It’s not happening. Sorry.’”