TV Insider: Married at First Sight's diversity applauded

MARRIED At First Sight's first gay couple may not have lasted the distance (more than a few days actually) but that doesn't mean they're a failure.

Craig and Andy at their wedding in New Zealand in a scene from Married At First Sight.

MARRIED At First Sight's first gay couple may not have lasted the distance (more than a few days actually) but that doesn't mean they're a failure.

Sydneysiders Andy and Craig faced more scrutiny than any of the other participants after it was announced they would tie the knot on the controversial show, which expertly matches strangers who meet for the first time at the altar.

On Tuesday night's episode Andy revealed the pressure he felt for his experimental TV marriage to succeed on behalf of the gay community.

"The fact that Craig and I were the first same-sex couple to be married in this experiment, I guess there's a lot riding on us being right and us making it work due to the marriage-equality debate going on at the moment," he said.

"It's a damn shame we're not still together and you can see two men living harmoniously together.

"But if I spend one day with Craig that's keeping him one day from not being with the right guy for him, then I've stolen that day. He's a great guy and he's going to make somebody a lovely husband; it's just a shame that person is not me."

But the important point, in my mind, is that he and Craig were featured on the show in the first place - getting married, showing affection and being given equal treatment and airtime on national telly.

Whether or not they worked out shouldn't be seen as any more or less of a result than the other couples.

Each of the pairings offers viewers different lessons about communication, vulnerability and conflict resolution.

The TV experiment has its detractors, who say it makes a mockery of marriage, and fair enough.

But you can't watch the show and fail to see the genuine hope for love in the participants.

Andy and Craig are no exception, and to their credit the two men handled their split maturely. Andy in particular showed a great deal of emotional intelligence.

They certainly set a better example than Dave, who couldn't effectively communicate with his new bride Jess, leaving her feeling hurt and rejected.

Cameras didn't show Dave making any contact with Jess until showing up at Wednesday night's dinner party, when all of the couples meet for the first time, and even then they weren't able to make amends and part ways on good terms.

Bring on more diversity on our screens, I say, so that all sections of the community are represented.

Originally published as TV Insider: Married at First Sight's diversity applauded