Married at First Sight 2018: Davina says ‘marriage isn’t for me’

A TEARFUL Davina Rankin has opened up about her on-air persona declaring she isn’t “the b***h people saw on TV” and casting doubt on whether marriage is for her.

TO THE dedicated Married at First Sight fan it won’t come as a huge surprise that Davina Rankin, who had an affair behind her hubby’s back on the show, has admitted matrimony might not suit her.

But talking to Channel 9’s A Current Affair on Monday she said “marriage isn’t for me”.

In an interview which, at one point she had to halt as she was tearing up so much, Rankin also said she’d been “100 per cent misunderstood” and her character’s less salubrious antics focused on at the expense of her sweeter side.

Davina Rankin from Married at First Sight said people who didn’t like her on TV should change channel. Picture: Channel 9.

“I’m not just the b***h people saw on TV,” she told reporter Alison Piotrowski.

She may insist she’s not, but she was certainly MAFS stirrer-in-chief.

The Brisbane-based model, 26, became the contestant everyone loved to hate after appearing on this season of the reality show. Viewers were shocked to see her arranging a secret date with Dean Wells behind her “husband” Ryan Gallagher’s back.

Rankin and Wells made a secret pact to leave their respective partners only to have the arrangement crumble when her new beau backed out.

One of most memorable retorts from Rankin was when Tracey Jewel, Wells’ TV wife, confronted her about her husband stealing ways.

“What? I thought your boyfriend was hot,” Rankin simply replied.

Dean and Davina’s “affair” was the talk of MAPS. Picture: Channel 9.

During the show’s reunion dinner, Rankin could also be seen heading around the table, desperate to get a rise out of the various pairings.

On ACA, Rankin continued to defend her actions: “Ry and I had a great time. He was an absolute legend, an awesome person but, together, it was a disaster.”

She said people shouldn’t judge her commitment to a relationship based on MAFS because the show’s marriages could hardly be considered real.

“If I was in a marriage, and I didn’t like my marriage, I wouldn’t be married.”

But, reflecting on the experience, Rankin had a realisation: “Look, the TV was fun (but) actually, it turns out marriage isn’t for me.”

She might have 300,000 Instagram followers but Rankin said the MAFS backlash was hard to cope with.

Davina said the hate was great.

“It’s not nice to know people hate you so much,” she said.

“You know, social media, it’s my job (and it’s) been such a positive space for me but I copped a lot of flak, a lot of mean stuff.”

Asked to elaborate, a now teary Rankin reeled off the negative comments.

“About my appearance; in the street, they would say how they would assault me, wishing that I was dead. It’s insane. Even though it’s words, words still carry a lot of weight.”

She then had to stop the interview to grab some tissues and compose herself.

When talking about her parents, it all became too much. Picture: Channel 9.

The model stayed off her social account in the weeks after her departure from the show, due to a bombardment of shade from the Australian public over her attempted on-air affair. She’s back Instagramming now but she said the process was hard not just for her, but her folks too.

“My mum and dad were ropeable. Absolutely ropeable. I just felt really bad for them. And bless them they just want to get out there and say ‘don’t call my daughter a b***h’ and I had to be, ‘that’s not how it works, you need to not comment’”.

As for her critics, Rankin said they should all just take a chill pill.

“This is television; just don’t take it so personally that you literally want to hurt someone. If it annoys you so much, don’t watch.”