“She should just keep her mouth shut, really.”

For newly engaged Married At First Sight (MAFS) 2025 couple Jacqui Burfoot and Clint Rice, this should be one of the happiest times of their life. Instead, they’ve been dodging accusations that their engagement was “faked” — with MAFS co-star Awhina Rutene saying it was a “PR stunt”.

During an AMA, Jacqui addressed Awhina’s comments and called the MAFS bride out.

“I feel like this is really mean,” Jacqui said. “If she wants to make bets on our relationship, she can put her money where her mouth is, otherwise, she should just keep her mouth shut, really.

“If you’ve got nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.”

Jacqui also spilled some other details about her relationship with Clint, and said she was a “very insecure person” when she first met him, but he “reassures [her] in all ways”.

“You know when you feel like you’re having an ugly day? He always reassured me that I was beautiful, and made me feel good about myself, and gave me that confidence that I really needed,” she said.

What did Awhina say about Clint and Jacqui’s relationship?

Awhina made some bold claims on the Stav, Abby & Matt B105 radio show, saying she thought Clint and Jacqui’s engagement was a “PR stunt or a joke”.

“I will be 100 per cent honest with you guys, it’s not real on Jacqui’s end. We’ve seen Jacqui’s behaviour during the experiment, especially post-show, for someone who’s deeply, madly in love, she’s got time to post 22 TikToks. She’s using her online platform to sell a narrative, but she contradicts herself consistently,” Awhina claimed.

“I feel bad for Clint because I think Clint is so desperate for love or just wanting a connection, he’ll settle for anyone. And Jacqui [has] definitely taken advantage of that situation and in the process, he’s become the biggest enabler.”
Awhina doesn’t buy it. Image: Nine

Carina weighs in on Jacqui and Clint’s relationship

However, in an interview with Chattr, Carina Mirable said she believed Jacqui and Clint were the real deal.

“I think they have amazing chemistry, absolutely, it’s very evident,” Carina told us. “She wanted the love story. I think everyone does… we all want love at the end of the day. We want to figure out who’s best suitable for us and how we can build a family in a life time with someone.”
When you know, you know. Image: Nine.
“Clint, obviously, it’s very evident that he brings the best out in her and then she made the move to Tasmania. To me, it’s pretty serious, and you can’t put a time frame on love.”

Time will tell if Jacqui and Clint are the real deal!

Stream Married At First Sight 2025 on 9Now.