Married At First Sight’s newest challenge has thrown a spanner in the works for Carina and Paul.

MAFS bride Carina Mirabile walked out on ‘husband’ Paul Antoine after he ‘cheated’ on her during the grass is greener challenge. Photo: Nine

MAFS is already known for being one of the most dramatic television shows, but this year, the experts have upped the ante by introducing a new challenge to test the couples’ loyalty. For the first time ever, the brides and grooms were told they had a ‘Plan B’ backup match waiting for them, and they could meet them if they chose to do so.

“The premise of the task is about how the grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” an insider told Yahoo Lifestyle this week. “But it’s essentially a final hurdle to see how strong the remaining couples are.”

Couples who aren’t in a good place will likely choose to go on the date, but the couples that are, would choose not to – right? Wrong!

Paul Antoine, who’s ‘married’ to Carina Mirabile, surprised viewers on Monday night when he decided to go on the date with the other woman because he was “curious” to see who else the experts had matched him with.

When he met the woman, Hannah, she asked him about Carina and he told her his “curiosity got the better of” him and even though things are good between the couple, he wanted to meet her.

Hannah knew Paul wasn’t good news when she met him, saying this is why she’s still single – because married men are ‘curious’. Photo: Nine
Hannah told the cameras, “I do not want to be in a relationship with someone who’s as curious as Paul. This is why I’m single, because there are married men that are always looking for more.”

When she walked out, Paul said, “This made me realise, that, yeah, Carina is 100 per cent the girl I want to be with outside the experiment and forever. Kinda glad this it’s over now, I just want to get back to the apartment and back to Carina, honestly.”

When the producers told him he didn’t have to go on the date, he told them he regretted it.

Carina, unsurprisingly, wasn’t as understanding of Paul’s “curiosity”, saying, “For me, the grass isn’t greener.”

Viewers were left shocked at the speed in which Paul tried to minimise Carina’s feelings in the matter and gaslight her into thinking his actions were normal.

“The whole time, literally I could see your face,” Paul said. “It was the most uncomfortable thing ever.”

“I didn’t go with any second thought or ‘maybe this is going to be better’,” he added.

Carina, told him she was “embarrassed” for him, reiterating the fact that he “went out on a date”, before walking out on him, while he yelled out to her, exasperated that she wasn’t listening to him repeat his justification of why he went on the date.

“That to me is alarm bells,” Carina told the cameras.

“I feel sick,” she said as she dramatically walked out of the apartment, calling him “yuck”.

Carina, who briefly dated Paul before the experiment, said she was now having second thoughts and wondering if he did something similar last year when he ghosted her after their date.

MAFS fans react to Paul cheating: ‘Like watching a car crash in slow motion’

Paul couldn’t speak fast enough to try and calm Carina down, telling her he spoke about her the entire time he was on the date. Photo: Nine
Viewers took to social media to share their thoughts on Paul’s cheating, with one person joking, “That’s was deadset like watching a car crash in slow motion.”

“Bro has a degree in gaslighting,” another joked.

“Shame Paul, shame,” a third said. “The woman on a date made an excellent point as to why she’s still single, because married men are still curious if there’s someone better than their wives… You proved that to be right, Paul.”

“Paul didn’t think it was a bad idea until the woman peppered him with questions then knew Carina would have an issue so tried to dismiss what it was (a date) and say he was curious,” someone else added. “Every cheater starts with curiosity.”

“Paul is a walking red flag!” another said.

“He already ghosted her before the show, THAT was the only red flag she needed,” one viewer pointed out.

“His justification is actually so whack,” another said. “If Carina went out on a date, he would lose his mind! Imagine if the roles were reversed. The hypocrisy is insane.”

“He’s a player, run girl,” someone else said.