Married at First Sight UK star Thomas Hartley has issued an apology on social media, after facing backlash from an explosive row on Wednesday night’s episode.
The mental health care worker told his 109,000 Instagram followers that he has received “death threats” for his treatment of Sophie Brown and Whitney Hughes on the reality show.
In dramatic scenes, Thomas slammed Sophie for sharing her opinions on his relationship with Adrian Sanderson, before he labelled Whitney a “liar and adulterer” and stormed off.
A swarm of angry viewers took to social media to vent about his behaviour, and Thomas has responded in an apology video where he says his language was “vile.”
In a self-recorded video, Thomas gave more context to the episode and tried to explain why he had exploded in the shocking scenes.
He said: “By the time we sat down to film that. I'd already left three times. I'd left three times. I didn't want to be there.
“I wanted to go home. I'd just got back from home stays, its personal stuff going on which they all knew, as I've said before and I did not want to talk to those people.”
Thomas added that he ‘owns’ the comments he made to Sophie, but went onto say that he doesn’t care about Whitney and April.
He continued: “I own the Sophie thing, it was just heightened too far, I've apologised and we're in a good place now. The other two [Whitney and April] I don't care.
“The language that I used was course and vile and I don't like it and that's me owning my s**t, I don't care what anybody else thinks. That's what I think.”
He went on to justify why he lashed out at the other contestants and added: “The point being is, I did not want to be there at that time. And if I had my time again, knowing what I know now, I would just not have gone.”
He also shared the emotional video to his Twitter account and captioned it: “I’d had enough. I don’t do this and I have apologised to Sophie, but I’d really had enough. I also must work on my words and language. For myself, not for anyone else.”
Thomas revealed that since the dramatic episode aired last night, he has allegedly received death threats.
He stated: 'OK. I made a mistake and I hold my hands up totally, however sending death threats isn’t warranted.’
In the episode, Sophie suggested to Thomas that his relationship with Adrian seemed like more of a friendship.
His reply exploded out of him, as he told her: “you wouldn’t know that because you’ve only been here two weeks...” and warned, “don't make me come for you.”
Thomas then shifted his anger onto the other girls there and laid into them.
“I don’t care about 90% of the people here,” he said. “I only care about Chanita and Jen and you [Kasia]. I don’t give a f**k about yous. Yous mean nothing to me.”
Thomas turned his attention to Whitney and declared: “I don’t care what you say to me. You’re a liar and an adulterer.
“You’re a basic b***h and that’s all you’ll ever be!”
Fans were outraged by Thomas’ outburst, one viewer fumed on Twitter: “If Thomas was a straight man and spoke to women like that he would have been hauled off the show… it’s not acceptable, it’s bullying #MAFS.”
As a second agreed: “The way Thomas speaks to women is disgusting to be honest #MAFS.”
One shocked fan of the E4 show exclaimed: “What the hell Thomas! Sophie didn’t attack you or be mean she just made a correct statement and observation & he went nuclear on the poor girl!”
As another asked: “Why is Thomas so nasty to people, he is such a gaslighter!”
Viewers were also quick to pick up on the double standards, as a viewer tweeted: “Thomas thinks it’s okay to comment and pick at everyone else’s relationships but when Sophie makes one, actually innocent comment on his, he blows up.”
Another user penned: “So when Matt shouts at women, he’s a misogynistic bully, yet when Thomas calls women b***** and constantly shuts down women, he’s a drama queen!”
Married At First Sight UK continues tonight at 9pm.
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