Married At First Sight Australia star Tim Gromie reportedly fears the show will ruin his career after the PE teacher faced a huge backlash.
A Married At First Sight Australia participant is bracing for the consequences on his career following a storm of controversy triggered by the first TV episode. Tim Gromie, who works as a PE teacher, has already been at the receiving end of negative reactions due to his behaviour on the dating programme.
In the series' opener, he was matched with Katie Johnstone, but failed to hide his disappointment as she approached the altar. Despite Katie's hope for a new beginning after a decade of singlehood and Tim's claim of not being picky about looks, he bluntly admitted that she didn't match his "usual type".
In a candid off-camera moment, Tim dragged a producer aside expressing his displeasure, saying angrily: "Totally not what I wanted. Not good."
He elaborated: "I normally go for short, petite, blonde or brunette. Katie's nothing like what I usually go for. There's just no attraction. I can tell straight away."
Reports suggest Tim is not pleased with his portrayal and the prospect of the footage being broadcast nationally and later in the UK, reports the Mirror.
In an effort to sever ties with the show, he's reportedly wiped his social media presence clean.
"Tim is really fearful the show is going to affect his employment as a primary school teacher, that's why he's deleted all socials, is refusing to do interviews and wants nothing to do with it," an insider revealed to Yahoo Lifestyle. "He feels he was stitched up from the start and is now just trying to get through it with minimal damage to his career and reputation."
Another source chimed in, saying: "He isn't going to come out of this very well at all, especially after the first dinner party."
Tim has been criticised for his remarks on the show, with former Married At First Sight Australia star Lucinda Light expressing her support for Katie.
She stated: "The whole of Australia is right behind you gorgeous woman. I'm so sorry this was your experience. Tim is one very disappointing person."
Earlier in the episode, Katie had shared her past experiences of body shaming by an ex, which had severely impacted her self-esteem. "I have a very distinct memory of being in the pool in a bikini with family and friends, and my ex was there looking down on me and asking me like, 'Can I lose some weight?'" she recounted.
"I really felt like so destroyed and so ashamed. I was not getting out of that pool."
Katie, after a decade of single life, is finally embracing her own worthiness of love and candidly shared, "For the first time, I feel like I'm stepping forward as somebody who deserves love and is ready for it. I've been single for 10 years and I don't know how to get into a relationship. So, yeah, why not just marry him straight off the bat? I'm hoping for a success story."
She confessed her attraction to Tim, finding him "hot"; however, their initial meeting was far from smooth sailing. .
As Katie approached her new husband with a smile and an offer of a hug, Tim's reaction was less than enthusiastic, leaving her visibly perplexed. Expressing his thoughts to a producer, Tim admitted, "I don't know how to say, I'm not like I wanted a skinny - it's not that. I definitely don't always judge a book by its cover. So no, I don't just run because of what the person looks like, but...I'm just feeling a bit deflated. Not sure why we got matched."
