Married At First Sight’s Beth Kelly lifts the lid on her awkward three-day stay with Ryan Donnelly during partner swap: ‘It made my skin crawl’

Married At First Sight’s Beth Kelly has revealed the uncomfortable truth about living with Ryan Donnelly for three days during the experiment’s controversial partner swap.

The 28-year-old operations manager was forced to cohabitate with Ryan, 37, during the challenge and didn’t hold back on describing the experience as ‘awkward’ and ‘anxiety-inducing’. 

‘F***ing hell, I didn’t want to live with Ryan, did I? He was the last on my list,’ she told  Daily Mail Australia. 

The partner swap was designed to provide fresh insight into each couple’s dynamic, but Beth confessed she struggled with the change, having to leave her partner, Teejay Halkias, behind.

‘Leaving Teejay was hard, he was like my comfort blanket,’ she said. 

‘And then going to live with Ryan, someone I had barely spoken to, and the few words we had exchanged were arguments, was incredibly uncomfortable,’ she said.

Beth was also taken aback by the over-the-top tribute to Ryan’s on-screen wife, Jacqui Burfoot, which she discovered upon entering his apartment.

‘Walking into their apartment and seeing the shrine was insane. They had photos plastered all over the walls, even on the fridge. It just added to the confusion because I’d only ever seen their relationship be hot and cold,’ she revealed.

Despite the constant ups and downs between Ryan and Jacqui, Beth was left bewildered by the romantic photos, calling it ‘a whole other level of confusion to the Jacqui and Ryan s*** show.’

Beth also revealed she went out of her way to ensure she and Ryan kept their distance while sleeping in the same bed.

‘I didn’t want to be a diva, but I also didn’t want to be anywhere near him in bed. We needed a pillow fort so I wouldn’t accidentally touch him in the middle of the night – it made my skin crawl,’ she admitted.

She also ensured the bed was stripped of any trace of Jacqui, saying: ‘I put fresh sheets on the bed because I didn’t want to lie in Jacqui’s tan. I just wanted it to feel a little bit cleaner.’

Beth struggled to find any common ground with Ryan, making the experience even more unbearable.

‘We just didn’t have anything in common. It felt so awkward, I honestly didn’t know what to talk to him about. We made small talk and tried to make the best of it, but it was just really uncomfortable,’ she shared.

Ryan’s ‘delusional’ attitude

Beth also took aim at Ryan’s unwillingness to acknowledge any faults in his tumultuous relationship with Jacqui.

‘I think Ryan is delusional. He thinks he’s God’s gift to man and that he never does anything wrong. He always blames Jacqui for everything and didn’t seem open to any advice or feedback,’ she stated.

She admitted there were brief moments where Ryan seemed ‘nice and respectful,’ but he would quickly revert to his old ways.

‘He used the opportunity to have a go at me. There were so many moments where I thought, “Okay, maybe he is a nice guy”, but then he’d do things like that and I’d realise, “No, maybe he’s not”. He was just really up and down.’

Beth also hinted that viewers will see another fiery clash between her and Ryan at the next dinner party.

‘I had another run-in with Jacqui and Ryan because I didn’t agree with what he said to me. Watching [the couple swap back], I’m actually annoyed at myself that I didn’t confront him more in the moment,’ she said.

‘He was being disrespectful and rude, and I think because I was so anxious, I just wanted to make the situation as comfortable as possible. But at the next dinner party, I definitely blew up at him – if they show it, that is.’

Despite the difficult experience, Beth was hopeful for her relationship with Teejay after seeing other couples thrive in the experiment.

‘I always felt we were at a disadvantage because we came in late, but seeing other relationships grow, I thought, “Why won’t it work for us?”‘ she said.

However, she admitted she and Teejay had a habit of brushing things under the rug rather than addressing issues directly.

‘We never really sat down and dissected things or spoke about our emotions that much. It was all quite surface level, and we’re both to blame for that,’ she confessed.

Beth’s final thoughts on Ryan

After three days of living together, Beth confirmed she and Ryan did not part as friends.

‘We tried to make the most of it, but we definitely didn’t leave as besties – that’s for sure,’ she laughed.

And as for whether she developed a soft spot for Ryan after their time together, she laughed?

‘Absolutely not. He was just as dismissive and rude as he was throughout the experiment. Nothing changed,’ she said bluntly.