MAFS bride Awhina Rutene breaks silence on her shock Final Vows decision with Adrian Araouzou: ‘I was ready to leave him – then everything changed’

Married At First Sight bride Awhina Rutene has revealed the truth behind her controversial decision to stay with groom Adrian Araouzou during the show’s explosive Final Vows.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the 31-year-old single mum from Perth admitted she walked into the emotional ceremony fully prepared to end things for good – only to have a very last minute change of heart.

‘That morning I woke up very confident in my decision to leave,’ Awhina confessed.

‘My vows were set. The language I used was very definitive and very final. I was really happy to close that chapter.’

But when it came time to deliver her vows face-to-face with Adrian, 36, everything shifted.

‘It’s so hard to explain. When you’re standing in front of that person, all those real feelings come flooding back,’ she said.

Awhina admitted their Final Vows felt disconnected from what was really going on between the pair behind the scenes.

‘We were both using such definitive language that didn’t reflect our relationship in that moment. That night, we had dinner planned. I was staying at his apartment. We had concrete plans to still be in each other’s lives,’ she said.

She revealed that despite declaring they were done, the couple had no intention of cutting ties completely.

‘We weren’t planning on walking down the aisle, but we still had very real plans to see each other. It felt like we were being very black and white when we were living in the grey,’ she explained. 

Awhina admitted she was swayed by Adrian’s charm.

‘I do have a soft spot for Adrian. His cheeky smirk was my kryptonite. But I wasn’t saying I was going to marry this man – I was acknowledging that our vows weren’t an accurate reflection of our relationship,’ she added.

‘There were some very real issues that would have struggled outside the experiment. But when you see other couples leaving together, and you’re not, it feels like you’ve failed.’

Awhina also opened up about the immense pressure she felt while filming the reality show, revealing that producers and other cast members often influenced her decisions.

‘You’re not just making decisions for yourself. It’s you, your partner, and about 50 other people. It’s a pressure cooker,’ she said.

Meanwhile, her family weren’t convinced by Adrian throughout the series – and still aren’t.

‘My sister Cleo made it clear she didn’t think Adrian was good enough for me. She still feels that way – and I think all of Australia agrees with her at this point,’ she added.

Looking back, Awhina now realises how much of her experience was shaped by the show’s intense environment.

‘It’s not an organic environment. I don’t think I learned much about myself – but I gained a greater appreciation for my life here in Perth and my community,’ she said. 

When asked about critics who have questioned her choices, Awhina hit back.

‘It’s so easy for people to watch it all play out and say what I should or shouldn’t have done. But they weren’t living my reality. Some days, I was just surviving,’ she said. 

And where does she stand with Adrian now?

‘You’ll just have to watch and find out.’