Misogyny at first sight but I’m glad MAFS gave toxic Tyson a platform

March 7, 2026 — 5:00am

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There aren’t a lot of blokes around who would say, openly and unabashedly, that they are seeking a submissive wife. So it was quite startling to see a groom say just this, out loud, on Married at First Sight.

As the other men present raised their eyebrows and the experts gasped, one group of women watching rolled their eyes with recognition: churchgoers.

For those unfamiliar with MAFS, which screens on Nine, owner of this masthead, this season features a 30-year-old Christian property investor, Tyson Gordon, paired with a highly successful 32-year-old real estate agent, Stephanie Marshall. They are both driven, attractive, come from Queensland, hold conservative views and support Donald Trump – you’d imagine this could be a sweet match.

But they clashed immediately. Stephanie, who is no feminist, finds Tyson arrogant and sexist. Tyson says she is too old, too “dominant”, and not the “submissive type”.

As someone who has spent decades trying to fathom why swaths of male-led churches still adhere to the olde worlde doctrine of headship – where a man is the head of a woman, and the woman is to submit to him – it fascinates me to see this belief aired in a mainstream forum. Because it’s very difficult to explain without sounding a bit … odd.

Hosts on MAFS and its satellite show, After the Dinner Party, repeatedly asked Tyson to try.

Laura Byrne cited a dictionary: “Submissive means compliant and obedient. Is that what you want?”

Tyson: “I think I would like........

© The Sydney Morning Herald