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11 April 2024, 17:14
Married At First Sight's Richard and Andrea appeared to be the strongest couple of season 11, but are they still together now?
Married At First Sight Australia season 11 introduced us to the oldest couple they've ever had on the show - 62-year-old motivational speaker Richard Sauerman and 51-year-old photographer Andrea Thompson - who proved that age doesn't hold them back in the search for love.
Andrea and Richard had an instant connection when they met for the first time on their wedding day, with their adult children giving their approval of the match - which appeared to be pretty perfect.
The couple's exciting romance took a turn for the worse, however, when Richard's explicit comments about their sex life caused Andrea to close up and question their relationship. After weeks of arguments and accusations of gaslighting, Andrea and Richard both decided to leave the experiment as it became clear their issues could not be resolved.
Since leaving MAFS, rumours have been flying regarding Andrea reportedly 'dating' Timothy Smith...
No, Andrea and Richard are not together. The pair lasted several weeks in the experiment but, ahead of the final vows, they decided to leave the experiment.
While the week prior to the decision to leave at the commitment ceremony was full of arguments, the pair shared a sweet moment on the couch where they reflected on how their first weeks together were some they would "never forget".
So what went wrong? Here's a look at Andrea and Richard's relationship on MAFS:
Not to be outshined, Richard rocked up to his MAFS Australia wedding in leathers and driving a motorbike. Luckily his bride Andrea seems pretty laid back and the pair quickly bonded over their love of coffee and cricket.
Their chemistry was palpable and viewers could sense a connection building between the two.
The pair took their relationship to the next level on their honeymoon, with Richard confessing he had a 'spontaneous combustion'.
When asked by producers what happened between him and Andrea, Richard said: "This morning was... how would you describe it? Spontaneous combustion?
"It wasn't discussed, planned... it just happened. My feelings are definitely growing stronger and stronger."
When asked to rate the other brides in order of attractiveness, Richard places Andrea in third place.
This left Andrea deflated, saying: "Everyone wishes their partner would put them first and only have eyes for them. It hurt a lot and I don't know how to come back from that."
However Richard was completely oblivious to her feelings and says: "She could've taken it the wrong way but she didn't. In fact she was quite flattered to be ranked third with some of the other girls."
Throughout the experiment Richard and Andrea seemed to be getting along, however things took a turn when Richard shared a bit too much information about their intimate moments during the second Commitment Ceremony.
After expressing that she felt disrespected by this outburst of explicit confessions in front of everyone, the couple started to struggle to reconnect.
During family and friends week, Andrea and Richard turned to their loved ones for advice and support. Andrea told Richard and his daughter Roxy: "Roxy, it's your dad and it's awkward but the second commitment ceremony, your dad said some very inappropriate things. He was very open with sharing our intimacy and the way he said some things, I just went - I felt disrespected.
"So I've put a bit of a block in, put up a wall a little bit, but I want to not have that up and I was working on trying to pull it down. I'm here, I'm trying and Richie was cold to me and saying I wasn't trying, and I was going out of my brain like 'I am!'"
After receiving some advice, the couple agree to turn a page and continue to work on their romance.
The couple's frustrations came to a climax this week before the dinner party where Andrea attempted to communicate with Richard why her walls had gone up. But instead of resolving things, the pair ended up in a huge argument.
Richard told Andrea: "You ruined what we had Andy," before adding: "You're gaslighting me," to which Andrea threw her book on the table and shouted at him: "You're driving me crazy!"
As the argument turned personal, Andrea told Richard she has "never been as not into him" as she was at that moment. And while Richard continued to state that he wasn't like her ex-partner, she retorted: "You're worse!"
The fight ended with Richard telling his wife: "Good luck to you Andy. I hope you find the man that you want because it ain't going to be me."
After weeks of trying to get things back on track, Richard and Andrea decided they were a lost cause and both decided to leave the experiment, ending their relationship.