‘Married at First Sight Australia’: Where Is Show Villain Ines Now?
When one thinks about the classic villains of reality TV, one probably thinks of Omarosa in the early seasons of The Apprentice or Johnny Fairplay of Survivor infamy. However, fans of Married at First Sight: Australia know that Ines Basic, the mercurial star of the hit spinoff, entered that realm in her season. However, if you ask Basic about the situation, she will tell you that it was fictional storytelling made through editing decisions.
‘Married at First Sight’ pops the question
According to IMDb. Married at First Sight premiered on Lifetime in 2014 and is still going strong today. Taking the popular dating format but taking out the competition, the show answers the question of what happens when two people marry without knowing each other. The results are a mix of heartwarming, frustrating, touching, and repulsive.
The series starts when strangers are put into a pool dissected by the show’s team of marriage and relationship experts. From there, they are put into the marriage that the team deems most compatible with one another. From there, the couples get eight weeks together where they get to decide if they want to stay married or get a divorce.
Like many reality shows of its nature, Married at First Sight has not slowed down. Despite premiering just seven years ago, it’s already on its twelfth season. During that time, audiences saw love flourish, die, and never come to be, depending on the couple.
Its simple premise and rising popularity led the way to international spinoffs. One of these, Married at First Sight: Australia, has become a favorite not only to those fans down under but American audiences too.
What is ‘Married at First Sight: Australia’?
According to IMDb, the series’ Australian reboot features a similar premise. A crew of experts chooses eight singles who then try to match people they deem compatible with one another. From there, the series follows what becomes of the four chosen couples as they spend eight weeks together as newlyweds.
The series is a hit in Australia and across the globe. It’s given fans several memorable moments ranging from catastrophic marriages to sweet moments of real connection. However, anyone who saw the show will tell you why one particular cast member, Ines Basic, was especially memorable during her brief run on the series.
Infamy at first sight
Ines Basic, a 30-year-old former legal assistant, made headlines when she allegedly cheated on her husband, Bronson Norrish, with another castmate named Sam Ball. The move immediately propelled her to the realm of classic reality show villains.
In recent months, however, Basic fought back claims that she was a villain. While she told the Daily Mail that some of her behavior was unacceptable, her story paints the ugly side of reality television as it pertains to the real lives of the people involved.
‘The first time around I was under their therapy and was medicated. I contemplated suicide during filming so I got PTSD from it. It really f***ed me up and I had to keep filming and I was just f***ing struggling, I was like oh my God … I lost a lot of weight, got PTSD and I was under their care in therapy, I was medicated. I lost all my body weight. I couldn’t even walk really, I had to be carried by producers from scene to scene I was so weak and frail.”
Basic acknowledges the affair she had with Ball, but she claims that her brief husband spoke about an open marriage many times – a line that did not make it to the final cut. “I look so remorseless and like I don’t care. But Bronson was into open relationships … They just didn’t air that part. I was like that’s such a crucial part to miss out,” she told the Daily Mail.
According to her, Bronson blocked her and never spoke to him after the big reveal. Since then, Basic says that Aussie audiences took her season in stride, but when the show aired in England, the Brits drove her to suicidal thoughts and further issues.
Now, Basic uses the power of social media to give her side of the story in a way that editors and directors can’t manipulate. She’s amassed 252,000 followers on Instagram and consistently uses the platform to tell her stories, promote beauty tips and products, and set the record straight on her account.
Basic may be viewed as a villain, but many forget the cloud of fiction that floats over reality television. As such, her story is less about what she did on the show and more about how they portrayed it. Now, she has a platform, audience, and voice to bypass these trends and tell what happened in her eyes.
