Sam and Chris both decided to leave the experiment at the final commitment ceremony on Sunday.
A major public campaign has kicked off to get Married At First Sight groom Sam Stanton to star on the next season of The Bachelor.
The Adelaide-based fitness instructor’s time on Channel 9’s experiment came to an end on Sunday night after he and his husband, Chris Robinson, both elected to leave.
While he wasn’t able to find love on the controversial reality TV show, Aussies are keen on him giving it another shot on the popular dating program.
Pop culture content creator Bella Hodgman is one of many egging Sam on to go on Channel 10’s The Bachelor and she told Yahoo Lifestyle why he’d be the perfect fit.
“I think a lot of people feel for him and want him to find love. I think that a lot of people would tune into a season watching him try to,” she said.
While we’ve had many different leading men and women on the show over the years, including the Golden Bachelor and bisexual Bachelorette Brooke Blurton, the show hasn’t yet taken the plunge on a gay man.
There have been 11 seasons of the Australian version of The Bachelor, and eight seasons of The Bachelorette.
The last two instalments of The Bachelor have mixed things up a bit by having three leading men looking for love.
But there hasn’t been a gay male lead and LGBTQ contestants.
“I think [Sam’s] very traditionally masculine, or stereotypically masculine,” Bella said.
“And I think that a lot of straight women really love that about him, like he’s attractive to straight women, he’s attractive to gay men.
“I think that he would be very palatable in a political sense. Then, in a more emotional sense, I think that he’s come across really beautifully on TV.
“Everyone loves him. Everyone supports him. I’m constantly getting comments from people being like, ‘I would date Sam if I could’, like everyone is highly attracted to him.”
Would Sam go on The Bachelor and what does Channel 10 say?
Yahoo Lifestyle approached Channel 10 to see if the network could cast Sam on the next season of The Bachelor.
But we haven’t heard back about the possibility.
It’s clear, though, that Bella’s campaign has a lot of support.
“I have been saying the same. I have never watched The Bachelor but I would watch Sam’s season,” one social media user said.
“I have NOT been able to watch The Bachelor for years but this I would love to,” added another.
“I will take the plunge into reality TV for Sam. bring him on,” wrote a third.
Sam has finally responded to the public campaign to get him on the show.
He posted a TikTok talking about the journal he used on Married At First Sight when he and Chris first officially broke up.
One person commented on the video saying Australia “needed” to have Sam as The Bachelor.
“Imma need a much bigger journal if I’m going to date 10 guys at once,” he cheekily responded.
What happened between Sam and Chris on MAFS?
Sam and Chris were initially fan favourites when they entered MAFS.
Their vows were very similar, and they both talked about being into fitness and wanting to relax with a quiet life.
But cracks started showing after they were asked at one Commitment Ceremony about their plans for after the experiment.
Chris excitedly said Sam would probably have to move to Sydney, while he would oscillate between Queensland and NSW.
That was news to Sam, and he felt Chris didn’t appreciate how much of a move that would be for him.
@bellahodgman please @Channel 10 make this happen for us we all need a win #mafs #mafsau @The Bachelor Australia
That was news to Sam, and he felt Chris didn’t appreciate how much of a move that would be for him.
They went back and forth over the issue and Sam felt Chris’s apologies weren’t genuine.
Sam brought up his feelings in front of the group at one Dinner Party episode, because he didn’t feel as though Chris understood why he was upset.
Things only compounded during Homestays Week, where Sam and Chris admitted the spark had died.
On Sunday night’s episode, they both wrote ‘leave’, which formally ended their time on the Channel 9 show.
Chris and Sam thanked each other for the eight weeks they spent together and said they hoped to stay friends.