17c起草社区

Lasting love may not have struck for either Liam Cooper or Samuel 听Levi on their respective seasons of Married At First Sight, but the 听reality show which made them famous has also brought them 听together in real life. 听

Liam, 30, who appeared on the latest season of MAFS Australia and Samuel, 28, who appeared on season two of the New Zealand 听franchise, both posted photos to their respective Instagram accounts 听announcing their relationship. 听

Liam posted: 鈥淟ife works in mysterious ways and this guy came into 听my life when I least expected it鈥�Samuel has shown me what 听support looks like, what trust looks like and much more. I am 听scared, I am nervous, but most of all I am happy.鈥� 听

 

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Big Gay Day

Samuel, who posted the same pictures to his Instagram account, 听said, 鈥淲hen a city boy finds his country boy. Life certainly works in 听mysterious ways. It looks like the ‘experiment鈥� worked out for the 听both of us.鈥� 听

Speaking to the 17c起草社区, Liam says, 鈥淪amuel and I met at Big 听Gay Day in Brisbane. I heard Samuel would be attending so I 听reached out and we started talking鈥�Samuel has this energy that I 听cannot explain, I knew when I met him that he would be in my life. 听My show had just finished airing and I wasn鈥檛 looking for a 听relationship, but I knew something was different with Samuel. We 听both got along and it was easy.鈥� 听

鈥淚 had never dated a guy, and prior to the show I was single for 6 听years,鈥� Liam says. After they met, the friendship between the two 听soon fostered rumours of a relationship, with thinly veiled innuendo 听spilling over into gossip pages.听

I was annoyed with the media because they kept labelling me. 听鈥淏isexual Liam Cooper goes out for dinner.鈥� I don鈥檛 understand why 听my sexuality is such a big issue. Why can鈥檛 the media write, 鈥淟iam 听Cooper goes out to dinner? I鈥檓 more than just my sexuality.鈥澨�

‘We couldn鈥檛 really hide it any longer’

 

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鈥淪amuel and I attended an event together as friends. We took a 听photo together and the media went on to say we had a romantic 听hug. I was trying to state a fact that two guys from the 17c起草社区IA+ 听community can go out and just be friends,鈥� says Liam. 听

鈥淚t got to the point where everyone started commenting on our 听relationship, even though we were just friends. Articles were written 听and we couldn鈥檛 do anything without someone saying something. 听We were both happy and both understood the mutual feeling was 听something we couldn鈥檛 really hide any longer. I thought, 鈥榣et’s just rip 听the band-aid off and announce it to everyone鈥�. Everyone will have 听their say and then we can move on with our life and our 听谤别濒补迟颈辞苍蝉丑颈辫.鈥� 听

鈥淲e both knew that there would be a backlash and homophobic 听comments but I was not going to hide this relationship or let anyone 听try and stop it. Haters are always going to hate, and with the 听support from one another, nothing else matters.鈥� 听

‘MAFS’ Was An Unexpected Experience

For both Liam and Samuel, appearing on MAFS came as a truly 听unexpected experience as neither actually applied to be on the 听show. 听

Samuel tells the 17c起草社区 that he 鈥渨as approached for the 听show, which all happened so fast really. I had just come out of a 2.5 听year long relationship with my ex, and first-ever male partner. I saw 听it as a fun experience and had nothing to lose at all. How often in 听this life, do you get asked to participate in such an experience?鈥� 听

Liam says, 鈥淚 actually didn鈥檛 apply. I was contacted by producers one 听afternoon asking if I was single and if I would be interested in appearing 听on the show. At that point in my life I had been single for six years, so for 听me it was a non brainer. If the experts were going to find me a partner 听and all I had to do was show up, then I was going to take that chance.”

“I 听was hoping to find a partner. I was hoping to find someone to start a 听future with, and although I didn鈥檛 find that on the show, I have found that with Samuel, so I guess the show has worked for me. To this day I do 听not know how they got my contact information. I know they听sometimes find you via Instagram; that鈥檚 how they found Georgia. I 听had not been on camera before filming MAFS. It is a whole different 听experience. Getting fitted for mic鈥檚; having cameras and a mic guy 听follow you everywhere you go; It鈥檚 crazy!鈥� 听

Blindsided With Being Outed On ‘MAFS’

Liam didn鈥檛 hide anything from producers prior to appearing on the 听show and says, 鈥淧roducers knew I was Bisexual. It was something I 听mentioned straight away to them. I had about three Skype interviews 听where we spoke about my being bisexual.鈥�听

Liam has no regrets about his time on MAFS. 鈥淚 never regret 听anything in life. Going onto the show, I didn鈥檛 think about the trolls or 听how my sexuality would be such a big issue. I鈥檓 bisexual. It doesn鈥檛 听define me鈥� The only thing I would have considered more was my 听career.鈥澨�

Liam, who was a Prison Case Management Officer, says, 听鈥淎fter the show went to air I was not able to return back to work; for 听me that was an eight year career gone.鈥�听

Referencing the controversy which erupted after his sexuality was 听revealed to his on-screen wife (couples have a wedding but do not 听actually sign legal wedding papers) Georgia Fairweather, Liam 听says, 鈥淚 wish I wasn鈥檛 outed the way I was, but it happened. I knew I 听could have been honest with Georgia. I was always going to be 听honest in regard to my sexuality, and who I was. I would never hide 听that from anyone; however I wish I could have told Georgia 听differently.”

“I guess I was blindsided by how they outed me to 听everyone. Now I feel it has started conversations and people are 听starting to understand a little more, which is a good thing. No one 听should be outed or have to come out. Heterosexuals do not have to 听come out so why does anyone from the 17c起草社区IA + community 听have to? I wanted to tell Georgia in my own way, not have six 听randoms (at the time) and my new wife all look at me and judge me 听for being bisexual. Most people don鈥檛 know but I actually came out on the show. My brother and sister knew and a close circle of my 听friends but that was all.鈥�听

Life After ‘MAFS’

 

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Samuel tells the 17c起草社区 that he went on his season of MAFS 鈥渢o show the nation that being gay, bi, or however you identify is听totally 100% ok, which is something I will always stand by. I was 听openly gay before going on MAFS, and being one of the first same sex couples within the MAFS franchise. I knew what I was getting 听myself into.听

In all honesty, nothing ever prepares you for the 听backlash that can come from being on a Reality TV show. I certainly 听learnt a lot about myself, especially watching it back, and became a 听much better person for it. Now that I know I have been the reason 听why so many young people have felt comfortable to come out, that 听makes me bloody happy.鈥�听

What鈥檚 next for the reality stars and their relationship? Liam says, 听鈥淵es, we鈥檙e in the media but we are normal people who are in a 听relationship. What鈥檚 key for us is open communication. At the end of 听the day we鈥檙e not in a relationship with the media, we are in a 听relationship with each other.鈥� 听

鈥淲e have a diverse range of interests but I think that鈥檚 what drew us 听together. When we went skydiving that was the first time for me but 听Samuel had (done it) three times already. I鈥檓 a country boy, and Samuel 听enjoys spending time on the farm. Our lives just join into each 听other鈥檚 and compliment one another perfectly.鈥� 听

Samuel says he plans to take Liam 鈥渂ack home to New Zealand to 听meet my family, as I have met his nearest and dearest. Now it鈥檚 just 听taking each day, week and month as it comes, like any ordinary 听肠辞耻辫濒别.鈥�