Married At First Sight's Mel Akbay has unveiled her incredible 20kg weight loss transformation before walking down the aisle.

Speaking to Daily Mail, the 28-year-old bride revealed that while her physical transformation was significant, the biggest breakthrough came mentally.

'For me, the biggest change wasn't actually physical - it was my mindset,' she said.

'For a long time I thought I'd finally be happy once I lost weight but what I realised was that I was using food as comfort because I was really sad within myself.'

Mel candidly admitted emotional eating was something she had long struggled with, but said she has since developed healthier coping mechanisms.

'Relying on food when I'm sad is still something I work on but I've learnt healthier ways to cope like exercise, routine, getting outside even when I feel like staying in bed,' she explained.

'I focus a lot on my mental health and being kinder to myself.'

Her transformation did not happen overnight.

Instead, Mel said it was the result of five to six years of consistent work, self-reflection and determination.

'It wasn't an overnight transformation. It took me 5-6 years but I'm in a much happier and healthier place now than I was back then,' she shared.

'And the person I have become is someone that's happy and motivated because I started acting like the person I wanted to be until I became her.'

Mel, who was paired with farmer Luke Fourniotis on the dating show earlier this year, shared a deeply personal glimpse into her years-long health overhaul, posting a series of before-and-after images documenting her dramatic evolution.

One image showed Mel in her younger years, bundled up in winter clothing by the waterfront, while another captured her during an intense boxing workout as she began taking control of her health.

More recent snaps showcased the reality star looking fitter and more confident than ever, flaunting her toned physique in activewear during an outdoor workout. 

Mel's inspiring journey comes as fans prepare to see her search for love on MAFS, with viewers already taking a keen interest in the bride's life before the cameras started rolling.

Her candid admission is likely to resonate with many Australians, as she highlighted the emotional and mental battles often hidden behind physical transformations.

Mel previously made headlines when she broke her silence after being engulfed by a wave of online hate that she claims left her fearful of leaving her home.

The 2026 bride became one of the most talked-about stars of the season after her awkward marriage to Luke unravelled in front of millions.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Mel admitted watching herself back was 'tough' and 'traumatising'.

'I feel like I can breathe again after this intense journey,' Mel began, before confessing she was blindsided by how she came across on screen.

'Watching it back, I was like, I was the most naïve person in the world,' she said.

'I still take full accountability for the way I acted… but the problem was they took the worst moments of me and they made that my storyline.'

As the show aired, the backlash spiralled so quickly she says she stopped leaving her house.

'For the last, like, three weeks since the show has aired, I have been genuinely too scared to go outside,' she said.

'People think they know Mel from MAFS. Mel from MAFS isn't a real person. I am a real person.'

Mel revealed she applied on a whim, believing the glossy promise that the experts would genuinely match her with her person.

'I just wanted to take a leap. I was like, you know, I'm single. Why not try?' she explained.

'When you go through the process… you really believe, 'Oh my God, I'm going to fall in love.'

But that optimism evaporated the moment she walked down the aisle and realised Luke wasn't standing at the end of it.

'As soon as I walked down and I didn't see Luke standing there, I just felt like, I was going to be the joke of the show,' she said.

'My family's here. My best friends are here. What are they going to think?'

Luke eventually arrived late, dancing his way in, and Mel admitted she felt 'hurt' and 'embarrassed' more than furious.

'I wasn't angry, angry, but I was upset,' she said.

'I was humiliated.'

Despite the rocky start, Mel insisted she did try to make an effort with Luke, even revealing a small detail viewers never saw coming: she once gifted him gum because he chews it constantly.

'Luke loves chewing gum… I got him a three pack of his favourite gum. 'Cause that guy chews gum like no tomorrow,' she laughed.

But when it came to chemistry, Mel says she couldn't force what wasn't there.

'To be honest, when I saw Luke walking towards me, it was kind of like, I just didn't feel anything,' she admitted.

'He's not my usual type, no, but I don't think he's unattractive… I know Luke is attractive, but was I attracted to him? No.'

She also didn't shy away from a truth that has followed her all season. 

'I never wanted to lead him on,' she said.

'I wasn't into him… can you imagine kissing someone that you don't have feelings for?'

Mel claimed her earliest weeks were fuelled by panic and a feeling she couldn't escape.

'I genuinely didn't want to be there. Like I wanted to leave and I felt like I couldn't,' she said.

'When you're in an environment where you feel so trapped and you can't escape, it makes you depressed. It makes you mentally unstable.'

She said Luke convinced her to give it another week after the first commitment ceremony, and for a brief moment, they found a rhythm.

'We had a good week. Like we went out to dinner, we watched movies together, we went for walks,' she said.

But she soon realised the connection was friendship, not romance, and she couldn't continue.

'I'm not there to be Luke's friend,' she said. 'And I just couldn't lie to myself and be like, "Okay, just pretend to like him".'