‘I’ve had Botox – but I want more work done’
Her mismatched relationship with spiritual introvert Dino thoroughly entertained fans – but the ill-fated romance meant Melissa’s time on the show came to an end at the fourth commitment ceremony. Yet the former talent agent, 38 – who confessed on the show that she hasn’t had sex since 2009 – still amassed a huge Instagram following, and says that the overnight fame was both a blessing and a curse for her confidence. She says, “I only joined Instagram just before the show filmed, and when it aired I got thousands of followers. It’s great – but while you might get hundreds of nice comments, one negative one calling you ugly really lodges in your mind. I had – and still have – people criticising my face, my weight, my loudness. It does stick with you.”
And Melissa also says that her MAFS co-stars’ transformations have inspired her to want to get surgery done herself, so that she feels better in her own skin. She says, “Since the show, I’ve had Botox, but never any surgery. But my friend Tamara has had amazing work done, and I want to see the guy she went to. I think I want a nose job and facelift, and maybe more.
“I think a lot of girls go overboard when they’re so young, but I’m older – I’m not in my teens or twenties. I’ve thought about it for a long time and done my research, and I think I’d be more confident with some work done.”
Melissa adds that, while she’s wanted to make changes to her face, the response of fans to her appearance on the show made her proud of her extrovert personality.
She says, “I know I’m loud and I talk a lot, but I had a lot of messages from people who could relate to me and said that it was great that I was just being me. I don’t think anyone should be told to dull their shine.
“The experts kept saying they matched me with Dino because he could mellow me out, while I could encourage him to come out of his shell – but we all saw how that turned out! Now, when looking for a partner, I want someone who encourages me to be me and accepts that I can be loud and a big personality. I haven’t had any relationships since the show, but let’s hope 2021 brings me the goods!”