Max Turpeinen, 31, and Belinda Hillman, 26, have been removed from SVT's "Gift vid första ögonkastet XL," Aftonbladet reports. The decision was announced by psychologist Anna Bennich during the programme's vow ceremony, after the experts concluded that the pair had given them almost nothing to work with.
According to Aftonbladet, the couple had kept their thoughts and feelings largely to themselves for most of the season. At the previous couples' dinner they drew attention for terse answers and, according to some of the other participants, for behaving rudely. At the end of the preceding week's episode, the experts hinted that Max and Belinda might have to leave; that outcome is now confirmed.
Why it matters
The dismissal is the season's most concrete consequence of a conflict built into the format itself: participants are expected to open up in exchange for expert guidance, and the experts say that exchange did not happen here. It also lands in a season already marked by departures behind the camera and on it — Aftonbladet has reported that participant Tobias Sahlin quit the show, and Dagens Nyheter has reported that Anna Bennich herself is leaving. The decision has therefore drawn attention beyond the couple it concerns, raising questions about how much the programme can demand of people who apply to take part.
Experts cite lack of information
In the episode, Bennich explained that the expert panel had deliberated at length because it had struggled to obtain any information at all from the couple. She said the couples' dinners and the time the pair had spent on the show had made clear that considerable dissatisfaction existed.
She then referred to a conversation Max and Belinda had with Edin Memic, 28, after the most recent couples' dinner. In that conversation, Max acknowledged that he needed help finding the right match — but nothing beyond that. According to Bennich, hearing his reasoning made the situation clear to the experts.
She told the couple that the experiment apparently had nothing to offer them, and that they in turn seemed to have no wish to offer anything to the experiment. On that basis, the panel considered their participation over.
Aftonbladet reports that Max and Belinda had repeatedly asked the experts for advice and analysis while withholding meaningful information about their relationship. Several other participants were surprised by the expulsion in the episode but said they understood the reasoning.
Participants react
Olivia Björklund said in the programme that a couple who speak unpleasantly and keep things to themselves while still wanting help with what might happen later could just as well search online for what to expect after a certain number of months together. In her view, such a couple does not need to occupy a place in the experiment.
Max disputed the panel's assessment. He said he did not believe that he and Belinda were incapable of expressing themselves, and that he had expected three experts with their level of expertise to achieve more. He added that he thought they had been unable to identify straightforward issues or even to practise their professions.
Belinda, for her part, remarked that having problems in a relationship apparently counts as a positive thing, and wished the other couples well.
Neither the couple nor SVT has indicated what follows for the remaining participants, and the next episode will show how the group responds to the departure.
