I Sat Down With Eliot And Apologised To Him… (Full Interview)

Hello, and welcome back to the Mathsphony Podcast with me Joshua Fox. You know, like on the show, how the contestants talk about going on like a real journey throughout the experiment within their relationships, Well that's not too different from what I do here on this podcast. You know, I'm on my own journey with many of these cast members, and one person I've gone full circle with now is Elliott. And now he's off the show. I thought, you know what,

Yeah, all right, now you can be nice to me. Yeah, everyone likes me.

Well, Elliott, I would first like to start this by giving you a gift.

Is this an apology letter? All right?

All right, it's a really nice Hallmark card. Congratulations to you for proving you're not a flop.

Look at that.

You know, I was expecting this. I was expecting some money to come out though.

Yeah we're on a budget.

No fifties in there.

Dear Elliott on behalf of Australia. I'm sorry and I'm in that and I accept your apology.

You're forgiven.

But I think you are the perfect example right of how we can be fed a certain narrative from certain personality of someone that isn't true because at the start, as I've told you, I thought you were a dickhead.

Yeah, and then we.

Spoke on the phone that time and I fet, oh, he's actually okay. Then you came back and then he was like, oh, steering towards dick and again. But then you made a TikTok showing your actual personality here, and then I was like, he's actually funny.

I would okay, I would. I would agree with some parts, disagree with some parts. I think when I came back, right, and I was kind of having a joke about the margarita comment.

Right, even a joke or shaming women.

No, it's just a joke.

Like it's like, yeah, I don't think everything has to be about shaming somebody. You know, people said things about me. I'm not gonna mention any names. And he was deliverery Le to try to shame me.

Are you talking about me?

No?

No, Lauren, Lauren, and like the whole oh he smells and all this sort of stuff.

It's like, I mean, that's shame. Mean, somebody five miga.

There's no shame in drinking five margaritas like I do that like that was never the thing, but then you took it as negative. But now it's like people come up to me at the pav and they're like five marger readers, Like everyone's buying you drinks now great, they buy them for the table they see me having having dinner next door at Tropicana and we'll get like five margaritas brought to the table on a tray.

Oh there you go. No, Like, I'm like, who bought this? And they're like, oh, it's a secret at Myra.

It's like margarite is not cheap twenty dollars minimum.

I'm just saying, yeah, people don't mind the margarita comment now, but yeah, like I definitely think that there's truth to that. You know, they I wouldn't say they can completely change to the who you are, but they can exaggerate certain parts of you. And that's that's really what happened in the start of my kind of journey. I still think that I definitely approached the experiment with the wrong mindset, you know. I treated it like a you know, matchmaking service,

And they took that away.

And then it just came across his arrogant guy like, oh my god, like he thinks he's better than everybody. And so that that's the way I see that. When I came back, I wasn't a different person. I was just treating it like an experiment, like, Okay, let's engage with this. Let's see where this takes me, not just like hang on a minute, I ordered this, not this, this is the wrong color.

Just shut it down instantly. But that was probably for the best given how we saw Lauren.

That was part of it.

As well, Like people don't see what goes on behind the can, and so they they make their assumptions based on what's shown, and they really didn't show the sides of Lauren that I saw that I was kind of like I really feel uncomfortable being on camera with this person, like and and so all these things kind of came together and that's how that whole journey happened.

But I'm like grateful.

That it all happened, Like to me, you love the public, Well, yeah, even Dave's fallen down, you've ever taken him?

Has he really? You tell me? No?

No, Look, I think the way the whole story played out, I think it was an amazing experience to be part of it.

And you know, I had to go through those tough times and couple a little bit of.

Heat again TikTok following, Yeah, maybe maybe that's what I had to do, be that guy for a bit, and yeah, that's where it led to.

But I don't know, I don't know where it's going to lead.

I think people were like they're already starting to forget who I am, and they're like, hey, hang on, why am I following this guy again?

Like what show?

Because I work in social media and I even textually the other day saying I was genuinely laughing out loud at your content. Because reality people often jump on socialism think they can just go hi and the world's going to love them.

No, well no, but they will while they're on the show, and then the minute the show is over, that high means nothing, Like it's like, you know.

The thing I noticed every Yeah, these people are maths. Afterwards, they've gained what maybe one hundred and fifty thousand followers, and they've gone from your everyday people who were on the show, and they suddenly think they're Kim Kardashian and they go, hey, guys, sir, I've not been on today. I'm wearing this.

Look at this.

And then instantly there's a disconnect because these fans are followed that regular person they enjoyed on the show, and now you're presenting yourself as above them, and that's why everyone loses followers over time. But from the start, you're just being funny. You're not trying to be famous, you're not trying to go look at me.

No, no, I don't think anyone wants that content from me. Like people like, oh, you should do this, you should do that. I'm like, I think I'm just gonna keep like making a fool of myself and making these silly videos and giving people something to laugh at, and and that's what people are coming here for, Like that's and that's what I like doing. Like I don't want to be you know, I've got Abby Chatsfield coming after me, like I need you to do this video denouncing this and this and this.

It is like, dude, like that's not who I am.

I'm not this like advocate people like, I'm just the guy trying to make light of this situation and find the humor in it.

And yeah, like there's no hate or anything.

Coming from from you know what I'm doing. It's more just like can we just kind of like laugh at the absurdity.

Of these situations that we're in it.

I mean, come on, like it's pretty ridiculous the situations that we're in. It's like, let's, you know, find some humor in it and that'll help us deal with this more than anything.

Jack. And now you've getten such a big following on socialis though that will you jump on the only fans? No? Because the money that like.

You know, what is it at the expense of people seeing your dick.

No, I don't have any plans to be on only fans. I might make one like a funny one as like a do it like a TikTok on it and it'll be like, yeah, I don know, me in like a paper g string, being like, oh this is why me and Lauren didn't work.

Isn't that old job?

What's that paper stripper? No tops?

Yeah yeah, something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I did it. I did it for about five or six years.

Yeah. And on occasion that was nude waiter.

No.

Never, I never went fully nude for that job. I did it as like, look, I was in Uni. I just I never liked going out, Like I wasn't really big on my bars or clubs, and that was like my way to kind of like socialize a little bit.

Like they're going up and take any clubs off just my shirt.

It's just like bottoms are all on. And I was like, I'm not really embarrassed.

Like sometimes it was embarrassing, like you kind of feel a little bit objectified. But then you're like, oh, well, you know women probably feel like this a lot, and.

So yeah, you're a feminist.

I don't.

I mean I ask Abby, I don't think you're with you. No, No, I think I'm pretty I would say. You know, people are like, oh he's this, he's out so pretty moderate, you know. I I see points from both sides, and I don't like to be like part of this whole like false dichotomy of like no, no.

This is bout this bad.

I think like there's nuance, there's there's you know, things need to be kind of fleshed out. But yeah, no, when I when I when I did that job, it was like more for a laugh and it was never like a long term career or anything like that. But it's funny that it all comes out. I was waiting for it.

I was like everything comes up.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean there's worse things than that, So I'm like, whatever is it?

There's only thing oh in your past already?

No no, no, no, no no. I think I'm pretty squeaky clean.

You know, more would have come out when I was like the villain and everyone hated me, Like no one came forward being like oh he's a horrible guy or this or that.

Like maybe now you're liked people you may have wronged in your past, the more incentive now to come out.

You know.

Funny thing was like when I was like hated, I had so many people reach out to me, like old friends, like people from school haven't spoken to him, like over a decade and being like that sucks that they're like editing you like that they knew that that wasn't mean. I was like, oh that feels good, Like I feel like, you know, it is just a TV show.

It is Na, yeah, yeah, like I am who I think I am, you know, and that felt good.

And you know, I obviously had like my family around me and my close friends and stuff, so that kind of helped a lot.

But yeah, no, uh, where were we have just lost my place?

How are you and Bronica? Oh, we know, we don't really talk, haven't spoken since.

Nah Na, No, It's like, look, I don't harbor any kind of grudges or anything, but we're just worlds apart in terms of the way we, you know, communicate, the way we see the world.

Do not raise your voice at me like that, Like yeah, that did make me a laugh, that's it.

Yeah, yeah, I mean it wasn't funny. At the time. I was kind of bit like, yeah it was.

I felt like, am I losing my mind in this moment? Like where the what's going on here? Like I feel like I stumbled onto a movie set and I didn't have my lines and I'm like ad libbing, like, uh, what am I supposed to say here?

Like?

Can I get a prompt?

It did seem a bit like potentially she was maybe acting in some of those sins.

Yeah, I heard you've been chatinger her though she's one of your mates, isn't she?

I phone once that That means we're closer because I make you free times.

Oh so you're a team elliott Man nobody, you know, a friend to everybody as a friend to no One, Josh friend.

So that's okay. No, I was saying I phoned her to ask if she fucked Dave because and then Jamie was maybe hinting she wasn't showing her interviews, so I just found her. And Veronica says, now they they grew close because they both their fathers are kind of going through stuff and they bonded over that. But that context was not on the show obviously.

Oh right, Yeah, so she empathized with Dave and his father.

Yeah, because her dad had a stroke. I think, yeah, a stroke before the show.

I would have loved to be of that empathy.

I don't know where to take this note.

No, I don't know.

I look the I'm going to be a bit controversial here. But she saw Dave as a useful idiot in that situation. I don't know if they slept together, Like it's pretty suss the way they were giggling in bed and everything. I don't even think that's the important thing. Like she kind of used Dave as like, watch me get Elliott back. I'm gonna get Dave on my side, and I'm gonna tell Elliott how great Dave is and how perfect he is.

And that backfiright.

Well, the thing was is like they showed me being attentive and doing the things that she was talking about while she was you know, telling me off for not doing them. So it's like I couldn't I couldn't take that seriously. There was there was no truth in what she was saying. I mean the scene of the seas at the Last Commendment ceremony where they turned to the.

Group and they get everyone.

They didn't even show everyone piped up about like the couple's retreat and how like all these little things we did for each other.

Well I did for her, and they only showed a.

Couple of them, you know, people talking about the games and stuff like that, But there was a lot more to that.

So I mean, are.

You saying context was caught out of marred at first sight.

No, no, but they they didn't need that.

I feel like they kind of like in a way, they sort of protected her a bit. They didn't show how bad that scene got where she was yelling and like carrying on, like it went a lot deeper than what you saw.

So you guys haven't spoken since reunion? Do you ever have plans to reach out? Oh?

Yeah, no, we don't talk. I don't you know, we've we've got irreconcilable.

Ift like me or my ex husband exactly.

Yeah, I don't think we'll ever see eye. I have no.

I don't harbor any kind of grudges, despite what you might think of my TikTok.

That's there.

Just now, that's comedy.

I can see that.

You're not being mean. You're just poking for a stupid storyline.

Exactly.

It's like, if anything, I'm deprecating myself in that more than anything, being like, oh, look, my wife's sleeping with somebody else and I'm here like an idiot, Like that's none of it is from a place of hate. It's all just like let's kind of have you know, laugh.

But I think that's a good example you're setting, because if you're poking for at that, you're basically telling the viewers, don't get angry, don't get raped, don't go and hate ryon kare just with me exactly.

These are characters in this show, no one. I don't think anyone deserves to be hated, like I think people can. They should look at their actions and what they've done and and try to be better and learn from them. And I say that about you know, everybody that made mistakes on the show. I don't think anyone deserves to be like canceled and be you know, exiled. And you know, I don't believe that. I think that, you know, obviously people made mistakes and they should be held to account

Because you had a what you said was a controversial take on the Pilon Karna thing. Then well what was that that where viewers were saying he should have been sent home? You think production, Yeah, look.

I think you're going a bit too hard on Channel nine about that, like.

Mine personally, Yeah, yeh yeah, you're like going after them.

You're like, I don't even see that it's not even Maths funny anymore. It's like, no, we're mass bread serious, thank you, I'm Maths depressed. No, I the way I look at it right, And I I vehemently denounced what Paul did.

I did it on the show. I do it now.

I think that there's never any reason for anyone to be violent, especially in the context of being alone with a woman. I think that's despicable behavior. And I said it to him, and I said it on camera, and I'll say to anyone who asked me. But at the same time, Channel nine have a duty of care. And Carina and Paul are at that stage still very loved up.

And how much have Channel nine paid you to no? I mean now I will say, if they're offering I haven't thought about it from that perspective, and I think that is actually valid. You raise good points. But for me, and why I have kind of pushed this storyline is because it's what it represents the white to Australia. Imagine any man who's at home who has acted violent with his wife and she's obviously been upset and she'll say, don't do that again, and you know, he's a violent person.

And then I think they made it a big deal on the show. Like when watching it, I think they tried very hard to show that that is not acceptable behavior, it is a big problem in Australia and that it will be met with repercussions. He does need to work on it is a real issue, like he has to do you know, these counseling.

But they should have shown that them because to make it a big point of it, they then sent him on holiday with you guys to Byron By two days after. Was that his punishment?

No, he did have to do he he is, well, he was doing this anger management counseling, and they showed it on the show. They said like, this is what is being done, this is what you have to follow. I think that, given the circumstances, was better than just giving him the boot. It's almost like kind of like you do that. That's kind of a cop out, really saying that's not our problem. Let the world deal with that.

Exactly.

And you don't know what would have happened if they just kicked him out and they went back to Perth together, because they were very much still a couple at that point, and they would have stayed a couple. I can tell you they were very like into each other, very affectionate, even after he punched the wall.

So yeah, that's that's how I see it anyway.

Okay, Well, I appreciate your opinion. I don't agree with it still, and I think it's a dangerous example, but a.

Bit a bit of what's more dangerous example is like just kicking him out, letting what happens happen?

Is that a better example? What would you would have done? What's the best?

What's what is your opinion on the best best way forward?

If I was a producer on that show, and I've got producer experience, but radio, I would have brought a producer on camera and I would have immediately they would have been in the scene where they take pol a side and explain the ramifications of that. Not Koreina next day upset, saying it no, he should have been removed and they should have said to him, this is why we're now removing you from the show because we do not condone this on this set. We do not want to include you and keep your hair.

That's a that's a good point, and I agree with you on they should have pulled it aside immediately, and I think that you're right.

No, just to circle back to not on this time, just could you say, like, I personally am going hard against nine and it's not because people have this idea that they think I'm trying to cancel the show. But I've followed this show for so many years, and I know I've pretty much worked with every cast member in some capacity, and the amount of people who have over the years said to the point they've been pushed to

I mean, I think that's a good analogy for society in itself. It's like things are getting.

More and more extreme.

Yes, well yeah, like everything life in general just continually gets more and more extreme, and so you could see it as just an extension of that, and I would agree with you, like I think there needs.

To be boundaries.

I think they need to respect, you know, people's lives, and they shouldn't destroy people. So completely I agree with you there, but I think at the same time, your channel is mass funny, and we just want a bit of that maths funny backing between, I'm just saying every time Mass Funny pops up, now, I'm like, oh, no, Like, can I get something like less depressing?

I don't need this heaviness. It's like, Josh, you're this funny, like witty, gregarious guy.

Yeah, I know.

I'm like, you're like Tracy Grimshaw.

Now I'm like, oh Josh, please, like, can we can I get a bit of that maths funny back Like that old mass funny. Mostly No, I don't. I didn't find that funny. I found it like a bit shocking and a bit yeah.

His response was shocking. He says, it's a me problem. What's in on the show? Don't think so, mate.

I don't know. It just seemed like it seems too like gotcha, I don't know. I think I think.

That's no.

That's literally what it felt like. But people tune in to you to lighten their day out. They don't want that heaviness. They don't want.

The like just let me like I just had a hard day's work.

I'm trying to relax.

Oh now I'm going to deal with like the today, the crippling failings of this you know, rogue TV show that's fallen of ve Oh, like no, no, no, can I get a bit of like just some lightheartedness please, Like I want to see Josh like you know, find someone on the street and get them like Johnny, but like in a funny way, like you know what I mean, Like about Margarite, it's catch him and like ah, like

I think you're a funny, funny guy. But in my yeah, at the moment, I'm like, I want.

That old Josh back, Like where's the where's the old Josh?

Like that shell that's I appreciate that.

Moving on, all right, what's funny on my list of questions?

Maybe maybe you can I'll make the new Mass funny and that'll be my job.

And then and then you.

Can be Map's funnier.

Yeah, yeah, and then and then you can go down that that current affair pathway.

But John Akin should have answered my questions before.

I think he's under a contract where he's not allowed to. I would say, like he's you know, the dude's it's his job. You know, he's not a I would say, John, once the clock off, like, let the dude. He's not He's not deciding who stays and goes in that situation.

John Aikin's two favorite words in the show were are the accountability and deflection. I tried to hold him accountable. He deflected fast up face close.

I could I could be on your side on that one because I was on the other end of those words. But I don't think I don't think it's fair to put these people in that situation. I don't think he's the guy that you need to talk to about that.

Quick fire questions.

Okay, let's do it.

One word to describe Dave.

Oh quick, he called me off guard.

That's the point of the game.

I would say nice in air quotations. Okay, so not nice, nice guy.

One word to describe Lauren.

Not nice. No, No, my word to describe Lauren would just be better.

One word to describe Vertica, Uh, oh god, you suck a question.

Agree.

One word to describe Josh.

I wish it was funny, so do I?

I wish who's the most genuine on the show?

Jamie by far?

Okay, who's biggest flop of the season?

Lauren? How she conducted herself.

I think if you're going to be much with anyone else.

I don't feel like that's appropriate for me to say. I feel like all the other brides, I feel like I ended up being friends with and they had their own relationships, and it feels weird to think of them in that say, in that sense, So I wouldn't say any of them yeah.

A lovely response.

No no, But that's that's literally how I feel like I don't. Yeah, Like look at when I did that photo rating ranking challenge, I didn't. I just like slapped them on the table and put Vronica first, and like I copt it for that.

I was like the worst guy in the world.

But it was like, that's not appropriate for me to sit there and comment about what I find attracting these girls. It's like, these are like starting to become my friends. I don't want to like say anything about them that is going to end up. I don't know, it's just got an uncomfortable situation.

Most like listed you on Only Fans.

Maybe Dave big Day, Well, Billy, No, Billy, it'd be Billy.

Yeah, it'll be Billy. Yeah, what do you think? What's your take?

Yeah, Billy with the baby oil. Isn't he the one posing with baby? Is he already on Only Fans with the baby?

Yeah, he's doing club appearances and sat with pap pictures and yeah, so maybe definitely Billy. And are you likely to join cameo like the rest of the boys I did.

I did a skit on that on TikTok because I saw they were all on it, and I came up with this idea of like, oh imagine if I went on and then Lauren hired me and I did one and it was obviously a joke, and I thought it was funny, like I make these and I like laughing a moment jokes like and uh, and then everyone's like messaging me and doing comments like I can't find you on cameo, I can't find your camera. I was like, I'm not going to do a cameo.

I thought about it, and it.

Just feels a bit, I don't know, bits leazy, just trying to get a little cash grab. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking one hundred dollars or whatever they charge off somebody for doing a video message.

I don't know.

It just doesn't I said, I'll just do I'll make a video about this, but I'll do free cameos on my TikTok. I'll undercut they even I'll destroy their business. You just like, if you've got a funny situation or event that I can comment on, and you give me some real funny things to like that I can sink

It just feel weird that you people have been on a show for five minutes and now it's one hundred dollars to wish them.

Are you You're not? Like, I don't know.

I'm all for you people making money off the back of the show, but I don't know to that weird.

I think that if I was gonna try to make money off the back of it, it would be by doing something.

That is actually valuable to people, Like it would.

Be starting something that isn't just because I was on the show, like a brand that I feel like I could actually bring value to. That would be okay. That would sit okay with me. If people got behind it and they're like, oh, like this is something where you know, we really do kind of like appreciate Elio's input on it, then yeah. But if it's just like he give me some cash and I'll like make a video for you, it's like, yeah, no, I don't know.

If that doesn't feel right.

I don't think I'm going to in findulce to ask you. I feel like you've kind of like we could go into the drama, but I just feel like, what's the point.

With Like I have no drama with anyone.

Yeah, you know, like I the thing is is, like I say this stuff like laughing. I have zero ill will to anybody from the show. I think that was a really interesting group of people and and I'm so grateful to have shared that experience with all of them. And everyone played their role and they character in the story, and I don't have anything negative to say about any of them. Like I think that people have things they can learn from from looking back at the way they behaved.

A beer with. You know.

It's weird for me watching people come out and be like going hard against other people and being like no, it's like, oh, like come on, like can we just like be like wow, that was a journey that we went on together, like.

That was pretty cool.

Yeah, that's not going to happen.

No, I don't know.

They're like no, this person did this, and it's like it's weird because they were friends when they were filming it, and now they're like.

That was the worst person in the world.

It's like we all hung out together, we were like, I don't know, it's weird to me.

I don't know how they can do that backflip.

Yeah, well that's reality TV. They can.

And then they get out of it and then they're knife and each other and like, well.

That's how kind of people stay relevant in this game, like to test someone else down, to push yourself up.

Sadly, Yeah, I don't know, it's weird. I'm all for jokes. I'm all for taking the piss out of each other. But but it's it's a joke, you know. We're just like making some humor out of it. You know, That's the way I see it. Anyway.

Well, Elliott, it's been a pleasure to have you back.

Yeah, it's good to like come back with the I'm going to keep this letter. This is going on my vision board.

I did want to can't that says I'm sorry, but there wasn't one in Cold's this morning on the word.

You know what, I like the congratulations better.

It's like you're reframing it in a positive way, you know.

What I mean.

Apparently with my whole bround.

It's like, don't don't apologize, say thanks for your patience.

Do you know what I mean? Have you ever heard that?

No?

Wow, it's not I'm sorry, I'm late.

It's like, thank you for being patient, you know, frame it in a positive way.

And are you going to start like an inspirational podcast.

I've already done that, haven't you seen? No when I did? I did.

I did do one cameo appearance already, and I did it as an inspirational one, like this guy who was his birthday and it was from his wife and I.

Yeah, well you've inspired me earlier.

There we go.

I'm gonna watch I'm gonna be watching the mass funny account. I want to see some funniness coming out. Make maths funny, Make maths funny funny again, that's my new hat.

Okay, I don't like you when the table's turn on me. Oh actually, will you just give my mom a quick message? So she's watching it in the UK, she's my UK correspondent at the minute. She's two weeks in and think she's a dickhead. I've told her she's on her whole journey and she doesn't believe it.

Listen, Mom, just like, just hold your judgment for just another couple of weeks. I guarantee you you'll you'll see where I'm coming from.

That's all I would say. And thank you for watching the journey.

And h and for raising such a funny and nice young man. And I look forward to hearing your full feedback.

At the end of the journey.

Great and get out my studio.

Do you know how many do you know how many moms and NaNs I've facetimed?

You know what people do now for it? Yeah?

You know what people do now when they catch you in the street or in public, they immediately just FaceTime whoever is the biggest fan of the show. They don't even It's not always selfies anymore. It's just you're face timing everyone's.

Nan, you know, and mom.

And you're like, oh, hey, it's like I've spent I've met so many NaNs and moms now it's not even funny, but I'm all for it.

It's been amazing experience.

You're like Princess Diana for people's person, Princess Diana of MAVs, which NASA actually has been claiming that title for years.

Who exactly, NASA, the Space Agency. Yes, yeah, I'm not a big maths you know, alumni, so I don't know all the previous maths guys.

But yeah, no, it's been it's been good. I'm loving the journey.

I've been trying to wrap this podcast about eight minutes now.

Yeah, just let me, let me tell my story, Josh.

Keep going, I'll let you cook.

No, it's yeah, it's been real.

Thanks thanks for having me on, and I love the circumstances a lot better than the last time.

Thank you, Eliot, Thank you Josh. You're welcome.