Married At First Sight: The Real Reason Cameron Frazer & Clare Kerr Aren’t Compatible

Married At First Sight season 17 is almost over, but Cameron Frazer and Clare Kerr’s marriage ended long ago, due to a lack of compatibility. Relationship experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Pastor Calvin “Cal” Roberson, and Dr. Pia Holec matched a total of six couples this season. However, three of the couples have already broken up, leaving only three married couples left heading towards Decision Day. None of the remaining couples appear to be on track for a happy ending.

The long-running dating series doesn’t have a good track record. Since premiering in 2014, the show has been marrying strangers paired together by the relationship experts who are also there to help the couples work through any issues. Though the show has had some success stories, like Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner from season 1, the married strangers usually break up. Among the many couples that didn’t work out are Cameron and Clare of Married At First Sight season 17, who broke up because they simply weren’t compatible enough.

Cameron & Clare Separated After One Month

2nd Shortest Marriage Of The Season

Though they separated after only one month of marriage, Cameron and Clare weren’t Married At First Sight season 17’s shortest marriage. That dubious honor goes to Orion and Lauren, who lasted only 10 days and didn’t even make it past their honeymoon. One couple ended at the altar, as Michael Shiakallis was jilted by a runaway bride who came down the aisle but decided she couldn’t marry a stranger after all. By the time Michael was marrying his second bride, Cameron and Clare had already broken up, and she was attending the wedding alone.

The three remaining couples, which include Michael and his second bride, Chloe Brown, are all struggling as Decision Day nears. Becca and Austin are still struggling to get on the same page about intimacy. Brennan and Emily are having trouble because of a lack of attraction as well as differences in temperament. Michael and Chloe are working through the fact that Michael’s gender-non-conforming style gives Chloe the icks. At this point, it would appear that the Married At First Sight relationship experts had failed in all of their season 17 matches.

Clare Has Been Participating With Other Couples Without Cameron

Clare Has Been Reaching Out

While Cameron has been at home recovering from a heart condition, Clare has been participating in activities with the other couples from Married At First Sight season 17. A few episodes ago, Clare attended Michael and Chloe’s wedding (via E! News), along with the other couples, and the event made her miss Cameron. She even stepped aside at one point during the festivities to call Cameron, but he didn’t take her call, so she had to leave a message. Clare has been reaching out to Cameron ever since she heard the news about his heart condition, but he hasn’t been willing to let her in.

Clare joined the other Married At First Sight season 17 couples for a couple’s retreat where the couples played games, competed in challenges, and spent time together. While there, Clare talked to Lauren about her relationship with Cameron and his inability to let her in. Clare told Lauren she wanted to talk to Cameron, but that he preferred to go through difficult things alone. Clare said she wished he would lean on her, but she understood that she and Cameron approach these things differently. Her analysis of their incompatibility is spot on and another example of why they don’t work.

Why Cameron Thinks He & Clare Aren’t Compatible

Bad Timing

During the most recent episode of Married At First Sight season 17, Cameron told Brennan that Clare had been growing while spending time with the other couples in his absence. He complained that she expected him to be growing too while he was at home recovering. He sees the fact that they grew apart and at different paces as another example of their lack of compatibility.

Cameron did, however, say that he would stay married to Clare if she wanted to. This was surprising to hear, as Cameron didn’t seem to fight very hard to make it work with Clare when he had the chance. His comment does suggest that Cameron’s feelings for Clare may have been stronger than he had let on during their marriage. Perhaps he didn’t realize what he had with Clare until he got sick, and she wasn’t around any longer.

Clare & Cameron Have Other Differences

Irreconcilable Differences

Clare and Cameron didn’t have as much initial chemistry as some of the other Married At First Sight season 17 couples, but they both expressed an enormous amount of respect for each other. Especially Cameron, who even referred to Clare as one of the best people he had ever known. That being said, their differences got in the way from the moment they met. One major issue between them is a lack of physical attraction, though that is something that can come with time.

A lack of initial attraction could be overcome with dedication and patience. Harder to overcome is the major difference in Clare and Cameron’s views on religion. The devoutly Catholic Clare wants to raise her children with religion, while Cameron, an atheist, does not. This is an insurmountable difference that is unlikely to be reconciled. It’s hard to understand why this wasn’t something that the experts saw right away.