Married At First Sight NZ participant and aspiring pop singer Anna Saxton has released a song about how the reality TV experience affected her mental health.
Saxton, who goes by the stage name Saxi, calls 'Sticks and Stones' an "amazing, powerful anthem that tells my story and my experience through and after Married At First Sight".
Some of the proceeds from the song, which tackles Saxton's experiences with online bullying, will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation.
In a snippet of the song posted to Instagram, her lyrics say: "They try to cut me to the bone, but they can keep their sticks and stones."
The Cambridge-born singer recieved backlash after an episode of MAFS revealed she had a leaked sex tape and revealing photos circulating the internet.
After she split with TV husband Jordan Dare, she told Instagram followers she had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and had suicidal thoughts.
At the time, Saxton said she was working with her doctor, a counsellor and Warner Brothers - the production company behind MAFS - who were all supporting her.
"The experience was a big learning curve and it had an emotional impact on me," she said in a statement about her latest musical release.
"One of the most important things I have learnt is you can't control what others think/say and you have to let it go or it can have a negative effect on you.
"The intention of 'Sticks and Stones' is to inspire others who may have experienced similar things; to help empower them to unapologetically be themselves."
Saxton surprised her husband at the altar by singing her wedding vows to him. The pair later went on to record a duet cover of TLC's song 'Waterfalls'.
Saxton's previous releases include her 2018 track 'Sex Craze'.
