Falling in love is one of life’s most beautiful gifts.
As a country, our appetite for watching other people try and find The One is fed through a hearty serving of reality TV shows.
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From The Bachelorette, The Bachelor, Love Island, Bachelor in Paradise and of course kicking off the year, Married At First Sight, there’s literally a show about the Big L on every channel.
And it takes a very special kind of person to apply for reality TV, let alone one where you willingly sign up and marry a total stranger.
But since it’s launch in Australia four years ago, Married At First Sight has evolved into a whole new beast.
Gone are the charming Farmer Wants A Wife-meets-Blind Date vibes and these days, it’s all about partner swapping, cheating and watching a 29-year-old man lose his virginity on national TV.
As we kick off an explosive new series that’s already riddled with cheating scandals, we break down the complicated, incestuous web of partner swapping from every season of MAFS! Warning: You may need a shower after reading this…
Jono Pitman and Nicole Heir
They might not have been on the same season but it didn’t stop them from cross-pollinating back in 2016.
After his disastrous marriage to Clare Verrall season two star Jono Pitman, who is best known for his “that’s not what I ordered” gaffe, was linked to season three beauty Nicole Heir after she posted a cosy pictured of the pair on Instagram.
Season three star Nicole Heir cuddles with with season two “villain” Jono. (Image: Instagram)
“New friends and new adventures. #believeeverythingyouread,” she cryptically penned at the time.
But alas, their romance wasn’t meant to be and it wasn’t long before Jono crossed paths with another blonde beauty from the show…
WATCH: Jono and “wife” Clare clash. Post continues after the video…
Jono Pitman and Michelle Marsh
If at first the experts don’t succeed, keep trying with another bride! And that’s exactly what Jono did in 2017 with season four’s Michelle Marsh.
Just weeks after she left her TV hubby Jesse Konstantinoff, Michelle said she and Jono formed a strong “bond” over their reality TV experiences.
“We are really enjoying hanging out together,” she told OK! at the time.
So what did Michelle’s twin Shaz make of the coupling?
“I watched the show and I thought he was fine. I think it was just the aftermath [where] people got a negative vibe. He seems like a really grounded guy,” Shaz explained.
It looks like their short-lived romance eventually faded out and Jono has since found love with Rebecca Pattison with the couple expecting their first baby later this year.
Jono and Michelle hit it off. (Image: Instagram)
Jonathan Troughton and Scarlett Cooper
These two are responsible for bringing the partner swapping onto the small screen.
While their predecessors preferred to meet-up after the cameras had stopped rolling, season four stars Jonathan Troughton and Scarlett Cooper found themselves in the middle of the very first MAFS texting scandal and thus paved the way for the Deans and Davinas of the show.
WATCH: Cheryl breaks down after confronting Jono over his texts. Post continues…
After the first dinner party, Jonathon and Scarlett hit it off so much that they swapped numbers and spent the entire night sending flirty texts to each other.
Jonathon’s wife Cheryl Maitland was so blindsided by Jono’s actions, she dumped him.
“I hate disloyal people. I heard you last night saying you got paired with the wrong person. And then you swapped numbers and you have been talking to each other,” Cheryl wept.
For everything we couldn’t print and more, listen to the MAFS Confessional podcast below!
Game changer: Scarlett and Jono’s texting scandal was the first time a drama of its kind was broadcast on MAFS. (Image: Channel Nine)
Cheryl Maitland and Andrew “Jonesy” Jones
After her marriage with Jono combusted when he was caught texting co-star Scarlett, the hairdresser re-entered the experiment with Andrew “Jonesy” Jones, who was ditched by runaway bride Lauren Bran.
Their re-coupling proved explosive and soon became the show’s dominant plot line.
From claims Andrew found another man in Cheryl’s bed (who apparently was her gay besite), to the firefighter’s cringe-worthy attempts to serenade Chezza with his guitar, Chez and Jonesy were a producer’s dream come true and were obviously never going to make it in the real world.
Helloooo ratings!
Cheryl and Andrew re-entered the competition together but left single. (Image: Channel Nine)
Andrew “Jonesy” Jones and Scarlett Cooper
Not long after his bust-up with Cheryl, Jonesy was pictured holding hands with Scarlett Cooper in his hometown of Perth, Scarlett reportedly even stayed at his place.
Sadly they couldn’t survive the MAFS curse and Scarlett took to social media to upload what looked to be Andrew’s profile on Tinder. “When your bf is on Tinder #awk,” she penned.
Andrew and Scarlett couldn’t survive the MAFS curse. (Image: Channel Nine)
(Image: Facebook)
Troy Delmege and Carly Bowyer
We must admit, we never saw this coming but the more we looked at their X-rated make-out session in a Melbourne park, the more we embraced this bizarre coupling we didn’t know we needed.
Last year’s resident comedian Troy Delmege was matched with flight attendant Ashley Irvin but it failed to lift off and the pair mutually decided to call it quits.
While Carly Bowyer’s marriage to millionaire Justin Fischer was as stale as an out-of-date Cruskit.
So good on Troy and Carly for testing out the waters, most likely calling up the paps and enjoying a dry humping session in the park.
Look away now, Justin and Ashley! Troy and Carly’s make-out session in a Melbourne park made headlines around the nation last year. (Image/Splash)
Was their spark legit or merely a showmance to extend their 15 minutes? You be the judge! (Image/Splash)
In a surprise twist, Troy and Carly debuted their shock coupling by walking hand-in-hand to the reunion episode together.
There’s no denying their switcheroo made for great TV but sadly the pair couldn’t make their romance last in the real world and they announced their split in August last year.
Pillow talk: Troy and Carly cuddle up in bed. (Image: Channel Nine)
Davina Rankin and Dean Wells
Saving the best (or most scripted!) til last, season five super-villains Davina Rankin and Dean Wells’ forbidden love became Australia’s guilty pleasure.
After hitting it off at a dinner party, Dean and Davina decided they have a much better connection with one another and unbeknownst to their respective “husband and wives”, Ryan Gallagher and Tracey Jewel, met up for a date.
The pair made a secret pact to ditch their spouses and continue the experiment with each other.
But in the mother of all plot twists, Dean changed his mind and stitched Davina up, running back to his TV wife Tracey in the most cringe-worthy of commitment ceremonies.
A devastated Davina was left humiliated and was left stuck with Ryan, until they eventually broke up.
Davina and Dean made a secret pact to be together but the bikini model was stitched up. (Image: Channel Nine)
But Deano still reckons he did nothing wrong.
“In my mind, I didn’t cheat. I only met with Davina to discuss how we weren’t happy with our partners. It did get a little bit romantic, and I did have thoughts of leaving Tracey,” he told TV WEEK.
“But we never kissed on the lips or were intimate in anyway. I wasn’t completely honest with Tracey, but I didn’t cheat on her.” Ain’t love grand!
Despite Tracey and Dean trying to patch things up through the power of rap and skateboarding, Tracey finally dumped Dean at the last commitment ceremony and has no regrets.
“If the cheating didn’t happen and the other bits and pieces didn’t happen, I think we could have had a real shot at a relationship,” she explained to TV WEEK last year.
“It’s hard enough to do long distance without all our issues. With the cheating and the disrespect at the boys’ night, there’s just so much murky water.”
Tracey Jewel, Justin Fischer and Sean Thomsen
Last year, a local publication claimed Tracey Jewel slept with Justin Fischer on a boozy night out while her TV husband Dean was in the other room, however the mother-of-one since slammed the reports.
“This is completely untrue and defamatory,” she told the Daily Mail.
It’s not the only groom she’s was linked to during season five.
In yet another plot twist, Tracey emerged at the finale with Blair Rachel’s husband Sean Thomsen.
Tracey and Sean dated for several months before, shock horror, it all came crashing down.
“I’m free and there are no dramas in my life anymore. II can get fit, move to Melbourne and wake up each day knowing I’m not going to have an argument,” Sean told Woman’s Day in May of their drama-fuelled split.
Tracey and Sean debuted their new romance at the Married at First Sight reunion episode but broke up after five months of dating. (Image: Channel Nine)
Alycia Galbraith and Ryan Gallagher
Now here’s a switcheroo we can get behind!
Following her early departure from season five of the Channel 9 show after the breakdown of her marriage with Mat Lockett, Sydney stunner Alycia Galbraith was linked to Davina Rankin’s husband Ryan Gallagher.
“Ryan and Alycia are already in contact and everyone thinks they’d make a great couple,” a source told NW magazine.
Alycia and Ryan would have make an adorable duo! (Image: Channel Nine)
Ryan Gallagher and Ashley Irvin
Season five hottie Ryan was a very in demand man during his series.
In February last year, fans were sent into a spin after photos surfaced of Ryan and Ash enjoying a shopping date in Queensland.
Speaking to the Canberra Times, Ryan explained they organised to hang out after he jetted to Queensland to help his dad with a building assignment near the blonde bride’s home.
“I rang her and said, ‘What are you doing?’ And she said, ‘Just playing tennis all day, I’m not working’. And I said, ‘I’ll play tennis, I’m coming,” he told the publication.
Ryan, who has had his fair share of drama this season thanks to Davina cheating on him with Dean Wells, insists he and Ashley are just good friends.
While Ash admitted she had a crush on the tradie.
“Ryan is hot. But during the experiment, I wanted to be loyal,” she said to TV WEEK.
Alas, it appeared to be one big publicity stunt as just months later Ash was pictured on a “date” with co-star Justin Fischer.
Ash admitted she had a secret crush on Ryan… (Image: Channel Nine)
But was pictured on a romantic date with Justin Fischer just a few months later. (Image: Instagram)
Sam Ball and Ines Basic
We’re just two weeks into the season six of MAFS and speculation is already rife that Sam Ball cheats on wife Elizabeth Sobinoff with cast member Ines Basic, who is matched with Bronson Norrish.
Insiders have told the Daily Mail Australia that the tradie walked out of the experiment just three weeks in and said that appearing on the show was a “big mistake and [he] regrets it all.”
Apparently Sam wanted to bail on MAFS as soon as he was matched with Elizabeth but tried to give “producers what they wanted” by pursuing Ines, knowing it would be a salacious plot line.
The report also claims Sam and Ines’ fling wasn’t serious and quickly fizzled out.
“It wasn’t serious with Ines, he just felt trapped on the show and wasn’t happy with Elizabeth,” the source revealed.
So, the question begs did this actually happen?!
A well-placed insider confirms to Now to Love that Sam and Ines did indeed briefly hook up during the show.
“They hooked up and it was against all morals and values of marriage,” the insider tells us.
Well there you go, did someone say Dean and Davina 2.0?
Introducing our 2019 MAFS love triangle: Sam is believed to cheat on Elizabeth with Ines. (Images: Channel Nine)
