Cam and Jules, Michael and Martha, Erin and Bryce: Married At First Sight only has three relationships that have translated into the real world in the history of the show.
The majority of this season’s couples have been nothing but disastrous, but one couple caught our attention.
From the moment he appeared in the trailers, Ivan Sarakula was painted as the quirky yet obnoxious villain, but when he laid eyes on his bride Aleksandra “Aleks” Markovic it seemed like love at first sight.
However, there have been some conflicting pieces of evidence that are making MAFS fans unsure if their reality TV romance has been successful.
It was love at first sight for Ivan.
(Image: Nine Network)On their wedding day, the two hit it off right away even though Aleks admitted Ivan with his light hair and clean-shaven face wasn’t her usual type physically speaking.
“He’s so opposite for what I usually go for, it’s crazy,” she said during the wedding episode. “But he’s got this beautiful beautiful smile and he’s so comforting. Like I feel really at ease when I’m standing next to him.”
Ivan was smitten from the get-go and the two seemed to go from strength to strength even when toothbrush drama and cheating scandals were rife.
But things hit a roadblock when expert Trish put them under the microscope and questioned them about intimacy and sex life. And at the groom home-stay week, Aleks wondered if they would ever be more than friends.
“There is aspects of our relationship that we do lack and miss,” she confessed to Ivan.
Are Aleks and Ivan stuck in the friend zone?
(Image: Nine Network)The state of their relationship looked even more questionable after screenshots of an Insta conversation between Aleks and fellow bride Stacey emerged.
When a paparazzi photo of Aleks and Ivan on a double date with Stacey and Michael emerged, Stacey reacted by saying: “I just vomited.” To which Aleks replied, “I’m feeling ill as well what were we thinking?”
Stacey, whose on-screen husband was at the centre of an earlier cheating scandal replied once more saying, “As if we were seen with that. Hahaha f*ck sake. I blame lack of sleep.”
Aleks then replied and all but confirmed her split saying, “We must have been losing our minds! Or maybe just falling for the f*ck boy lies and manipulation.”
Screenshots of Aleks slamming her on-screen husband have been exposed online.
(Image: Nine Network)But then came the dreaded dinner party where the rumour mill went into overdrive and it looked like the couple were well and truly done.
First up, Michael and Josh claimed that Aleks had told them she’d slept with Ivan – something Aleks firmly denied.
Ivan was then accused of telling Michael and Josh to bring up a conversation about their sex life and to top it all off, Michael dropped a bombshell to the group that Aleks went on a secret date with a mystery man – a claim that was once again slammed by Aleks who said that the man in question was the owner of the restaurant she, Mishel and a friend attended.
The episode ended with things between Ivan and Aleks looking irreversibly damaged, but claims from fellow MAFS contestants and some telling pictures have us thinking love may not be dead after all.
Things weren’t looking good after the dinner party.
(Image: Nine Network)Daily Mail Australia revealed that Aleks and Ivan’s split was only temporary, and that they quietly got back together just weeks after filming their break-up in November after Ivan flew to Aleks’ home city of Perth and they focused on their relationship away from the cameras.
The couple even spent New Year’s Eve together in the Western Australian capital and shared a whole lot of loved-up Instagram photos that have conveniently been deleted in order to avoid spoilers.
“No matter what happened on the show, Aleks and Ivan’s connection went far beyond that. After the show, they both went home, spent time apart and realised they couldn’t see a future without each other. They spoke every day until Ivan flew to Perth,” a source told the publication.
Aleks and Ivan reportedly spent New Year’s Eve together- and there are photos to prove it!
(Image: Nine Network)Even fellow MAFS stars Hayley and Natasha have weighed in on Aleks and Ivan’s relationship, confirming news that MAFS fans have suspected that producers stirred up trouble for more drama.
“Alright you want honesty. They didn’t break up,” Hayley said in a video interview.
“They were really unhappy with production and the way that things were operating. They left the experiment because they weren’t happy with how they were being treated.”
“They thought it was unethical and they were getting forced to make more drama within their own relationship and they wanted out.”
“They thought [MAFS] was unethical and they were getting forced to make more drama within their own relationship and they wanted out.”
(Image: Nine Network)Ivan himself let slip a couple of clues that he and Aleks are still on. Or at least that he’s still head-over-heels for her.
In an exclusive video for Now To Love when asked who his favourite person to stalk on social media is, the real estate agent replied, “I don’t really do too much stalking, maybe Aleks.”
He was then questioned if he’d ever fallen in love at first sight and he replied, “With Aleks.” And coming from a MAFS star, that’s pretty cute.
Watch the full video in the player below. Post continues after video…
Aleks and Ivan are also keeping their lips sealed while doing the press rounds for the show, but there have been a couple of loved-up moments.
During an interview with Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa in February, the couple kept schtum on all things about the current state of their relationship but the radio hosts said that when they arrived at the studios, they were holding hands and Ivan also called his “wife”, baby.
Newcastle Triple M hosts Tanya and Steve also predicted the couple were still an item judging by the quality of the phone interview.
The two reportedly turned up to Nova radio studios holding hands.
(Image: Nine Network)“Even though we have you on two separate phone lines, you must be in front of each other because we just got an echo on your phone Aleks which tells us that you two are still together!” host Tanya said on air.
Ivan confirmed that they were sitting in front of another but Aleks said that we’d have to “wait and see for the outcome.” That said, she did drop a clue by speaking in the present day.
“Yeah we’re OK. We take the piss out of each other and that’s what our relationship’s all about. I think if you don’t have humour in life, you’re not going to get very far.”
After all that evidence, we’re simply stumped. Guess we’ll just have to keep refreshing Instagram to find out.
We really hope these two are this year’s success story.
(Image: Nine Network)For more juicy Married At First Sight 2020 goss and scandals, check these links out below!
Introducing the Married at First Sight 2020 brides and grooms
It’s a match! Who are all of the 2020 Married At First Sight couples?
Which Married At First Sight couples from 2020 are actually still together?
Which Married At First Sight couples from 2019 are actually still together?
Is Married At First Sight real or fake? Let’s examine the evidence
EXCLUSIVE: Stirring up trouble! Elizabeth Sobinoff is already feuding with new MAFS brides
The explosive pasts from the Married At First Sight 2020 cast revealed!
EXCLUSIVE: Meet Married at First Sight 2020 star Mikey Pembroke’s stunning ex-girlfriend
