Married At First Sight Australia offers a promise of true love for its lucky contestants. But given its small success rate, the ‘experiment’ has earned the reputation of drama and scandal that has hooked thousands of viewers.
Numerous couples have stepped forward to say “I do” on MAFS Australia since its beginning in 2015, but only five couples have gone the distance.
Season 9 produced no epic love stories; however, it did produce more Only Fans content creators.
Despite some major spoilers ruining the season early, we still held out hopes the relationship experts matched some great couples in 2023. However, only two couples exited the experiment and entered reality together.
Evelyn and Rupert
Evelyn and Rupert’s first meet was one of the most awkward interactions on Married At First Sight history. Poor Rupert lost the ability to speak as soon as his eyes fell on his new wife. Que the water works and we aren’t talking about tears, but sweat!
“Your very beautiful,” he mumbled.
Despite admitting it was “not love at first sight” for Evelyn, she wasn’t ready to give up and kept trying to get him out of his shell. However, she began questioning his attraction after it took six weeks for Rupert to ask her on a date.
After warming up to each other, the pair were physically intimate but Rupert was still concerned his wife held no attraction for him and was merely a “piece of meat.”
The insecurity and uncertainty was too much for the pair, and they called it quits during the final vows.
“I fought for you every single day in this experiment. So for this reason, I choose not to continue on this relationship,” Evelyn said.
During his vows, Rupert said: “A platonic connection alone is not enough to sustainable a loving and healthy relationship… I feel that I’ve truly tried to build this foundation with you, but I feel that the pressure was on me.”
And in a weird turn of events, Evelyn and Duncan are now dating! While there were rumours floating around months after the reality series ended, but the couple finally confirmed their relationship status mid-May.
Evelyn and Rupert have called it quits.
(Image: Nine)
We love a genetically blessed couple.
(Image: Instagram)Tayla and Hugo
Tayla immediately had second thoughts about walking down the aisle to a stranger. Meanwhile, Hugo, aka the “loveable space cadet” couldn’t wait to get to know his bride.
However, the novelty wore off as Tayla insisted he slept on the couch for the entire experiment and she was reluctant to share the wardrobe.
“It’s time for Tayla to grow up,” he said.
We are truly questioning if this relationship will last given Tayla admitted Hugo isn’t her normal type. The divide only became more clear during the photo ranking challenge when Hugo placed Tayla second last after how she had been treating him.
“My backs hurting from carrying this relationship,” he said.
During a dinner party, Claire informed Hugo his wife had left the experiment and returned to Tasmania. But in a sudden end twist, Tayla entered to party ready to forgive Hugo. But he revealed couldn’t continue anymore.
“Your gonna be awesome when you find someone you connect with, we both know that’s not me,” he said. “Do we even need to go to the commitment ceremony?”
Tayla was visibly shocked by his confession but agreed that the dinner party was their final night on MAFS. However, it wasn’t her final involvement with a groom as there were suspicious her and Cam were getting quite friendly.
While the rumours of physical intimacy were denied, it was confirmed there was a drunk facetime call where Cam stripped.
Tayla and Hugo abandoned the experiment.
(Image: Nine)Lyndall and Cameron
When we watched Lyndall and Cam’s wedding, we truly believed they would be the next Cam and Jules or even Martha and Michael. But we were wrong…
In the beginning everything was perfect, the wind gently blew Lyndall’s veil and Cam couldn’t wipe the cheeky grin off his face.
Prior to the experiment, neither had any experience being in a relationship given Cam worked in the remote Northern Territory and Lyndall believed she would never walk down the aisle after being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
Cam entered the experiment believing he was ready for a relationship, but in the 2023 finale he came to the conclusion he wasn’t.
In the final vows, Lyndall stated: “I constantly had to beg for a shred of affection, your time, your attention and your support when I was hurting.”
“I drove myself insane trying to figure out how to be the partner you wanted. I’ve realised there was never anything I could do to be the partner you wanted, because you simply don’t want one.”
“I want to build I’m life proud of, and that life does not include you.”
Cam wasn’t given the opportunity to say his peace, as Lyndall said it would only “disappoint” her.
Months after leaving the experiment, Lyndall clued in why her relationship had so suddenly gone downhill. Did another bride catch Cam’s attention? Find out here.
We thought Cam and Lyndall would beat the odds.
(Image: Nine)Bronte and Harrison
We wouldn’t say these newly weds are in paradise given problems in their relationship started during their wedding reception.
A friend showed Bronte receipts of her new husband’s secret girl on the outside and the promise that their relationship would continue after the show. However, the two resolved the matter, yet another issue came to light and this cycle became constant throughout 2023.
But for the sake of their relationship history, we will explain: Harrison wasn’t sexually attracted to Bronte then some suspicious activity on the groom’s behalf happened, yet they reconciled their differences.
From the beginning we placed our bets these two wouldn’t survive, and while there were some questionable moments, we were right! The home stay tested the pair and ultimately they were pushed to their limits.
“I don’t believe that it was genuine for you. I believe you just wanted to get through this to save your image and I was your little pawn in your game. And I saw that at home stays, my sister called you out completely and you didn’t like it,” Bronte said.
After a heated discussion, Bronte walked out of the experiment claiming “I’m done with you… I honestly never want to see you again.”
Now Bronte loves to show off her healing, post-Harrison era with her bestie, Lyndall.
Bronte and Harrison were strong in the beginning.
(Image: Nine)Sandy and Dan
Sandy held concerns her husband would not be accepting of her culture or understand her insecurities and lack of dating experience. Then Dan exposed his soft, kind, and open heart to his new bride and all the walls came down.
However early on in season 10, some serious spoilers were leaked regarding Dan and his ‘new’ girlfriend – who he has now broken up with.
What we didn’t expect, was a accidental butt-dial where Evelyn overheard Dan saying he “was too good for this experiment” and Sandy, then proceeding to show the grooms photos of his ex-girlfriends.
Sandy later claimed that Dan had told her he “dates girls who walk around in skimpy clothes.”
Dan, who felt “caged” wanted to go home, he said: “The beach and the ocean’s calling me, I have to go home.”
Meanwhile Sandy wanted to go home and apologise to her family. While we believed the incident was resolved, the butt-dial situation showed its ugly head once again in the finale.
But this time, unseen footage of Hugo telling the camera: “You had Dan being like: I can’t stand [Sandy], but I’m saying yes to try and make it to the end… she is the last person I’d be attracted to.”
Sandy remains gal pals with all the MAFS stars, meanwhile Dan is probably somewhere by the ocean.
Sandy and Dan exited the experiment early.
(Image: Nine)Claire and Jesse
This pairing started out as one of the more disastrous couples on MAFS 2023. It initially seemed they would be the perfect match after bonding over their loud personalities and clicking jaws.
But then Jesse got ‘the ick’ and said some nasty things to his wife.
After some hard work and difficult disagreements, the pair overcame their issues to foster a real connection. Then the truth about the Claire and Adam cheating scandal was revealed after Claire couldn’t quiet her guilty conscience.
Jesse and Claire became one of the strongest couples in the MAFS experiment, that was before Harrison meddled in their relationship calling out an insecurity that Jesse had all along – did Claire stay in the experiment to mend her image?
Claire denied the claim but the question became too much for Jesse. She decided to respect his wishes and leave the experiment.
However this wasn’t the end for Claire and Jesse! After exiting the experiment, the pair remained friends. Jesse revealed his ‘ex-wife’ would be visiting him in Perth and while viewers questioned whether there was room for a romantic spark after the finale, the pair seem to be just friends.
Claire and Jesse’s relationship didn’t survive.
(Image: Nine)Janelle and Adam
Despite having instant chemistry, Adam was forced to reveal skeletons in their closest quicker than average couples, thanks to some meddling brothers.
Heading into the experiment, Janelle made it clear she wanted a career-focused and financially stable man. Adam didn’t perfectly fit the criteria given he is an entrepreneur in the cryptocurrency space, which caused some strain.
However, like adults, the pair discussed their concerns and fears in order to fully immerse themselves in the experiment. But, unlike adults, Adam wasn’t ready to commit as the cheating scandal was revealed to be true! Meanwhile Janelle couldn’t believe she missed all the signs.
It all became too much for Janelle, and after a pass from the relationship experts she made the decision to exit the experiment. Leaving Adam to storm out without saying goodbye.
After MAFS Janelle is still besties with all the brides and grooms except obviously Adam…
Janelle and Adam are out!
(Image: Nine)Ollie and Tahnee
After striking out on dating apps, Ollie and Tahnee joined the tv series for one last change at true love.
They bonded over their obsession with take-out food and joined clumsiness. They are seriously uncoordinated, but in a completely adorable way after trying and failing to get into a hammock and falling repeatedly off a paddle board.
Throughout the season, there was no drama or skeletons. Just hopeful love and open communication.
We wondered if these Gen-X lovers were ready to settle down, and at the time, they were. After the final vows, Ollie moved in with Tahnee in Bondi.
“I can’t thank the universe enough for aligning us,” Tahnee said. “It’s hard for me to picture would be like without you in it.”
However, 16 months after the experiment, the young couple called it quits. They were the final (official) pairing to have remained together, mere months after Mel and Layton also announced their break up.
Ollie and Tahnee are the youngest couple in MAFS Australia history.
(Image: Nine)
They are happier than ever.
(Image: Instagram)Caitlin and Shannon
The greatest foundation for any love story is humour and these lovebirds absolutely hit it off on their wedding day. But the excitement of a new love wore of incredibly fast for Shannon and Caitlin was left distraught.
Shannon revealed to his new wife that he was still in love with his ex-girlfriend, she was a “good-looking girl, just not in [his] eyes” and admitted he said things to “hurt her.”
Caitlin told the relationship experts she deserves to be “treated like a human being”, she made the decision to leave the experiment. The experts understood there was no saving this relationship, ending their time on the show.
Caitlin and Shannon didn’t survive the experiment.
(Image: Nine)Duncan and Alyssa
At first Duncan and Alyssa was a lovely break from the dramatic antics, but at the end of the 2023 season they were troubled.
Duncan was “absolutely beyond” what Alyssa expected, which may have created some insecurities. She could help wonder why a man like Duncan would be interested in a single mum?
Despite ticking off all their boxes for their partners desired ‘the one,’ it proved not enough as Duncan decided he couldn’t continue “getting hurt” after feeling “emotionally rejected.”
“I struggled with being shut out for days on end,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to continue getting hurt. So I have to say goodbye.”
MAFS viewers would know communication was the biggest issue for these two. While in the experiment, Alyssa couldn’t see the issues. But in the 2023 finale, she understood.
“There were a lot of times where I probably shouldn’t have just walked away and shouldn’t have been emotionally charged and been able to sit in a conversation and just really has things out with Duncan and give him what he needed,” Alyssa said.
Now, Duncan is dating co-star Evelyn. Upon hearing the news, Alyssa took to Instagram to give her thoughts on the new couple.
“How do you feel about Evelyn and Duncan being together? I thought she was your friend!” asked a fan, to which Alyssa issued the short and sweet reply of “Rip.”
Duncan and Alyssa are over.
(Image: Nine)Melinda and Layton
While it was all green lights when Josh laid eyes on his bride-to-be, Melinda, but she was unimpressed. While Layton and Melinda match perfectly on paper as they both enjoy their lavish and hard earnt lifestyle, but this may not be enough.
Melinda’s considers herself a 9.5 out of 10 on a scale of attractiveness, and admitted her husband was “punching just a little.”
Although majority of the wedding ceremony and reception was incredibly awkward given Melinda’s suspicion towards her new husband. She began to slowly open up after Layton’s speech during the reception.
In the beginning Melinda struggled to form a physical connection, but at some point everything just clicked for her. Communication was undoubtedly this couple’s biggest obstacle, but they both agreed their differences could bring out the worst in each other.
“Maybe a true soulmate is a mirror,” Layton said during the final vows. “Us being together is a risk, so I’m ready to take that risk today.”
Melinda responded: “I love you and I want us to be together.”
After the experiment, these two are still working out their kinks but are stronger than ever.
Following the show, the pair remained relatively low-key. However, just over a month on from their one year anniversary, they called it quits.
To read the full statement announcing their break up, click here.
The power couple broke up in October 2023.
(Image: Nine)
Mel and Layton survived over a year outside of the experiment.
(Image: Instagram)Melissa and Josh
Its no secret that Melissa is a sex positive woman and while her candidness mixed with Josh’s lies caused some strain following their first night together, the pair seem to be hitting it off.
The experts suited a peculiar match this season with Josh and Melissa and their different extremes could have balanced the pair out! But it turned out to be their downfall.
After feeling like “a sex object” and having no other connection, an emotional Josh informed the relationship experts he wanted to leave the experiment. The experts understood there was no bringing this relationship back given the grooms emotional state.
Melissa and Josh left the experiment early.
(Image: Nine)Ready to find your own fairytale romance? Start your love journey today, with eHarmony.
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