Were the Married At First Sight Australia experts correct in the couple selections this year? Resident MAFS reporter Mitchell Hageman looks at the unexpected pairings and post-show breakups of TV’s most controversial experiment.
More than three months after the airing of the popular reunion episode, the on-screen drama of one of New Zealand’s most-watched TV shows continues to play out online, in the press, and even in courtrooms.
While the experts may have failed with the majority of original matches this season, it seems that love finds a way, with many unexpected couplings and shock twists emerging to date.
The only couple of the season that stuck through it thick and thin, this loved-up pair has been very vocal about how successful their experiment was, and the reasons why they stuck together. It probably helps that the pair knew each other before the show started, and that most of the experiment was really just about rekindling a spark. Most of their commitment ceremonies were relatively drama-free, with their constant desire to continue their relationship a positive sign throughout. They currently live together in Melbourne and have also expressed interest in starting a family together in the future, with Disljenkovic telling Daily Mail Australia that both would “like to have kids at some stage” amid speculative pregnancy rumours.
This was a bombshell no one saw coming. Season 12’s most controversial figure Jacqui Burfoot is still fighting a legal battle with in-show husband Ryan Donnelly while currently engaged to ex-pro golfer Clint Rice, who was originally paired with Lauren Hall. It’s a messy situation with some head-scratching ideas, and with many viewers left wondering if the sudden engagement at a show reunion party was purely for the cameras. Burfoot, a Kiwi, has been critical about her portrayal in the show and has told the media on multiple occasions that she wants them to focus on the pair’s happiness going forward. Burfoot’s father Doog told the Herald the pair were a “well-suited and form a formidable team that will likely grow together along whatever path they follow”. A wedding date is yet to be set, but the couple has voiced a preference for a time around April or May 2026.
A pair that many people thought should have been together since the start, this relatively new couple ticks all the boxes when it comes to compatibility. Both were committed to raising children, yearned for a deep emotional connection, and had partners on the show (Sierah Swepstone and Adrian Araouzou) who were either too immature or not committed enough. Billy and Awhina originally claimed they were just friends, but they seemingly went “Instagram official” last month with a picture of them embracing in front of a mirror and going on numerous romantic dates. The caption, stating the obvious, was “I’ll keep this one”. Billy also shared a TikTok this year featuring Awhina’s young son, a person she never felt comfortable introducing to Adrian during the show. The cosy couple’s subsequent Instagram exploits include pictures of them heading away on holiday and celebrating a birthday, so only time will tell if we’ll see another engagement in the future.
Cute “dates” on the Gold Coast and funny videos filmed on TikTok together have left eager Mafs fans in a tailspin when it comes to these two. The redeemed villain of the show Eliot and outspoken firecracker Jamie were at one point the most unlikely of matches, with Jamie even criticising Eliot at various points during the experiment, but things seem to have changed rather drastically since filming ended. Jamie ditched her controversial groom Dave Hand, and Eliot wanted nothing to do with ex-brides Lauren Hall and Veronica Cloherty, leaving both open to a potential relationship. “I hang out heaps with Eliot. He’s become a very good, very close person to my life so I’m really appreciative of Eliot,” Jamie said in a May interview with Channel Nine, leaving fans speculating as to how close the couple really are.
The popular So Dramatic! podcast revealed in May that after Paul’s controversial behaviour and failed relationship with Carina Mirabile, sources allegedly spotted the Frenchman with his alternative match bride of who’s number he got when sneaking behind Carina’s back. The source allegedly saw Paul walking with a “tall platinum blonde” along a Perth street, leading to whispers that the pair had secretly hooked up after filming to continue the relationship. While neither has confirmed if anything was going on between them, it’s safe to say that the pair hit it off like a house on fire during the show, and there was a definite desire between the two to see each other again.
Despite the chopping and changing this season, many previous Mafs outings have led to longstanding relationships and marriages that have stood the test of time.
Fan favourites Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant from season six are still going strong and even have two children together, while Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight from season eight also welcomed a baby girl in 2024. Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli from season six have also started a family together, after continuing to strengthen their relationship after the show ended.
Season 12 also isn’t the first time unmatched couples formed new relationships outside of the show. Kiwi Ellie Dix and Jono McCullough, and Evelyn Ellis and Duncan James from season’s 11 and 10 respectively, both weren’t originally matched by experts.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today. He was also the Herald’s unofficial Mafs correspondent for 2025.