For the first time since 2019, Married At First Sight New Zealand is returning to Kiwi screens. The brides and grooms have been announced, the wedding date set and the cameras are almost rolling.
While some Kiwis will watch for the drama and others out of pure curiosity, there is no denying that many of us who tune in do it in the hopes of witnessing the start of a love story.
Now, as the show enters its fourth season, the Herald looks back at previous seasons to find out which couples stayed together and who called it quits.
Here are the past couples - and if they’re still together:
Brett and Angel, an exception to the rule. Photo / The Spinoff
If you need a real-life example of love at first sight, Wellington-basedwebsite coordinator Angel and business owner Brett are it.
The pair were smitten from the moment they saw each other all the way back in 2017. Remaining out of the drama, in their own little world, they smiled and laughed the season away.
When filming wrapped, the pair went on to move in together and in 2022 they announced they were expecting their first child together. Vienna was born in 2022, with the couple sharing the news on social media, writing: “10 days earlier than we were expecting, I went into labour and on Saturday, April 9, our newest family member joined us.”
Despite consultant Lacey and warehouse manager Luke clicking immediately, things didn’t stay that way for long. By the time they went on their honeymoon, they had fallen out.
Lacey decided to leave Luke during the season - a move he claimed was unfair, but the bride stuck to her decision and never looked back.
In the years after MAFS NZ, Lacey has found love and welcomed her first child. Luke has also found love and has pursued a career in social media, gaining 20,000 followers.
Verdict: Not together
Claire and Dom
MAFS NZ couple Dom and Claire. Photo / Instagram
Function coordinator Claire and retired police officer Dom were the show’s most mature couple. Taking a leap of faith to find love, they appeared strong at first but after one week, the bride and groom knew it wasn’t going to work out.
Deciding to remain friends, the pair left the show before the conclusion of the season. Both Claire and Dom have kept a low profile since the show and it is unclear if they have found love.
Vicky and Andrew from the first season of Married At First Sight NZ.
Flight attendant Vicky and builder Andrew were wild cards on the show. While the groom was smitten with his bride, the same couldn’t be said for the woman in white and it was soon revealed he wasn’t exactly her type.
Ultimately, Vicky decided to leave Andrew at the final vow ceremony and has since found love outside of the show. Andrew has kept a low profile since the show. It is unclear if he has found love outside of the experiment.
Verdict: Not together
Bel and Haydn
Haydn and Bel from the first season of Married At First Sight NZ.
After fellow contestant Vicky told ex-Bachelorette Bel that primary school teacher Haydn had been messaging her on social media saying they should’ve been matched instead, the TV bride and groom’s relationship ended.
It remains unclear if Bel has found love after the show. However, she did open up to the Herald in 2020 after a freak accident while on the run with her dog that left her with a traumatic brain injury.
Haydn appears to have found love outside of the experiment and started a family.
Verdict: Not together
Ben and Aaron
Aaron and Ben in the first season of Married At First Sight New Zealand.
Insurance consultant Ben and ambulance officer Aaron didn’t have a love-at-first-sight moment, or first week, or first month. After spending six weeks together in the experiment, the pair parted ways.
Despite their rocky relationship, they remained friends and even ended the show with a sweet dinner.
Ben has maintained a strong presence on social media since MAFS NZ and appears to have remarried. While Aaron has kept a low profile. It is unclear if he has found love outside of the experiment.
Verdict: Not together
Season two - 2018
Samuel and Tayler
The couple remain friends, Samuel said. Photo / Instagram
Samuel and Tayler were the first ever gay couple across the MAFS franchise globally to have stayed together by the season finale, but shortly after the experiment ended, the pair announced they parted ways.
Samuel sensationally announced the news on his social media accounts at the time, claiming Tayler had started “seeing someone else” within 48 hours of their break up.
Married at First Sight New Zealand contestants Monique Lee and Fraser Pearce starred in the second season of the popular series.
Wellingtonian policy analyst Fraser and school teacher Monique didn’t have their happily ever after during or after the show as they failed to have a meaningful connection and opted to be friends in the experiment.
Monique did however, appear to find a spark with another groom from the show, Gareth. The pair were allegedly spotted holding hands and kissing at a Christchurch nightclub in November 2018. It’s understood nothing came of their rendevous. Monique remains out of the public eye.
Fraser has kept a low profile since the show but appears to have found love and married in 2021.
Gareth Nobel and Ottie Schwartz from Married At First Sight. Photo / Supplied
In the show, South African-born Gareth had been paired with 32-year-old promotions manager Ottie. Things did not work out between the pair, and he appeared to briefly find a spark with another contestant.
Following the show’s wrap party, Ottie found herself in the news and in court after she was charged with drink driving. She entered a guilty plea at Christchurch District Court and was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for six months.
As for Gareth, he appears to have left his reality TV days behind him and has gone on to start a family with his new partner in Cromwell.
Yuki Sato and Dan McLaughlan stayed together for almost two years after MAFS NZ.
The pair were one of the few success stories to leave the experiment and even came to be known as season two sweethearts. In 2020, Yuki revealed in an emotional YouTube video that she and her “TV Husband” Dan had parted ways.
She struggled to hold back tears as she alleged to her followers that the electrician had “left her”.
Yuki has since welcomed her first child, while Dan lives his life away from the spotlight.
Verdict: Not together
Dave andJulia
Julia Malley with her TV 'husband' Dave McClelland. Photo / Three
Dunedin-based businessman Dave and Christchurch-based Account manager Julia never made it past the final vows, with the pair not well suited.
Dave relocated to Mount Manganui after the show and has become a father to a little girl.
Julia maintains an online presence with almost 4000 followers on Instagram and dubs herself a “travel enthusiast”.
Verdict: Not together
Ksenia and Wayne
Ksenia Smorodinova and Wayne McIntosh.
Auckland-based sales manager Ksenia received criticism while on the show for the way she treated helicopter engineer Wayne. She confessed shortly after filming wrapped that even she didn’t like the way she came across.
Ksenia and Wayne did not pursue their relationship outside of the experiment. While Ksenia keeps her personal life tightly under wraps, McIntosh appears to have started a family with his partner.
Vicky and Stefaan from season three of Married At First Sight.
Primary school teacher Vicky and pool technician Stefaan had a romance that was hard to keep up with.
After Vicky told her TV husband they were not right for one another and walked away from the vow renewal ceremony, they ended up striking up a romance outside of the show. By November 2019, the pair had separated again.
Stefaan has remained out of the public eye since the season finished. Vicky keeps her followers up to date with her role as a mental health and wellbeing facilitator and coach. It is unclear if the former couple have entered into new relationships.
Rose and Chris from season three of Married At First Sight New Zealand.
Despite trying to make things work, creative director Ray and bride Rose left the experiment at the second commitment ceremony, with Chris telling Now to Love shortly after; there was just never any spark between them.
While it’s unclear if Chris has gone on to find love, he chooses to keep his Instagram followers up to date with another type of love - his photography.
As for Rose, she spoke to Woman’s Day last year, revealing she has “found the one” and tied the knot in Bali with her new husband, Tony Ross.
Ray and Jonathan from season three of Married At First Sight.
Ex-Amazing Race contestant Jonathan and curtain and blind installer Ray found a whole lot of chemistry from the second they locked eyes at the alter, but it didn’t stay that way.
The pair started bickering on day two of their honeymoon and it continued all the way through to the end of their disastrous marriage when the experiment concluded.
Ray appears to have found love outside of the experiment and often keeps his Instagram followers up to date with their adventures. Jonathan revealed to his 20,000 followers on Instagram that he is getting married to his partner later this year.
Verdict: Not together
Anna and Jordan
Anna and Jordan from season three of Married At First Sight.
It wasn’t a great start for singer-songwriter Anna, who sung her wedding vows which may or may not have resulted in personal trainer Jordan building a wall of pillows in their bed on their first night as a married couple.
But all is fair in love and war and the pair went on to find love with each other - at least for a little while. Weeks after the show ended, they heartbreakingly announced they had split.
Jordan is now preparing to welcome his first child with his new partner. Anna has also found love again and started her own family.
Verdict: Not together
Carmen and Jimmy
Carmen and James from season three of Married At First Sight.
Pastry chef Carmen and telecommunications technician James are the reason we all tune into MAFS NZ - okay, maybe the second reason because aside from the drama, we are all here to see an adorable love story.
After leaving the show having dropped the L-bomb, the pair went from strength to strength. They moved in together, brought a house and announced earlier this month that they are starting a family together.
Married At First Sight New Zealand premieres on Three and ThreeNow on Sunday, May 26.
Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, Kiwi celebs we can’t help but love and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.
