Another year, another batch of Married At First Sight couples.
The MAFS 2026 cohort have burst onto our screens but now that the experts have paired them up, who are going to be this year’s success stories?
We’ve done a deep dive and it looks like it’s game over already for some.
Brook and Chris: Over and out
We have to admit, at first we felt for model Brook when she was partnered with MAFS sceptic Chris.
Between saying his dealbreaker being an “overweight” wife and having a tantrum when his bride wouldn’t kiss him, he was always going to cause some drama.
Fans were surprised to see her behaviour when she turned on brides Stella and Alissa, but even more so when she walked out of the experiment and then came back.
However, a recent announcement has revealed that the 27-year-old model is doing just fine post-show. In fact, she is engaged and expecting a baby with her ex, 28-year-old builder Harry.
“I had a dream that I was pregnant. I woke up and thought, ‘That was crazy,’ but I did a pregnancy test… and it was positive!” Brook exclusively told Woman’s Day.
Brook reportedly reunited with her ex Harry only two weeks after she left the MAFS experiment, with the model admitting to the experts during the casting process that she had only been single mere days before signing up for the experiment.
“Harry invited me away to the Maldives a couple of weeks later for a surfing trip with his family friends and that just cemented things for me. We just had the most beautiful time. We were better than we had ever been,” she told Woman’s Day.
Alissa and David: Apparently so
Things were awkward when Alissa refused to marry her groom unless he got down on one knee and proposed to her.
However, despite one of the most graphic first kisses, a honeymoon injury and a feud with some of the experiment’s other brides, Alissa and David appear to be going strong.
Throughout the experiment, both have been fierce defenders of each other especially at those dramatic dinner parties.
In August 2025, the Daily Mail shared photos of the two holding hands while filming together in Sydney which looks like they may have made it all the way to the end of the experiment.
Rachel and Steven: We’ll have to wait and see
These sweeties said ‘I do’ aboard a boat in Sydney Harbour but has their love drifted out to sea?
The pair are giving the experiment their all and are still following each other on Instagram (a promising sign) but there have been some awkward moments, including tears on the honeymoon and some intimacy hiccups.
Speaking on the MAFS Funny podcast, host Josh Fox said that while he was watching the couples moving into their apartments in Sydney during filming, Rachel and Steven were nowhere to be seen.
“I saw the couples all one by one, going to Woolies, going to the beach, going to whatever. And did I see these two once? Nah, literally, not at all,” he spilled.
“So I’m just going to call it now and say I’m fairly sure they are one of, if not the first couple to leave.”
Ok so not the first to leave, but time will tell.
Mel and Luke: So over
When your groom is late to the wedding after leaving the rings behind, it’s not exactly the best start.
Tensions were high on self-proclaimed “pink girl” Mel and her farmer husband Luke on their wedding day and since we haven’t seen any sparks fly between them, we doubt these two will have that fairytale ending.
Even though they bonded a little more over Intimacy Week, Mel’s comments to TV WEEK implied before they’d even left that it was well and truly over.
Recalling her on-screen big day, Mel said, “I remember when we were leaving the wedding, I just waved bye to them all and felt sad. Is this really a person that I’m meant to be with? It started off on the wrong foot from the get-go.”
The couple chose to leave the experiment at the second commitment ceremony but are on good terms.
Mel even hinted that she and Luke, who are both still single, had a “nice” moment at the reunion.
Gia and Scott: In it for the followers
She’s the experiment’s feistiest bride but Gia’s love story with Luke actually may have some legs.
The couple met on the beach and their sexual chemistry grew fast despite taking it slow on the honeymoon.
But don’t get your hopes up as an insider told Chattr that Scott strung Gia along to get more airtime for his business.
“He only talks to one person from the show now, and at the last Dinner Party, he said he was too good for everyone and that they’re beneath him,” the source revealed. “He said to his wife on camera that she wasn’t his calibre.”
Maybe Gia’s track record of never getting dumped will come to an end…
Bec and Danny: Doubt it
After some awkwardness on the wedding day, we thought that Bec and Danny would be ones to watch.
There was no chemistry for Danny after an intimate night together and he even checked another woman out on the honeymoon. Let’s not forget the rumours that Danny said Gia was more his type…
They’ve had more ups and downs than a rollercoaster so we doubt these two will be the season’s great love story.
But it looks like they’ll be on the show for a while as Bec and Gia will come head-to-head at a few more of the dinner parties. Bring on the drama!
Rebecca and Steve: Negative
Sparks flew when the experiment’s oldest couple showed just how young at heart they are on their wedding.
Whilst there were clues that Rebecca and Steve were making it work in the real world, things went downhill after Steve listed all her red flags to the other grooms.
After many tears and Steve’s refusal to participate in Intimacy Week, the pair left the experiment at the second commitment ceremony.
However it looks like Rebekah has moved on with a new man. Back in November last year, Rebecca shared a series of photos captioned, “Life lately,” with one showing a man serving dinner with his face hidden from view. Soon after, Rebecca posted a photo of a plate of food with the caption, “Can cook.”
Rebecca’s MAFS co-star Gia commented “She’s a wife,” beneath it.
Julia and Grayson: Wasn’t meant to be
It was a MAFS first when bisexual bride Julia revealed she wasn’t sure if she’d be partnered with a man or woman as she walked down the aisle.
But Grayson, whose friend Johnny found his real life love on the show back in 2021, seems to be a great fit for her.
But despite a strong start, the intimacy was never there for Julia and Grayson and they chose to leave during the third commitment ceremony.
Whilst Grayson is still single, Julia confirmed she has a new partner on Stan’s After The Dinner Party.
“Two months after the experiment finished, I went to do a singing lesson with this particular woman (and apparently I’m not a good singer),” she explained.
“But I realised I didn’t really want her to be my singing teacher and we’ve been seeing each other since then.”
Stella and Filip: Please say yes!
Sparks flew at this MAFS wedding when Stella and Filip locked eyes on one another and they’ve become our favourite 2026 couple.
Despite some worries from Stella’s friends that her new husband was only on the show to boost his YouTube channel, they seem to have gone from strength to strength.
But a very big clue that these two have made it official in the real world is that Leila, Stella’s friend who was initially unsure about Filip and his intentions, is now following him on social media, and he is following her back.
Stephanie and Tyson: Surely not
2026’s most polarising groom Tyson has said he’s after a submissive woman more times than we’d care to count.
After being matched with Stephanie, who’d never been in a relationship, they bonded over their conservative view points. However Tyson, who has been married once before, may have met his match as his bride isn’t afraid to call him out for his behaviour.
Their fights and disagreements don’t exactly scream healthy relationship so we’ll be genuinely shocked if these two make it in the real world.
Juliette and Joel: A hard no
There was a collective groan when we heard Joel’s cringeworthy vows but things went from cringe to cruel quickly.
At their second dinner party, Juliette exploded accusing Joel of being a “liar” and outing the fact that he still owns a teddy bear to the group. She even admitted that she likes the teddy more than Joel.
“The part that troubles me the most was there was a pre-meditation about what she was going to do, it’s cold and calculated. It was almost bone-chilling, that,” Joel said on After The Dinner Party.
Chris and Sam: Fingers crossed
They’re the intruder couple we’re all rooting for and things so far seem to be going well for the experiment’s only same-sex couple.
Taking it slow seems to have worked with Chris opening up to his husband that he’s expecting two kids in the near future.
Chris also recently bought a home to flip but despite messages of congratulations from a handful of the MAFS brides, his on-screen husband was silent. Meanwhile Sam was caught on camera dancing topless on stage at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.
Question is, are they keeping things on the DL or over? Let’s hope the former!
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