There’s a reason why we can’t get enough of Married At First Sight Australia. There are fights, feuds and every once in a while, a couple that makes you believe in love.
WATCH: Cam and Jules first meet at the ceremony
We’re taking a look back at the small number of romances that have gone the distance.
For ten seasons we’ve watched brides and grooms nervously meet one another at the altar, and though some of them were doomed to fail from the start – we’re looking at you, Jessika Power and Mick Gould – some just made us swoon.
That said, the MAFS success rate isn’t exactly outstanding. Out of the 72 matches made by the experts, only five have managed to go the distance and are still together (plus, one couple that got together of their own accord – experts be damned).
Three of those couples are even legally married, so it goes to show that a reality TV show can change lives. So who are the lucky couples? Scroll through to read more.
Erin Bateman and Bryce Mohr, Season 2
The longest-lasting MAFS couple met on the series in 2016 and, with the exception of a brief split in 2017, they’ve been rock solid ever since.
As for the secret to their happy relationship, Erin says it’s because they keep their personal lives out of the public eye.
“I’m sure it infuriates a lot of people that they’re not kept in the loop because the nature of reality TV is you then go on to flaunt your whole life on social media,” Erin explained to fellow MAFS star Bella Frizza on her podcast, The D&M.
“I don’t think it’s normal. I know personally people who portray their relationship on social media as this fairy tale, who are some of the most miserable people I’ve ever met, in terms of relationships.”
Erin also revealed: “The Bryce I got the day that I met him is the Bryce I have today. He hasn’t changed at all. He is exactly who he is, and I’d like to think he feels the same about me.”
Cam Merchant and Jules Robinson, Season 6
When Cam first laid eyes on his match, the cricketer admitted he was a littler worried about the height difference.
“I was way too short and Jules was red-haired, curvaceous, tall and I thought ‘This is a stitch up here!’ But once we met and sort of locked eyes, there was this comfortable warmness that came over and all the judgement went out the window,” he explained on The Babble podcast.
He added: “We were able to put all that s*** aside and see what’s actually on the inside and we fell in love that way.”
And it certainly worked! They were the golden couple of MAFS in 2019 and at their final vows, Cam popped the question to Jules for real. The pair tied the knot in November 2019 and welcomed their son Oliver Chase in October 2020.
Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli, Season 6
Cam and Jules may have received most of the attention in 2019, but Martha and Michael were the quiet achievers of the group.
The attraction was instant and fast forward to now, 2024, and the couple have welcomed their first child together.
“I always say Michael and I meeting was like fate and I know it’s so cheesy because I hate saying cheesy s*** like that but I really think it is otherwise it doesn’t really make sense,” Martha told the Shameless podcast in February 2021.
“I think we were going to meet no matter what. Michael actually in Melbourne lives five minutes away from my parents’ house. No matter what happened, in this lifetime we were going to meet and be together.”
Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson, Season 8
When you think of Married At First Sight Australia in 2021, it’s clear that Bryce and Melissa were the break-out stars.
The couple became the series’ most controversial couple at the time, facing numerous hurdles in their relationship. From Bryce ranking Melissa the “fourth most attractive bride” to constant rumours of his secret girlfriend, they weren’t exactly relationship goals.
But despite the challenges, Bryce and Melissa declared their love for one another, moved in together, started their own podcast, and announced in July 2021 that they were engaged and expecting twins.
“My relationship with Melissa is very different from anyone I’ve been with before. She has a calming effect on me and I really respect her opinion. I’m excited about our future,” Bryce told WHO in March 2021.
Melissa added: “I’m attracted to Bryce’s personality, his sense of humour and how accomplished he is. Even when we had those difficult conversations [about looks], he was also really complimentary and affectionate.”
They welcomed their twins Levi and Tate in October 2021, taking them home in December after spending several weeks in the NICU.
In February 2023, the pair even got married again – for real this time!
Kerry Knight and Johnny Balbuziente, Season 8
Though they came late to the experiment as intruders, the spark was there from the get-go with Johnny and Kerry and the two had virtually no drama throughout the show.
After the show, Kerry moved from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane to be closer to her man and the couple moved in with each other soon afterwards.
“The amount of love we’ve received from the public has been absolutely amazing. The greatest compliment we’ve received is that our story has inspired people and given others hope,” Johnny told WHO.
“We’re super proud of our story and we made ourselves really vulnerable so it’s great to get that feedback from people, that they’ve responded positively to us.”
In January 2023, the pair also got legally married!
Evelyn Ellis and Duncan James, Season 10
Technically, this isn’t an original MAFS couple – but the pair did meet on the show. Evelyn, who was married to Rupert during the experiment, and Duncan, who was paired with Alyssa during the season, began their relationship shortly after filming wrapped. And they’ve quickly become one of the more popular couples.
After keeping their relationship a secret for months, the pair confirmed the news to 9Now.
When asked if they were in a relationship, Duncan replied “Yes I am!” before adding “…Well yes, we are!”
“This is Evelyn and Duncan’s hard launch,” added Evelyn. “It feels good to finally just say it, and it feels kind of exhilarating in a weird, freeing way.”
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