We’re on the brink of diving into the juicy drama of the upcoming 2024 season of “MAFS” but before we fasten our seatbelts for the new ride, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Yep, we’re rewinding to the couples who kicked off the year’s experiment.
We’ve dished about unexpected connections, love revelations, and some dramatic accusations during the season. But what we’re all itching to know is, have any of these pairs made it through the hurdles of real-life relationships post-“MAFS”?
Which “MAFS” 2023 Couples Are Still Together?
Tahnee and Ollie — Not Together
After 16 months of dating, the last standing “MAFS” couple of 2023 have called it quits. Despite being one of the success stories from season 10, Tahnee and Ollie shared the news of their split on Instagram. Ollie cited the challenges of transitioning their relationship from the show to real life, and said that he hoped they could maintain a post-breakup friendship.
Meanwhile, Tahnee noted that their lives were on the different paths, but said she took pride in the time they shared together.
You can read their full statements here.
Melinda and Layton — Not Together
On paper, Melinda and Layton seem to be a perfect match, sharing similar values of ambition, drive, and success,
However, when they first met, Melinda was instantly put off by Layton’s physical appearance, and suspected that his smooth chat and impeccable presentation was a façade. Melinda made her distaste clear to her bridesmaids and, despite everyone at the reception really liking Layton, she was already refusing to give him a chance.
But despite their explosive disagreements throughout the experiment, they were one of the few couples that made it to the end.
They recently celebrated their one-year anniversary, before announcing their shock split in October.
The couple revealed that this decision was not taken lightly. After much thought and consideration, they decided that taking some time apart was the best course of action.
Related: “MAFS” Couple Melinda Willis and Layton Mills Announce Shock Split
“After a lot of thought and consideration, we have sadly decided to both take time apart. We still care very deeply for each other, and this doesn’t mean our lives can’t come back together, but as of now, this decision is for the best,” the statement read.
“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for all your support throughout our journey; it has meant the world to us. We hope you can understand and ask for your kindness and respect during this time. With love and gratitude, Mel and Layton.”
Duncan and Alyssa — Not Together
As soon as Alyssa and Duncan met on their wedding day, sparks began to fly. We all thought the pair would have their happily ever after.
But, pressure from Alyssa about balancing her time and attention between her child and her relationship soon bubbled up, causing a rift between the pair. Some say she’s even self-sabotaging the relationship over it.
When it came down to final vows, Alyssa aired her worry that her emotional heart would clash with Duncan’s logical brain. Despite this, she was adamant that she wanted to fight for their relationship.
“There’s so many pieces of our puzzle that we haven’t found yet. But I want to find them with you,” she told him.
But Duncan had to say goodbye because he couldn’t ignore the significant difference in their views on what a healthy relationship should look like.
“I feel emotionally rejected more times than I can remember. Maybe it’s our personalities, maybe it’s our differing mindsets. But either way, the gap seems too big to bridge,” he told Alyssa.
“I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to continue getting hurt, so I have to say goodbye.”
Lyndall and Cameron — Not Together
Australia has been rooting for Lyndall and Cam ever since the first episode aired. Their wedding was like a fairy tale and it’s clear to see that these two have instant chemistry like something straight out of “The Notebook”.
The pair seemed perfect for each other at the beginning, but it wasn’t a happy ending for these two.
Things started unravelling after discussing life after the experiment. For the past eight years, Cam has worked as a carpenter in Indigenous communities in the remote Northern Territory of Darwin. Now, it sounds like that’s not something he’s willing to give up. He also doesn’t see the point in his ‘wife’ Lyndall, who lives in Perth, moving states to be with him.
Cam also publically admitted he’s not falling in love with Lyndall.
So when it came down to final vows, the bride took a brutal swipe at her ‘husband’ and didn’t even let him say his vows.
“To put it plainly, stay in your lane and I’ll stay in mine. I want to build a life I’m proud of and that life does not include you,” she told him.
Having said her piece, she had told Cam that she did not want to hear his vows. She knew she would be disappointed by him again.
Related: MAFS’ Lyndall’s Brutal Blow to Cam During Final Vows
Bronte and Harrison — Not Together
We’re really not sure what to think of Bronte and Harrison. Not only are the pair constantly bickering, Harrison has also been accused of seeing another woman in the real world.
Things got worse on their honeymoon. After the couple had sex for the first time, Harrison said that he was no longer attracted to Bronte and that having sex changed how he felt about her.
Fast-forward to the first dinner party and Bronte was left in tears. The bride told Harrison she was having doubts about their relationship, which prompted the groom to accuse her of not putting any effort into their relationship.
Things came to an explosive end at the final dinner party following Homestays Week. Tensions started to rise as Harrison worried his ‘wife’ wouldn’t move to Sydney for him. Their trip ended with drinks with Bronte’s protective sister, Kirra, who let loose on holding Harrison accountable for his actions throughout the experiment.
Bronte found the courage to confront Harrison about the hurt he had caused her and she walked away, declaring that she was ending their relationship for good and never wanted to see him again.
“I’m done with you,” Bronte fumed before storming out.
“Harrison, we’re done. We’re over. And I honestly never want to see you again.”
Claire and Jesse — Not Together
Things took an unexpected turn in Claire and Jesse’s relationship at the dinner party. Everything was fine between the pair until Harrison made a comment about Claire only wanting to stay for her own image. It triggered how Jesse felt when Claire admitted she kissed Adam and he wanted out.
“I’m really sorry for making you feel the things you’ve felt. There were so many moments I enjoyed with you,” Claire said. “I would never make you stay in a situation you don’t want to stay in.”
The pair both decided to leave the experiment.
Sandy and Dan — Not Together
It was a nervous first meeting between Sandy and Dan at their wedding but once they relaxed further into the night the newlyweds were off to a good start.
For the first few weeks, we watched the couple get along like a house on fire. But after a tumultuous week, we are getting a clearer picture of what really went down between Sandy and Dan.
Sandy was devastated to hear about Dan’s antics at the boys’ night, where he was showing pictures of his ex-girlfriends to the other husbands, and comparing her to them. Dan also publicly admitted he wasn’t sexually attracted to his ‘wife’.
Dan’s New Girlfriend
Since filming ended, it seems like Dan has a new flame. The Daily Mail Australia spotted the groom making out with another woman. Oh, and she also happened to be one his guests at their “MAFS” wedding.
The 42-year-old groom went public with nurse and influencer Samantha Symes the day after his ‘marriage’ to Sandy aired. Talk about a huge spoiler that ruined their entire storyline.
While Samantha attended Dan’s wedding as a guest, sources say they didn’t start dating until after his relationship with Sandy ended.
“Dan and Sandy had nothing in common. He lives a completely different lifestyle, while he and Samantha share very similar values and interests,” a source told Daily Mail.
The couple are said to have hit it off after being introduced by a mutual friend over a year and a half ago. However, their relationship has come to an end after three months of dating.
Now, Dan has seemingly gone public with another woman, whom he has dated before. Instagram influencer Chloe Patterson posted a photo of herself with Dan, holding a bouquet of flowers.
Although, after speculation began to spread online over the pair’s relationship, Chloe briefly claimed Dan was “just a friend” in an Instagram story.
READ MORE: Does MAFS’ Dan Have a New Girlfriend? What Really Went Down After the Second Dinner Party
Melissa and Josh — Not Together
Melissa and Josh were off to a good start until the couple hit confessions week. Melissa wasn’t shy in communicating how important sex is for her in a relationship, but it became a problem for Joshua.
Fed up with his wife always prioritising sex in their relationship, Joshua told Melissa that there was more to a relationship than just sex. He accused her of not showing any interest in him — a point proven when he asked her what he does for a living and she was unable to answer. The fight culminated with Melissa taking sex off the table for a week to get to know each other better.
After weeks of tension, things finally reached breaking point for Melissa and Josh at the commitment ceremony. Josh recounted some of the things that Melissa had been saying behind closed doors, which included barbs about the lack of physical intimacy between the couple and not being ‘manly’ enough.
Josh wanted out of the experiment while Melissa surprisingly chose to stay. Expert John Aiken allowed the groom to exit the show.
Janelle and Adam — Not Together
“MAFS” is no stranger to a cheating scandal and the issue seems to have reared its head once again. The so-called scandal rocked the experiment after Jesse accused ‘wife’ Claire of having secret phone calls with fellow groom Adam.
Then the plot thickened after Claire came clean about kissing Adam.
“I’ve acted outside of integrity. I’ve broken your trust,” she told Jesse. “That night that we all went out and Adam and I went outside, we kissed.”
Related: A Complete Timeline of the Claire and Adam Saga
After the scandal, it was clear that things between Janelle and Adam were over. The pair left the experiment soon after. While Claire and Jesse have a lot of work to do, we’re not sure how things will pan out for the pair.
Related: Leaked Texts Reveal Truth About “MAFS” 2023 Cheating Scandal
Caitlin and Shannon — Not Together
Everything was a smooth-sailing journey for Shannon and Caitin until the photo ranking challenge, which saw them hit their first hurdle. The groom ranked her second, but then decided that he wanted to reshuffle things, and bumped her down to third place.
But that wasn’t the end of the couple’s struggles.
READ MORE: Spoiler Alert: Is MAFS’ Shannon Back With His Ex? We Did Some Digging
Shannon admitted on the show that he’s still in love with his ex. We know, right? Why would you go on a dating show if you still had feelings for an old flame?
When it came to the commitment ceremony, Caitlin didn’t hold back in front of the experts, recounting all the horrible things Shannon had been saying to her.
“I think the most hurtful thing for me was [when] he said if there was someone who walked down that aisle that wowed him, he would have cut it off with his ex then and there,” she said.
The bride chose to leave the experiment, noting that she “deserves to be respected”.
“Married At First Sight” continues Sunday at 7.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Related: MAFS Groom Shannon Tells ‘Wife’ He’s Still In Love With His Ex-Fiancée
