Married At First Sight’s poster couple Simon McQuillan and Alene Khatcherian have announced their split, just two months after the show’s finale aired.
“It was a difficult decision but we have decided to part ways,” the pair said in a joint statement to TheFIX. “We remain the greatest of friends and we will continue to be part of each others’ lives. We thank you for your privacy at this time.”
It’s unclear what went wrong between the once-golden couple, but with Alene based in Sydney and Simon in Queensland it seems the long distance aspect of their relationship may have taken its toll.
“The long distance has been hard,” 31-year-old Alene explained. “I come home on a Friday night and I call up Simon and I’m like, “Let’s go out!” but obviously, that can’t happen.”
The split will likely come as a surprise to fans of the show — after all, the much-loved duo had previously spoken about their desire to start a family together.
“The ideal would be to have twins, a boy and a girl,” Alene told Woman’s Day of their future children. “We’re going to call them Valerie and Damien.”
“I’d rather struggle with one pregnancy than have two in five years, and I know Simon will be a great dad.”
Nick Furphy and Sharon Marsh are now the only couple still together from the latest series of Married at First Sight.
Meanwhile, Sharon’s twin, Michelle Marsh, is reportedly dating a new mystery man and Cheryl Maitland is giving love a go with a plumber named Dean Gibbs.