The ‘Married At First Sight Australia’ 2025 contestant spoilers you need to know

MAFS expert Mel Schilling, 52, was noticeably absent when cameras started rolling for the MAFS 2025 season earlier this month. This left everyone speculating about why she was nowhere to be seen.

Was she stepping down to focus on her health? After all, the star recently opened up about her battle with colon cancer.

According to Daily Mail, there’s no need for concern – Mel is indeed confirmed to return to the 2025 season of MAFS.

She’s currently in the United Kingdom where she is finishing filming the latest UK version of the show. And last week, she reportedly underwent her final chemotherapy treatment.

Daily Mail reported that while Mel wasn’t present to welcome next year’s brides during the hen’s party alongside Alessandra, she has been actively involved in the matchmaking process.

According to Daily Mail, 31-year-old former The Bachelor contestant Sierah Swepstone has been cast in the upcoming twelfth season of MAFS. She was spotted filming the popular Channel Nine series mid-July.

Sierah finished 11th on The Bachelor in 2021 for Jimmy Nicholson’s season before being sent home in episode eight. Clearly they weren’t a love match because when Jimmy sent her home, she speculated that the bachelor simply wasn’t into “tall, horny bogans” like herself. 

Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle, Jimmy said he’s excited to watch Sierah on MAFS. “There is more than meets the eye to Sierah,” he said, admitting that viewers didn’t get to see the full picture of the technical analyst from Victoria.

“She’s also hilarious and will make for some great viewing. I wish her all the best with it.”

Reports by Daily Mail also suggest that Rhi Disljenkovic, a beautiful brunette fitness blogger and IT account manager from Melbourne, will also grace our screens for Season 12 of MAFS. 

The publication also revealed that friends describe ‘Rhi Rhi’ as a “gorgeous, fun doll” who’s always up for a good time. However, she does “wear her heart on her sleeve. She is absolutely stunning inside and out,” her friend said.

Rhi has been spotted filming what seems to be her backstory in Melbourne. The MAFS application website details that filming kicks off in late July, so the timeline fits!

Could it be that Paul Antoine, former The Real Love Boat Australia 2022 contestant, will be one of the 10 grooms tying the knot on MAFS? Daily Mail seems to think so!

The French fitness coach is from Perth. And when he did his promo for The Real Love Boat, he was sold as being “clean, organised and a fantastic cook” – sign us up!

“I offer stability, respect, sensitivity and independence,” he shared. “The perfect date would be the date that makes me forget that I’m in one. 

“Long chats about our lives – past, present and future. I like it when things are spontaneous and haven’t been planned ahead too much.”

Lauren Hall, a businesswoman from Brisbane, is reportedly confirmed to be in the upcoming series. According to Daily Mail, friends describe “the bubbly brunette” as ‘super fun and entertaining’ and say that she is ‘really good at what she does’.

While she’s new to the show, Lauren does have a cheeky connection to it. In a fun twist of events, she dated Jonathan “Jono” McCullough, who was paired with Lauren Dunn on last year’s season of MAFS. 

But, they broke up in January 2023 after dating for about three months. It seems they’re still on good terms though.

Brisbane’s Eliot Donovan found his “niche” on the hit show as the “hot groom”. After his photo was leaked, fans were quick to comment on his good looks.

Old social media interactions have linked him to The Bachelor’s Kiki Morris and Beauty and The Geek’s Troy Thompson.

As for what the rumour mill is churning out, Eliot is apparently the first participant to quit the show. He was, reportedly, “unimpressed” with his bride Lauren Hall. Ouch.

Katie Johnson is a powerhouse businesswoman from Queensland. She runs hew own social enterprise restaurant EATS HQ, which makes it a tangible difference in the lives of people who need it most by serving up ‘meals that matter’. EATS helps people get back on their feet via job opportunities or donations.

She’s described as: “Outrageously successful. Unapologetically authentic. Overwhelmingly generous.”

On MAFS, rumour has it she was seen arriving without a husband. Apparently, producers secretly led her into a building through the back entrance to avoid being photographed.

Bride Morena Farina, a Melbourne mother-of-two and DJ, was spotted sitting on a bench outside of the One Global Resorts building in Sydney’s Green Square – surrounded by suitcases.

Apparently, she was even completely ignored by her co-stars and the show’s producers as they passed by her.

And there were no camera crews around, filming her exit, either. A long-time MAFS paparazzi photographer has a theory about the “very strange” incident.

“Usually when a couple or cast member leaves the show they have to film a whole exit sequence in the underground car park and leave in private,” they told Yahoo Lifestyle.

“They do this to avoid anyone taking any spoiler pictures of them leaving with their suitcases, as these pictures prove the couples split up – but this was so weird.

“It’s like she was just kicked off the show, evicted from the building and no one wanted anything to do with her anymore. Producers didn’t even order her a car to take her to the airport or try to hide her from us [the press].”

Billy Belcher is a UK native with a “big personality”. MAFS 2025 will certainly benefit from a dose of his English sense of humour!

Big Brother Australia star Teejay Halkias – the guy who starred on Channel Seven’s reboot of the show in 2022 for Season 15 – has been cast on MAFS as an intruder.

Recent reports share that he was spotted filming his wedding in Sydney’s CBD.

It’s also said that he’s not the only intruder. Apparently, this season sees a record number of them because, rumour has it, six contestants quit in the first two weeks of production, despite producers “doing everything they could” to convince them to stay.

Apparently, there’s already been some drama on set of MAFS for the 2025 season. According to Yahoo Lifestyle, MAFS made one of its biggest ever mess ups.

The twelfth season saw two exes ‘accidentally’ matched by the experts. And apparently nobody realised the error until the couple met down the aisle while filming their TV wedding!

Yahoo Lifestyle reports that former Neighbours actor Jeff Gobbels and Rhi were shocked when they were unexpectedly reunited on the set earlier this month.

Rumour has it the pair started seeing each other this time last year after being introduced by a mutual friend. However, it “never become official”.