There’s a reason why Aussies 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.
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 great.
Of the 82 matches made by the experts, only seven have managed to go the distance and are still together. One 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?
Erin Bateman and Bryce Mohr, season two
The low-key couple have gone the distance post-show.
(Image: Channel Nine)MAFS‘ longest-lasting couple met on the 2016 series and with the exception of a brief break up 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 six
Cam and Jules are legally married and share a son.
(Image: Channel Nine)When Cam first laid eyes on his match, the cricketer admitted that she wasn’t his physical type.
“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 in September 2020.
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! The couple were the MAFS 2019 golden couple 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 six
Martha and Michael have a huge following online.
(Image: Channel Nine)2019 is MAFS‘ most successful year to date! Cam and Jules may have received most of the attention but Martha and Michael were the quiet achievers.
“I can definitely imagine my future with Michael,” Martha told TV WEEK in 2019.
“Our foundations are similar and we have strong family values.”
The lovebirds announced their engagement in December 2021, however, there was a pit stop a long the way – they welcomed their first child together little Lucius Brunelli in February 2023.
Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson, season eight
From strangers meeting at the altar to proud parents of twins.
(Image: Channel Nine)When you think of MAFS 2021, arguably the biggest breakout stars were Bryce and Melissa.
The couple became the series’ most controversial couple and had 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, What Happens After…
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m in a loving, safe and committed relationship with Bryce, and I’m in love! And besides, I’m a grown woman – I would have walked away long ago if I didn’t feel safe,” Melissa told Woman’s Day in April 2021.
In July that year, the couple announced that they were not only engaged but also expecting twins. Levi and Tate were born 10 weeks early in October 2021 and the family-of-four are currently living in Melbourne.
Kerry Knight and Johnny Balbuziente, season eight
The 2021 intruders are still going strong.
(Image: Channel Nine)Though they came late to the experiment as intruders in 2021, 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, but aren’t in a rush to get married for real or have kids.
“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 other hope,” Johnny told WHO in May 2021.
“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 July 2022, they decided to walk down the aisle again, but this time for real. Kerry and Johnny announced their engagement via Instagram with a photo of the lovebirds on Sydney Harbour captioned “FOREVER 💍.”
In January 2023, the pair said ‘I do’ in a stunning ceremony in Brisbane with fellow MAFS cast Jules and Cam also in attendance.
Evelyn Ellis and Duncan James, season ten
Evelyn and Duncan are the unexpected coupling out of season ten.
(Image: Instagram)Probably one of the most unexpected couples to exit season ten, given Evelyn and Duncan were ‘married’ to different people. Duncan was originally paired with Alyssa, while Evelyn was an intruder bride paired with Rupert.
While their relationship didn’t come into fruition until after the experiment ended, viewers could spot the sparks between them following a ‘couple swap’ episode. After months of speculation, the pair confirmed their status in an exclusive interview with 9Honey.
“Some of the warm fuzzy feelings happened in the stomach and I thought ‘what is this’ and then… one thing led to another,” Duncan confessed.
Evelyn meanwhile shared on Instagram: “Sometimes i come into a conscious state and it really makes me giggle how life works.. did I really sign up for an EXPERIMENT and walk out with this guy?”
With their relationship still in its early stages, compared to the other successful couples on MAFS, we cannot wait to see where this goes.
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