He is a respected relationship expert on Married At First Sight Australia, but what about John Aiken’s own romantic relationship with wife Kelly Swanson-Roe?
It is a stereotypical day when John dissects the inner workings of one’s dating life, so it should come as no surprise than John himself has been in a happily married relationship for nearly 17 years.
John and Kelly wed in 2007.
(Image: Instagram)Kelly, a proud New Zealander, and John, a Sydney-born former NZ cricketer who moved to the country at 12 years of age. John popped the question in Sydney – with the proposal beginning with a lie.
“Yes, I took her to Sydney. Look, I lied to her to be honest. I said, ‘I’ve got this book publisher that wants to meet with me’,” he told 9Honey.
“I had the ring with me and we went to a restaurant down at The Rocks, just under the under the bridge. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She didn’t see that coming.”
The couple married in 2007 in Mudbrick Vineyard on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.
However, Kelly’s first husband sadly passed away in a canyoning accident when she was just 24 years old. The pair met sometime after the incident.
In 2008, the pair moved to Sydney where they welcomed their two children Aston and Piper, who are roughly 13 and 10 respectively. To John, his family have become his everything.
John with his two children and wife.
(Image: Instagram)“To me, my family is my driving force, the most important thing for me,” he confessed to 9Honey.
“I try and sink as much time as I can into the family unit and getting the kids ready for life as I possibly can…Family comes first to me and everything else comes second.”
Initially, John was a relationship counsellor for more than 25 years, however, gave up his private practice due to MAFS‘ demands and wanting to spend more time with his family.
With such a hectic schedule, and Kelly being an interior designer, John revealed they are “very much a team” and will take any opportunity to detach from technology to connect with each other.
“We will debrief at the end of the day and make sure we side with one another. We don’t dish out solutions; we listen – that’s a big part of it,” he told Woman’s Day NZ.
“We put the phones down. We’re not heads-down at computers. We really try to be present and keep things novel. Rather than just going to the same cafe, we will go somewhere we haven’t been before. If it’s good or bad, we have a new shared experience. If nothing else, we have a laugh together.”
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