There’s a reason why Aussies can’t get enough of Married At First Sight. There are fights, feuds and every once in a while, a couple that makes you believe in love.
For eight 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 71 matches made by the experts, only six 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 six?
Erin Bateman and Bryce Mohr, season two
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
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.
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
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.
The attraction was instant and fast forward to now, the couple are living together in Sydney, their fans waiting with baited breath for an engagement or baby announcement.
“I can definitely imagine my future with Michael,” Martha told TV WEEK in 2019.
“Our foundations are similar and we have strong family values.”
What’s more, the two are set to make their relationship official and announced their engagement in December 2021.
Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson, season eight
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
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.”
