Choosing to publicly declare their love for one another was a daunting task for Married At First Sight stars Jonathan McCullough and Ellie Dix. But after almost five months of being an official item, the couple are saying “stuff it” to what anyone else thinks about their controversial relationship!
New Idea magazine Australia were invited into Jono and Ellie’s shared love nest on the Gold Coast. The pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other during our exclusive photoshoot. And, as Jono and Ellie will later confirm, it’s very evident they are both “so happy”.
“We’re so comfortable with one another and we haven’t spent a night apart since we got together,” Jono, 40, reveals.
Ellie, 32, adds that their relationship is just “really easy”. Nestled into her man’s arms as they relax on the couch, she tells us with a big smile, “I’ve never felt so relaxed with someone.”
“Jono loves hearing my opinions and never shuts me down,” she continues. “We’re both on the same page and I feel like I’ve known him for such a long time; it’s weird.”
Of course, Jono and Ellie only met after they were cast on MAFS. They were matched with other people though – the experts thought Lauren was Jono’s perfect bride while Ellie was paired with Ben.
Jono and Ellie insist their relationship began once their time in the experiment had ended (filming finished last November). Jono’s initial texts to Ellie – which were sent after she left midway through the show but while he was still on it – were innocent.
“We didn’t spend any time together before I left,” Ellie explains. “Jono texted me a few days after I left to check if I’d gotten home alright.”
Not long after, fellow participant Timothy decided to organise a mini MAFS reunion on the Gold Coast for four of the cast. But when he and Cassandra had to cancel, Jono reached out to Ellie to see if she still wanted to get together.
“We met and had a drink at four in the afternoon and said goodbye at midnight,” he tells us. Jono also adds that he couldn’t believe how “hilarious” Ellie was, and was “shocked”, as the show had presented a different side to her character.
“The next day, because I’d had such a tough three months in the experiment, I woke up with a smile on my face and felt so happy,” he reveals. “I went back to the Sunshine Coast, where I was living at the time and messaged her. We met again in Brisbane and that’s when we started becoming something.”
After Jono had exited the experiment, he stared hunting for an apartment on the Gold Coast. Ellie also happened to be looking for one too. When Jono found a place first, he told her to “come and stay as long as you want”.
Ellie says, “And all of a sudden I’ve taken over the bathroom and the wardrobe and my hair is everywhere!”
It hasn’t always been rainbows and butterflies for the pair. Due to the circumstances in which they got together, Jono and Ellie have faced a vicious backlash from online trolls. Ellie says one social media user called her a “wh–e”, while another told Jono he should “stop breathing”.
The couple are not quite done facing hurdles either. At the final MAFS dinner party they were met with an extremely frosty welcome from Lauren. They can also expect to cop a grilling from the experts at the finale reunion. But Jono says he has no regrets.
“Because I’ve been made to look so bad on TV, it’s bad for me [on social media and in public] at the moment,” the health business owner says. “My friends and family keep saying, ‘you must regret going on the show.’ But I don’t because I met Ellie.
“For a show about relationships though, I would have thought that seeing two people end up happy, would make the viewers happy, but obviously not.”
Nurse Ellie shares that she was genuinely hoping to meet a partner on MAFS and is “so happy” she got to meet “this amazing guy”, despite him not being her original groom.
“I was really quiet on the show when I was Ben’s bride,” Ellie says. “It felt like I couldn’t say anything because I didn’t feel like he’d have my back. I barely spoke one word to Jono during my time on the show.”
Jono says, “I feel really lucky finding Ellie. Something beautiful and innocent has been made to look ugly and that’s a real shame.”
Jono and Ellie confess they debated whether they should attend the MAFS finale episodes as a couple – or even go at all.
“We could have lied and walked in to the reunion separately, but I’d already been labelled a cheater on the show for stuff I didn’t do, so I thought I’d rather spend that week in Sydney with Ellie for the reunion,” Jono reveals. “I don’t want to have to pretend we’re not together. Ellie is amazing and I want to spend time with her.”
As Jono and Ellie look back at their time on MAFS and whether they have any wise words for next year’s cast, their advice is simple…
“Don’t let your partner walk over you like I did,” says Jono. “And don’t text anyone else who’s on the show!”
Ellie adds, “Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. I was intimidated by Ben. It just goes to show that who you are with can change so much about who you are. Jono brings out the best in me.”
