Pictures: Philip Castleton.
When Rhi Disljenkovic walked down the aisle on Married At First Sight Australia, the last person she expected to see at the altar was her ex Jeff Gobbels – and not once did she imagine she’d still be with him five months later.
“It was a shock,” admits the account manager, 34. “I was expecting to marry a stranger.”
Electrician Jeff, 40, adds, “But it ended up being an advantage because we immediately had that level of comfort.”
The pair, both from Melbourne, dated briefly in 2023 before parting ways amicably, so when they were forced to turn their friendship back into a romantic relationship, it was a challenge.
“Having to overcome that was an obstacle,” admits Jeff. “To our credit, we both worked very hard and gave it 100%. We said to ourselves, ‘We’re not going to leave any stone unturned and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work,’ but fortunately for us, it did.”
While season 12 of the series had ups and downs for many of the contestants, Rhi and Jeff stayed loyal to one another throughout – at times making them the “boring couple” of the show.
Rhi reveals that they still haven’t had any fights since filming wrapped late last year. She laughs, “Maybe the public’s right – we are boring!”
While they’ve returned to their homes and work lives, things have definitely changed. This became apparent when the Aussie prime minister Anthony Albanese approached them. He asked for a selfie.
Jeff recalls, “We were in Perth doing interviews and he was in the sound booth before us. Someone came out and said, ‘Do you mind taking a photo with the prime minister? He really wants to meet you.’ He asked, ‘Could I please take a selfie with you? Jodie [Haydon, the PM’s fiancée] will laugh so much!’ We couldn’t believe it.”
When the loved-up couple aren’t rubbing shoulders with politicians and celebrities, Rhi can confirm she often uses the house key Jeff gave her during Homestays Week. She also lets slip that he’s the more romantic one in the relationship.
“I’ve been using the key a lot,” teases Rhi. “Jeff is just so thoughtful. If I wake up in the morning and he’s left for work, I go out to the kitchen and he’s written me a lovely letter.”
While they want to take things to the next level, the pair will do so at their own pace and enjoy the journey along the way.
“Hopefully, in a year’s time, we’ll be living together,” muses Jeff.
Smiling, Rhi adds, “A lot of people look at our ages and say we should be having kids. We just don’t feel pressured to do that, though. We just want to enjoy our relationship because it feels like we’re still in the honeymoon period.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
