Pictures: Andrea Thompson Photography
Last time we saw Married At First Sight Australia’s surprise couple Jono McCollough and Ellie Dix, they were flaunting their newfound love at the reunion, leaving his bride Lauren Dunn seriously crushed.
But Jono now insists, “It was fake! Lauren didn’t care about me. On the second night, she admitted she’d met her dream guy in Bali before the show and proposed that we just stick it out for fun.
“When I expressed disappointment, she said, ‘That’s pathetic – no one comes here to find a partner!’ I kept her secret, but then she trashed me on screen, calling me a ‘boring robot’ all season.”
Jono, 41, says Lauren, 32, actually admitted to her secret relationship at the final dinner party. “But then John Aiken flew out from behind the scenes, saying, ‘I don’t want to hear about this – it’s a mockery of the show.’ I’d never seen him so mad, but that was all cut from the edit.”
Jono and Taranaki-born, Gold Coast-based nurse Ellie, 33, deny any cheating, saying the texts they swapped during the show were friendly, not flirty. It was only after the final vows that they met up for a mini MAFS reunion and sparks flew.
“We ended up having this 10-hour coffee, which turned into drinks, then dinner,” recalls Ellie. “We dated for the three-week gap between the final vows and the reunion. Everything just clicked.”
After much discussion, the couple decided to attend the reunion show together.
“If we didn’t, we’d have to lie and pretend we weren’t together, and I didn’t want that at all,” says Jono.
Most of the couples cheered when they entered the reunion as a couple, but Ellie recalls, “Our edit was so negative. Watching it made us feel sick. They completely twisted the narrative. It was so frustrating knowing the truth but having no way to defend ourselves.”
The backlash was brutal, with online trolls accusing Ellie of being fame-hungry and Jono of being disloyal.
“I received messages telling me to kill myself,” Jono reveals bluntly.
Ellie adds, “A man rang my workplace, swearing and threatening me. My address was leaked and it got to the point where I needed to have someone to walk me to my car after late shifts at the hospital.”
The couple found it hard to reconcile public perception with reality. Jono tells, “People would meet us and say, ‘You’re nothing like on TV!’ My family even said, ‘We know who you really are and we love you.’
“You know it’s bad when they feel the need to say that! Even now, we get hate. On our one-year anniversary post, someone commented that they hope Ellie cheats on me!”
Despite the rocky start, the couple is now committed to the long haul.
“When you know, you know,” Ellie smiles. “I’ve been on so many terrible dates, but I have to say, with Jono, everything just felt right. He’s so handsome, kind and thoughtful, and he makes me feel safe.”
Jono chips in, “Ellie is beautiful, obviously, but she’s also such a sweetie. She’s a soft, gentle soul and I feel really lucky to have met her through this s**tshow.”
The past year has been a whirlwind for Jono and Ellie, who spent three months caravanning around Australia, followed by two months in Europe. In October, they cemented their relationship – not with a ring, but with bricks and mortar.
“We bought a house in Palm Beach with a big backyard and vege garden,” Jono says. Ellie adds, “Jono’s planting tomatoes and herbs – he’s in his gardening era!”
The sweethearts have launched a business together called Ellie’s Model Skin. The brand focuses on laser treatments and cosmetic injectables, and they’ve also acquired the skincare brand Lustelle.
“Jono’s been amazing in helping me launch my dream,” says Ellie. “He’s clever with finance after growing and selling five companies.”
Meanwhile, a holiday in New Zealand might be on the cards. Ellie is a proud Kiwi who grew up in Haˉwera, then Hamilton, before moving to Australia, where she finished her schooling. “I’d love to take Jono to New Plymouth to meet Grandma,” she grins. “Mum is one of eight and they all live around Taranaki.”
Jono quips, “And I’d love to take Ellie to the South Island because she’s never been. I’ve been four times – I drove from the top right down to Dunedin, so I’ve seen more than her!”
Despite the trauma of their reality TV experience, the couple is determined to focus on the positives that came from it. Ellie says, “We packed up our lives for three months and hoped for love. There was drama, but we found each other in the end and that’s worth all the chaos.”
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