5 couples have found love with a bride or groom who wasn't their match on Married at First Sight including Awhina and Billy

Every year, single people from the UK, Australia, US and NZ all sign up to their respective version of Married at First Sight in their country in the hope of finding everlasting love.

It works out for some. In fact, there are 29 couples from all versions of MAFS who got paired together on the show and are still together today - but it doesn’t work out for everyone. There are, however, some brides and grooms who do find the one they were looking for on the show - just not in the way they were expecting to find it.

Below we take a look at the other MAFS participants who are now in a relationship in the real world with someone other than their TV bride or groom. . .

Awhina and Billy

After weeks of denying their romance, season 12 co-stars Awhina Rutene and Billy Belcher finally confirmed they are dating in June 2025.

Awhina has been linked to Billy since February, when this year’s season 12 of the hit Channel Nine dating show finished airing in Aus. At the same time, it was also revealed that the TV bride had split from her on-screen husband Adrian Araouzou as although they left the experiment together and took their romance in to the real world things hadn’t worked out for them. Billy, meanwhile, split with his wife Sierah Swepstone after just a few weeks in the experiment.

Awhina officially confirmed their relationship by posting a series of photos of them together to Instagram page along with the caption “I’ll keep this one”

Jacqui and Clint

After shocking their fellow MAFS Australia 2025 cast members by unveiling their relationship during the reunion episode, Jacqui Burfoot and Clint Rice caused further shockwaves by going one step further and got engaged just weeks later.

The pair, who met on season 12 of the hit Channel Nine dating show, became engaged when Clint got down on one knee and surprised his girlfriend of just five months at a reunion viewing party. At the So Dramatic podcast viewing party the moment that Clint popped the question to a surprised and thrilled Jacqui was captured on camera. Clint presented her with an engagement ring in front of the couple’s 2025 cast mates.

The couple’s romance shocked their MAFS castmates and MAFS viewers alike as they were not actually paired with each other on the show. Jacqui was paired with Ryan Donnelly, while Clint was paired with Lauren Hall. Jacqui made it all the way to final vows with her on-screen husband Ryan, despite their very confusing relationship filled with constant ups and downs, where they both both decided to walk away from each other. Clint, meanwhile, had a short-lived union with Lauren and they left the experiment after only a few weeks after realising they had differing approaches to relationships.

Duncan and Evelyn

Duncan James and Evelyn Ellis both appeared on season 10 of Married at First Sight Australia, which aired in 2023 but was filmed in 2022. Duncan was paired with Alyssa Barmonde, while Evelyn was a latecomer and was coupled with Rupert Budgen. Neither of their relationships worked out, however, and they each left the experiment.

After fillimg wrapped Duncan and Evelyn began dating, after having got to know each other as they filmed the show - particularly when they spent a couple of days together during Partner Swap week. They confirmed their relationship in May 2023 and have now been together for almost two years. They regularly keep fans up-to-date with their relationship and post photos together on Instagram.

Jono and Ellie

Jonathan McCullough and Ellie Dix’s relationship is the most controversial of this group because there is a possibility it began while he was still in the experiment - though they claim to have only started their romance once the show finished.

Ellie’s marriage to Ben Walters came to an end after a few weeks during last year’s season 11 as the couple struggled to agree on their relationship goals and he blew hot and cold. Jonathan, known as Jono, meanwhile, experienced an up-and-down marriage with Lauren Dunn. They had made it to the final dinner party, however, and were looking forward to final vows - that was until Jono’s supposed cheating with Ellie was exposed.

It was during that dinner party that fellow bride Tori Adams confronted him about messaging Ellie without Lauren knowing. He initially claimed the pair were “just friends” and insisted that she “wasn’t his type” - but just weeks later at the reunion the Jono and Ellie walked in hand-in-hand and announced their relationship to the group. They have always insisted that their relationship had not started until after they had each left the experiment.

In November they celebrated one year together and announced they had bought a house. They have also been travelling the world together and sharing their adventures with their fans on Instagram.

Matt and Shona

Shona Manderson and Matt Pilmoor didn’t meet until the reunion for series 8 of Married at First Sight UK as, due to the timing of their entrances into the show, they didn't actually get to know each other as the process was on-going.

Shona was married to Brad Skelly, and at first their romance looked very promising. But, the experts soon raised concerns with Brad’s behavious towards his new wife, calling him out for gaslighting her, and the pair were asked to leave the experiment and split a short time after. Matt, meanwhile, had been married to Adrienne Naylor but the pair's romance was short-lived.

Matt and Shona met once the experiment had finished, at a reunion party for all the cast members, in June 2023. They have been dating ever since and are said to want to get married and start a family. They are also approaching their two year anniversary, and regularly share an insight into their loved-up relationship on Instagram.

During the recent MAFS UK 2025 reunion, which included cast members from series 8 and series 9, Matt declared his love for Shona in front of everyone at the dinner table and presented her with a promise ring.