Married at First Sight star confirms split from his fiancée of two years after months of break up rumours
A Married at First Sight star has confirmed he has split from his fiancée after months of speculation.
Ryan Gallagher has confirmed he has separated from fiancée Emily Seebohm, seven months after rumours first began that the pair were no longer together.
The couple, who share a son Sampson, who has just turned two, have been at the centre of split rumours since April.
The Married At First Sight star hasn’t actually spoken about his broken engagement directly, but he took to his Instagram Stories this week to share a dating story with fans, therefore indirectly confirming his single status. His bio also now reads: “Single Proud Dad.”
He began: “I went on a date on Sunday, I don't go on too many dates, I've only just sort of started doing that.” He went on to explain that the date hadn’t gone very well. “We went to the movies and I was starving—I hadn't eaten and she'd already eaten. During the movie, I got a slider and chips, but it wasn't one of those loud movies, it was like a quiet one.
He went on to explain that while trying to chew his food slowly, he “basically wasn't chewing the food, and swallowing the whole lot down,” which led to his meal beginning to “build up” inside of his throat.
It was at that moment his potential match, who he did not name or identify in any way, apparently decided he wasn’t for her. “I tried to clear it and as I did, I burped, and it was pretty loud. Lo and behold, she said our energies didn't align, which I didn't think they did, either,” Ryan said.
His bad luck didn’t end there. “It worked out OK, but when she sent me that message, she said she didn't want to go on another date, and then I got out of my car and a bird s*** on my face.”
Ryan then spoke about the difficulty of dating, especially when you’ve been on reality television. “I've always said whenever they do casting for reality, they literally drive a bus to the mental ward and go ‘quick, get in, we'll take you on a ride," and then they go and start filming,' he said. “We're all a bit... I wouldn't say out there, but I'm a bit hyper.
“And if I'm on a date and I get a bit nervous, I think I'm a little bit more hyper, which doesn't do anyone any favours, especially me.”
Ryan added he felt that could be a reason why reality stars are often drawn to each other. “I think that's why you also find a lot of people in reality date each other, because it's just crackers and crackers meet each other and sometimes it works. I know it didn't work in my case.”
Ryan Gallagher, who appeared on season five on MAFS Australia back in 2018, popped the question to Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm back in December 2022 - just four months after they met. But in April, fans noticed that they unfollowed each other on Instagram.
Ryan, aged 37, also removed previous photos of himself and 33-year-old Emily including a photo of the pair with their newborn child shortly after his birth in September 2023. Emily’s page does still include photos of herself, Ryan and Sampson, but the last image was uploaded last Christmas-time.
A source told Sky News Australia that the pair are focusing on their son, but did not give a reason for their split. “Ryan and Emily are trying to find a new normal, which has been a real process. Their number one priority is Sampson and ensuring he continues to feel supported by both parents. They haven't felt the need to make public statements.”
The couple first met while filming The Challenge Australia, a show where Aussie celebs are paired up to compete in unpredictable and demanding games for a chance to win $100,000.
They got engaged in December 2022, but didn’t publicly announce their engagement until March 2023. They then revealed their pregnancy in July that year with a social media video that had the caption: “We’ve had a little bump in the road”.
Ryan rose to fame on hit Channel Nine dating show MAFS when he was paired with Davina Rankin. He was at the centre of one of the show’s most talked-about moments when Davina had an affair with a fellow groom Dean Wells.
Emily, who made her Olympic debut at the age of 16 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist.