Back bigger than ever, Australia’s favourite social experiment, Married at First Sight, returns for its most polarising season of next-level drama and a whole lot of love on Monday, January 29 at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Diving headfirst into the intensity of a fast-tracked relationship, these brides and grooms are more relatable, honest and vulnerable, laying their cards on the table for all of Australia to see as they get real, fast, in the hope of making their marriage a long-term success.
In 2024, the couples move in together in brand-new luxury apartments, and the popular Couples Retreat is set in a brand-new location, providing the ideal backdrop for relationships to either strengthen or implode.
This season of MAFS will push the limits on everything viewers think they know about the series. With more twists, turns and shocks – even beyond Final Vows – and rivalries, betrayals and heartbreak that will rock the experiment from beginning to end.
In their quest to find love, 10 couples will meet for the first time at the altar on their wedding day, after being matched by relationship experts John Aiken and Mel Schilling and certified sexologist Alessandra Rampolla. The experts will also guide the couples throughout their journey and put them to the ultimate test of developing genuine and long-lasting relationships.
Not for the faint-hearted, this year’s experiment will test the participants in ways they have never imagined:
- New homes for the couples and a brand-new Couples Retreat location
- Unexpected betrayals and explosive relationship drama that will rock the experiment
- Explosive dinner parties that will reveal shocking secrets and divide friendships
- Commitment Ceremonies that will surprise even the experts like never before
Prepare to fall in love as television’s biggest show turns up the love meter another notch in 2024 for a new season that is guaranteed to be the talk of the town.
Married at First Sight is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay Company) for the 9Network.
MEET THE BRIDES
ANDREA, 51
Photographer, QLD
At the age of 51, Andrea’s young-at-heart nature is proof that a number does not need to define you, nor does it mean you have to act your age.
A single mum to two adult children, Andrea ended her most recent relationship after realising she was being gas-lit, a term she learnt while watching MAFS. The series inspired her to cut ties with her ex-partner once and for all and forge a new path to finding love. Since then she has been bread-crumbed, love-bombed and ghosted more times than she can count.
Andrea describes herself as giving, respectful and kind, but can on occasion be accident-prone and forgetful – which is why she has a “To Do” list tattooed on her arm.
Earnest, lovable and trusting, Andrea is full of optimism and ready to fall head over heels for the right person this time.
CASSANDRA, 29
Administration Officer, QLD
A laughing ray of sunshine, Cassandra is outgoing, bubbly and social. While she says she can talk under water, when it comes to love she has found herself in a drought.
Having experienced the devastating loss of her first love, Cassandra has struggled to find a meaningful connection with anyone since. As she approaches her 30s, she yearns to meet someone equally as family-oriented and loving as she is to build a life and raise a “small football team” of kids together.
With a huge supportive family originating from Tanzania, Cassandra has an open mind and a huge heart with a lot of love to give to someone kind with a beautiful smile.
EDEN, 28
Recruitment Manager, QLD
Eden has worked hard to build a life she loves – but living on the Gold Coast, she’s far from her Adelaide family and relies on her best friend, her dog Cub, for company.
Eden has been single for three years since her previous relationship ended because her partner cheated with her best friend. Since the betrayal, losing her partner and her lifelong best friend in one fell swoop, Eden admits her trust issues run extremely deep.
Eden is fiercely independent, a self-confessed daddy’s girl and a perfectionist at heart. She is putting her trust in the experts to match her with someone ambitious, generous and loyal.
ELLIE, 32
Registered Nurse, QLD
One of three sisters, Ellie is incredibly close to her family and ready to start a family of her own. With the hope of forming a healthy relationship and becoming a mum, Ellie is genuine in her desire to find someone special to share
her white picket fence ideals.
Ellie was left heartbroken after her ex-fiancé cheated on her several years ago, resulting in the cancellation of her wedding a month before the big day.
The relationship breakdown rocked her to the core, leaving her with a constant need for reassurance. She now admits she has a tendency to bend over backwards for people, even when she knows they do not deserve it.
Despite her open, friendly and sunny nature, Ellie has largely been unlucky in love. Having tried every trick in the book to find her perfect match, she hopes the experiment delivers her Mr Right.
LAUREN, 32
PR & Marketing Consultant, WA
With a wickedly dry and cutting sense of humour, Lauren attracts attention wherever she goes. With striking looks and strong opinions, she won’t suffer fools and calls it as she sees it, no matter the situation.
With a successful hospitality PR/marketing business, Lauren is a massive foodie who loves to cook and eat – preferably with a full-bodied glass of red – and her dream date is dinner, so that she can judge her companion by the type of restaurant he chooses.
With parents who have been married for 40 years, her family has set a high standard for what a successful relationship looks like.
Lauren has been single for six months after yet another relationship breakdown, and is looking for someone who can match her level of sarcasm, wit and banter.
Describing herself as “a little bit crazy” in relationships, Lauren equates arguing to passion and is never afraid to speak her mind.
She is looking for a partner who is calm and level-headed to balance her out. While she says
she only attracts “red flags”, she is hoping her match is tall, dark, handsome and makes her laugh until she cries.
LUCINDA, 43
MC & Wedding Celebrant, NSW
Grounded “earth mama” Lucinda likes to squeeze all she can out of life, celebrating big, travelling often, and loving everyone she meets along the way.
A free spirit who dances to the beat of her own drum, Lucinda describes herself as a steward of love and light. She is fun, easygoing, sensual and creative – a unique individual who sees every glass half-full, no matter the circumstances.
A modern-day Cupid by trade, Lucinda runs a speed-dating company and works as a marriage celebrant and MC, hosting events and workshops to unite people from all walks of life. But now, at 43, it’s her turn – she’s done with heartbreak and is holding space for a partner to share her life with.
Lucinda is looking for an open-minded man who is willing to be vulnerable, have a good time and explore everything the world has to offer. He must be dedicated to constant personal evolution and discovering his full potential alongside her.
NATALIE, 32
Physiotherapist, VIC
A little bit nerdy by nature – and proud of it – Natalie has dabbled in cosplay, loves gaming and has a large collection of memorabilia dedicated to her Samoyed dog, MieMie. The sweet and earnest physiotherapist is a 5’1’’ (155cm) pocket rocket with a personality that exceeds her stature and is looking for her very own “Player 2” in the game of life.
A caring, kind and devoted daughter, Natalie places high priority on her family and goes out of her way to maintain relationships with the people she loves. Her loyalty can bring out her feisty side and she will stand up for anyone being treated unfairly – including herself.
Open-minded, encouraging and nurturing, Natalie loves being in love and is ready to go all in again in the pursuit of a lasting love.
SARA, 29
Nutritionist, NSW
Born and raised in Colombia until she moved to Canada as a young child, Spanish-speaking Sara has resided in Australia for the past eight years. Sara’s dream match is a confident guy with good conversation, who can match her energy, and it will be an added bonus if he is a light haired ‘pretty boy’.
An open communicator with a fiery nature, Sara fears that her approach can come off too strong and she finds she can unintentionally offend people with her honesty. She considers herself an independent Latina woman with a big
personality and is happy for her future husband to put her in her place.
With strong ideals for her future, Sara can find it easy to dismiss potential partners if they don’t live up to her expectations.
Disheartened that nothing has ever worked out in her favour, Sara hopes that the experiment will find her “the one”.
TORI, 27
Business Development Manager, VIC
Tori is a self-proclaimed “bulldog” who claims she doesn’t “do compromise”. Having been raised by strong women, Tori is fiercely independent. While she does not need a man, she would like to make room for one – but only if it is the perfect fit.
Tori’s ideal match is an alpha male who is not intimidated by a strong woman. He must be masculine, fit, career-focused, driven, tidy, emotionally intelligent and a good communicator. With a lengthy list of required attributes for her future companion, Tori admits that her pickiness has not been helpful in finding the right one.
Addressing a few of her own shortcomings, she confesses to being high maintenance and a stickler for control. When push comes to shove, Tori is yearning for someone who can be on the same wavelength as her, not someone she has to carry through life.
MEET THE GROOMS
BEN, 39
Tour Guide, NSW
Ben has had to temporarily pivot professions when COVID struck, now currently working part-time in the construction industry. Feeling like a fish out of water in his new reality, he still craves the adventure and excitement he once had travelling the world.
Living the life of a tour guide, it’s been easy for Ben to walk away from relationships when they get difficult and he’s yet to stumble across “the one”. His last serious relationship ended in 2019 and he finds dating exhausting.
Ben is extremely picky when it comes to a partner. He needs to be stimulated and can get bored easily – he hates “vanilla”. He admits to sometimes having unrealistic expectations and a fear of settling but he’s trying to change that.
He’s been in love before and knows love is one of the greatest experiences life can offer.
COLLINS, 28
Executive Assistant, NSW
A self-described chatterbox, Collins is quirky and a little bit awkward. A host of trivia events by night, he loves to laugh and make people happy.
Collins’ experience when it comes to dating and relationships is zero. He has had his heart broken by unrequited love once, never had a girlfriend, and is perpetually put in the friend zone.
Collins is conscious that he isn’t your typical tatted-up gym junkie that attracts women easily, but he sees himself as a genuine, kind and respectful person, with big ambitions and a lot of love to give. Collins is looking for that initial spark and hopes to finally get out of the friend zone when he meets his match on MAFS.
JACK, 34
Personal Trainer, QLD
Fit, charming and vain, Jack describes himself as an alpha male who needs a partner respectfully submissive to his dominance.
With high expectations and OCD to boot, Jack has a very structured, controlled lifestyle. The list of required attributes for his future partner are lengthy: they must be glamorous, fit, a nice smile, tanned and ideally brunette.
Jack likes to put his women on a pedestal, is overly affectionate and a romantic at heart. He hopes the person he is paired with will have the patience to understand him and exercise unconditional love for who he truly is.
JAYDEN, 26
Professional Kickboxer, QLD
Brother to Mitch Eynaud (MAFS Season 9), Jayden insists the pair are nothing alike.
Focused, disciplined and obsessive, Jayden’s busy schedule sees him working around the clock. Professional kickboxer by day and security guard by night, his work has always been his priority, with little time for love.
With a professional knack for hiding his emotions and showing no pain, Jayden is used to keeping people at arm’s length.
Misunderstood and often labelled a “bad F-boy”, there is more to him than meets the eye.
Jayden gets a lot of attention from women but never the right kind of attention. He wants his future partner to be fit, ambitious and independent, plus up for the challenge of breaking his walls down.
JONATHAN, 39
Health Business Owner, NSW
Intellectual and emotionally engaged, Jono has worn many professional hats in his life. From serving as an infantry soldier, to becoming a concreter and a financial adviser, he gave the latter up (along with his business of 15 years)
following the breakdown of his last relationship.
Packing up his life and selling everything he owned, Jono travelled the world for 15 months, tackling more than 50 countries. Living on remote islands for weeks at a time and hunting for his own food to survive, he is an adventurer
and risk-taker at heart.
Jonathan considers himself unlucky in love and credits his singledom at almost 40 to being with amazing women who he should have married in his 20s, and poor choices in his 30s.
For Jono, it’s time to get serious about finding someone to love. He is eager to become a father and is hoping to meet someone as equally motivated and put together as he is.
MICHAEL, 34
Salesperson, VIC
Handsome, extroverted and sassy, Michael is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in and will do anything for those he loves.
Hailing from the United States and growing up in a small town in Ohio, Michael admits his upbringing was challenging at times, but credits his mum and close family ties to making him the man he is today.
In relationships, Michael can struggle with letting his walls down out of a fear of being hurt. Having been single for five years, he is sick of the dating scene and ready to settle down, with high hopes of becoming a father and raising a family of his own.
Michael wants to meet someone who is tall, dark and handsome and can match his confidence and align with his family values.
RICHARD, 62
Motivational Speaker, NSW
Charismatic, self-assured and loud, Richard has been thriving in his professional life, however selling himself in the world of love and online dating apps at the age of 62 is proving more of a challenge.
Describing himself as young at heart, Richard left his wife of 27 years because the relationship had run its course and the spark was no longer there. He recently dated a woman 27 years his junior, with the relationship ending over her desire to have children. With three of his own already, this is a deal breaker that Richard is not willing to compromise on.
Struggling to meet a woman his own age that fits his criteria, Richard is turning to the experts to pair him with a woman who has a zest for life, a flexible attitude, and is someone he has undeniable chemistry with.
SIMON, 39
Marketing Manager, SA
For most of his twenties, Simon was married.
Just before his 30th birthday, he realised he could no longer lie to himself, or his family and friends, and decided to come out as gay.
Simon still has a great friendship with his ex-wife and continues to co-parent their teenage son. Since their split, he has been in a seven-year same sex “situationship”, but it never eventuated to anything, leaving him wanting to find someone to share a connection with.
Admitting that he often feels lonely, Simon craves a committed relationship just like his marriage, but this time with a man – he’s ready for love. Simon hasn’t been on dating apps as he doesn’t feel comfortable with them. He thinks MAFS is the perfect fit for him.
TIM, 31
Online Business Owner, QLD
A charming surfer boy who grew up in Darwin, Tim lived in Colombia, Melbourne, Thailand and Bali before settling on the Gold Coast and calling the Sunshine State home. With a love for ice baths, the beach and surfing, Tim is a friendly, laidback guy who is easy to get along with.
A classic entrepreneur, Tim has big financial goals and a handful of online businesses to his name. In the future he hopes to build a school in Ethiopia, where his sister was adopted from.
Tim split with his most recent girlfriend after finding out she was unfaithful.
He enjoys dating but tends to keep his walls up, still not fully healed from his past heartbreak. With a willingness to open himself up to the possibilities of the MAFS experiment, his ideal companion is funny, emotionally stable and a great conversationalist who exudes feminine energy.
TIMOTHY, 51
Business Owner, VIC
With the gift of the gab, Timothy could sell water to a fish. Social and outgoing, he likes to live every day to its fullest, leaving nothing on the table. As a self-described Peter Pan, Timothy doesn’t let people in easily.
After recently losing his father, Timothy realised that he is lonely and craves the support, love and emotional connection of a partner. His last relationship ended six years ago, and while he has forgotten what it feels like to be in a partnership he knows that he wants to feel butterflies and excitement when his bride walks down the aisle.
With no set physical type, Timothy’s ideal match needs to be a genuinely good person, with a flexible, fun nature. He would love to find love, he is ready to take care of someone, and in return, have someone take care of him.
TRISTAN, 30
Entertainment Manager, NSW
Confident, funny and adventurous, Tristan cannot seem to get himself out of the friend zone. With a question mark over whether he is self-sabotaging or just chasing the wrong women, Tristan is putting full faith in the experts to find him a match as caring and loving as he is.
Raised by a single mum who worked around the clock to provide for his family, Tristan refers to her as his hero, queen, and biggest supporter.
His previous relationship ended badly and it has made him nervous to date again, but he’s ready to give romance another chance.
Accomplished and passionate within his career, Tristan is ready to focus on someone else and be their ultimate hype man. He does not have a big check list when it comes to his future partner – he simply wants to be loved.
THE EXPERTS
Alessandra Rampolla
Certified Sexologist
Alessandra Rampolla, a certified clinical sexologist from San Juan in Puerto Rico with over 20 years’ experience, returns to Married at First Sight for its 11th season in 2024.
Alessandra began her career as a clinical sexologist counselling individuals and couples. She was educated in the United States, has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, and holds a number of other degrees and certifications in the field of sexology.
Alessandra has brought her expertise in sexology to television since starting out on a news program in Puerto Rico.
She has also starred in various programs around the world, such as the international Emmy Award-nominated School For Husbands seen throughout Latin America and Sex Hospital in the UK.
She has also been a regular guest on international shows like Dr Phil. Alessandra has hosted her own radio show, is the bestselling author of five books, and maintains a close relationship with her fans, amassing over two million followers on social media.
“I remain dedicated to helping our couples build open, non-judgemental, pleasure-positive sexual connections as a means to nourish and strengthen loving, committed, romantic relationships,” she says.
Mel Schilling
Dating and Relationship Expert
Mel Schilling is a dating and relationship expert who is passionate about educating, motivating and inspiring people to be their best. She works with a variety of clients across all stages of life – from dating to relationships, parenthood, career and divorce.
She firmly believes that the number one ingredient for happiness is having great relationships, whether that’s with intimate partners, family, friends or work colleagues.
Of Married at First Sight, she says: “One of the great challenges for our couples is to let go of old behaviour patterns. When they enter the experiment, they have often been single for a long time and there are always underlying reasons for this. Our couples need to unlearn old habits, trust the process and take risks in order to learn new ways to not only communicate but also flourish in relationships.”
Mel has more than 20 years’ experience in both the corporate and therapeutic arenas. She has worked as a business and personal coach to people at all business levels, from graduates to C-suite professionals, and has operated in Australasia and the Middle East. In 2021, Mel joined Married at First Sight UK which underwent a massive makeover, adopting the Australian format. Mel works alongside sex therapist Charlene Douglas and Paul C. Bronson.
Mel has also penned a book and an online membership experience – The C Word, expertly aimed at helping high-achieving women to live confident, extraordinary lives without leaving their comfort zone. Mel says: “Courage emerges when what you want is bigger than what you fear.”
John Aiken
Relationship Expert
John Aiken has been working in the field of relationships for over 25 years. He has successfully run a private practice over this time, giving out practical advice to singles and couples.
He thrives in his role as relationship expert on Married at First Sight and says: “Over the seasons my role has become very clear, to give out hard-hitting advice to the couples and hold them accountable for their actions during the experiment. I need them to listen, and then do better as they progress in the experiment and hopefully find love.”
As well as providing expert skills on Married at First Sight, John has hosted and provided expert commentary on a number of other TV shows, including ABC’s Making Couples Happy and Making Families Happy. He has appeared as the relationship expert on Channel 9’s TODAY, TODAY Extra and A Current Affair, and is the weekly dating and relationship expert for 9Honey.
John is also a bestselling author, runs exclusive relationship retreats, and is a sought-after speaker.
“This experiment is a unique and ground-breaking experience for all the couples who take part. They enter the process with dreams of finding someone special and are then confronted with their own problem patterns that they need to address,” he says.
“It’s our job as experts to hold a mirror up to them, give them direct feedback, and hope they break these toxic
cycles and find love. It’s compelling, dramatic and heartbreaking, and has the possibility of a fairy tale at the end of the journey.”
