‘My son loves me with Billy’.

Landon has bonded with Billy over soccer. (Credit: Phillip Castleton)

They’re the couple that every Married At First Sight fan is dying to see go official. And it seems like things are definitely progressing between Awhina Rutene and Billy Belcher, with the British-born lad being introduced to Awhina’s seven-year-old son Landon!

“I introduced Billy to Landon around November last year, when we were still filming [MAFS],” Awhina, 31, reveals during Woman’s Day’s photoshoot with the pair.

“They get on so well, Landon loves Billy.”

When questioned whether it was a big decision to introduce her son, who she shares with her ex-partner, to Billy given she and her twin sister Cleo were staunchly against her MAFS husband Adrian Araouzou going anywhere him, Awhina says it was a no-brainer.

“There was no question,” she says. “Landon loves Bill so much. They’ve bonded over soccer,” she notes.

Billy, 31, enthuses that he, too, loves spending time with the youngster, adding that he “reminds me of myself when I was younger”.

“He’s such a funny little kid. What a menace. But such a good lad.”
“Billy and I are very close,” says Awhina. (Credit: Phillip Castleton)

SWEETHEART COUPLE

It seems like the cheeky youngster is much like the rest of Australia too in wanting to see his mother and Billy get together!

“Landon is so funny, I’m always telling him Billy is just a friend and he’s always saying the opposite,” Awhina says with a giggle. “He’s always making comments here and there.”

Earlier this month, Awhina and Billy, who both reside in Perth, set the internet alight when they uploaded a series of images of them snuggling up to each other on social media.

And the reaction was voluminously unanimous – the people of Australia want to see Awhina and Billy together.

And while they have certainly noticed the fans’ hopes, they’re not going to put a label on their relationship just yet.

“I think just because of what happened on screen, that’s what people want, and that’s actually so lovely. Obviously, we’ve got good chemistry and we do have a good connection. It’s very natural with me and ‘Fee’,” Billy gushes.

“Whenever we’re together, we are laughing, we are smiling. We’re as close as can be. But to try and start something new off the back of MAFS is really hard. Obviously I’ve seen Fee go through a lot and so it wasn’t like, let’s try and crack on. I don’t think that’s the right time to be doing anything like that,” he adds.

“So we’re just trying to enjoy each other’s time and have a laugh,” he adds.
The trio love spending time together at the park. (Credit: Phillip Castleton)

SLIDING DOORS

The pair take a moment to contemplate their situation had they been originally paired on the marriage experiment by “experts” John Aiken, Mel Schilling and Alessandra Rampolla.

“If I’m being truthful, I asked the experts for something that I didn’t even receive, as in what I would look for in a partner,” says Billy, who was originally matched with Sierah Swepstone.

“And Fee definitely matches what I would go for compared to what I was paired with. We would have probably gone a lot better.”

And Awhina agrees.

“A lot of the qualities Billy has are something I asked for in a partner,” she notes.

“So it would have definitely been different.”

And while the timing may not be right now, could the duo ever see themselves taking things further?

“Never say never,” says Billy with a cheeky giggle.