Even Love Island has a higher success rate

There have been 12 seasons of MAFS Australia and over 200 brides and grooms, and yet, the ones that are now legally married are few and far between. For a show about finding your forever love, Married at First Sight might want to rethink its aim.

It might have married in the name, but despite popular belief, the MAFS Australia marriages are not legally binding. It’s proboably a good thing too because only one couple – Jeff Gobbels and Rhi Disljenkovic – made it out of season 12 in one piece.

“In order to comply with the Australian Marriage Act (1961), which requires one month and one day’s notification, a marriage in law was not conducted,” Nine earlier told Now To Love. “Each participant embarked on a commitment ceremony with a wedding celebrant with all due intention to commit fully to this union for the duration of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, they are given the option to continue with the relationship or go their separate ways.”

So let’s take a walk down memory lane and see which MAFS Australia couples got legally married after the show. Put the kettle on, you’ll be done reading before it’s finished.

Cameron Merchant and Jules Robinson

During MAFS Australia season six in 2019, Cameron Merchant and Jules Robinson were a largely unproblematic couple who went on to get real-life married after the show. Cameron popped the question during the final commitment ceremony, with Jules revealing to her Instagram followers: “The moment you fall more in love than you thought you could fall and every little part of you says YES! I have nothing but love for this man.”

They married in November of the same year before welcoming a son called Ollie in 2020 and another called Carter in 2024.

Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight

Back in 2021, actor Johnny Balbuziente was matched with the stunning occupational therapist Kerry Knight. They entered as intruders about halfway through the show’s run, and while they did weather some storms in their relationship, they were one of the only MAFS couples of the season to go on and get married.

Johnny proposed to his reality TV wife on their two-year wedding anniversary in 2022 and she, of course, said yes! Kerry gave birth to Chloe Rossi Balbuziente in July 2024, bringing their family unit to three.

Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven

Season eight’s Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven did not inspire great confidence amongst viewers of MAFS Australia, and yet, they proved everyone wrong by getting hitched after the show. Melissa gave birth to twin boys, Levi and Tate, in 2021, and they announced their engagement soon after.

Melissa and Bryce married in 2023 and have been living as a happy family ever since.

Honourable mention: Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli

Another legendary season six couple, Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli, were viewer favourites from the moment they appeared on screen.

They solidified their love in final vows, with Michael gushing: “I’m willing to give up everything I have to relocate for you. And there’s only one reason why I feel the way I do about you, and that’s because I love you, and there’s no one else I’d spend my life with.”

By 2021, they had set a wedding date, but plans were thrown into the air when Martha fell pregnant with their first child. She gave birth to Lucius in 2023, but the couple is yet to tie the knot.

Honourable mention: Jacqui Burfoot and Clint Rice

We can’t include engaged couples without noting how Clint Rice put a ring on Jacqui Burfoot’s finger at a MAFS Australia viewing party after filming had wrapped. They weren’t together on the show, but reportedly struck up a bond afterwards, even if people don’t fully buy what their selling.

If we know one thing about Jacqui and Clint, it’s that their wedding will be one for the ages, and proboably a day as insufferable as their time on reality TV.