Billy thinks Awhina’s friends are trying to embarrass her.

The Married At First Sight (MAFS) 2025 drama between the cast members has continued to swirl, with Billy Belcher and Awhina Rutene in the hot seat. The pair have consistently fuelled romance rumours, and even posed for an extremely close photoshoot, but have maintained they are just friends. The will-they-won’t-they couple recently took a holiday to Bali together, but as soon as Awhina left, Billy was spotted by Daily Mail getting intimate with a mystery blonde woman.

Since then, cast members have had a field day with this knowledge and have been consistently taking jabs at Billy and Awhina’s “fake” relationship.

“Hear me out… maybe he wasn’t ready to be a dad,” Awhina’s ex Adrian Araouzou commented on Instagram.

“He could have just asked Awhina to go back to blonde,” joked Eliot Donovan.

Eliot has even made a TikTok skit about the whole drama, and Awhina and Eliot aren’t too pleased about how everything has gone down.

“I think it’s a little unfair, I understand a lot of the cast members have fallen out with Billy post-show but I’m still very close to a lot of them and it’s disappointing them almost laughing at Billy, knowing how close he and I are,” Awhina tells Chattr. “I think people forget we’re just normal humans living our lives. Billy and I have always had a great connection, and yes, we’re still speaking every day.”

She confirms the pair aren’t dating, and is aware he’s “letting his hair down” in Bali. “I’m not dating or hooking up at the moment because I’m not ready, and look, he’s in Bali and this has circulated; it’s hard being in the spotlight,” she adds. “We’re not leaving each other’s lives any time soon, and I’m happy he’s enjoying his time in Bali, although I am worried he’ll get himself in trouble without me keeping him in line.”

Billy echoes Awhina’s words, and claims this whole saga will bring the pair even closer. How close Billy?! Like… ready to commit to one of our fave MAFS brides, close?

“Me and Fi have always said we are just friends, and I’m single just living my life, these things happen. It changes nothing between me and Awhina we are still just as close. If anything, this is bringing us closer together especially when her so-called friends off the show are reposting and commenting on it. It’s like they are trying to embarrass her,” Billy says.

“We have always said we are just friends, we watched each other go through the breakdown of a relationship and have always just made sure we are there for each other.”
Billy and Awhina have been leaning into romance rumours for months. Image: Instagram

Awhina hits back at comments criticising her relationship with Billy

On Instagram and TikTok, Awhina has been busy replying to MAFS fans and her co-stars after receiving some nasty comments. After one fan declared Awhina had “no self-respect” and was allowing men to “use her as [a] Friend With Benefits”, she clapped back in the best way.

“Dude this comment is so outdated. Besides the fact I’ve been on one date this year, it’s 2025 & if I wanted to I’m allowed all the FWB I want. Billy’s a friend and met my son under friendship,” she replied.

When somebody called Billy a “sleaze”, she defended him and his relationship with her son. “He’s been close with my son since last year, he was never introduced as a romantic partner we even went to his viewing party. Billy and I are still very close friends and have spoken everyday while he’s in Bali. We are friends,” she said.

There even seems to be tension between Awhina and Beth Kelly, although the contestants have had a strong friendship after MAFS. After Beth called Eliot’s TikTok “f**king hilarious”, Awhina took offence.

“I appreciate Elliot’s content we’re all friends but the comments are a bit much, but have your laugh,” Awhina hit back. Beth replied, saying she was laughing at Eliot, not at Awhina.

Looks like we might see some MAFS friendships implode over this one. Praying that Awhina and Jamie Marinos stay friends!