It’s being billed as the most explosive season in Married At First Sight history – and now the experts themselves are confirming it.

John Aiken, Alessandra Rampolla and Mel Schilling say the 2026 experiment will push boundaries like never before – both on and off camera.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail at the Nine Upfronts in Sydney on Wednesday, the trio revealed that while the new season is packed with chaos and confrontation, it’s also filled with unexpected love stories.

‘We’ve got a lot of empowered and outspoken women on the show this year who really hold everyone to account – including the experts,’ John laughed.

‘It’s an amazing season,’ Mel added, before Alessandra agreed, saying viewers can expect ‘a particularly feisty’ group of brides this time around.

‘The women this year are interesting and fiery,’ she explained. ‘I like a spicy woman, but sometimes they need to be reined in a little – and we do a little of that too.’

It’s being billed as the most explosive season in Married At First Sight history – and now the experts themselves are confirming it. (Pictured L-R: Mel Schilling, Alessandra Rampolla, John Aiken)

But Mel warned that the so-called sisterhood isn’t always as it seems.

‘That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s about unity,’ she added.

‘In fact, sometimes it’s quite the opposite. You’ll see strong opinions going head to head – and not always in a positive way.’

Asked whether the new season will see brides or grooms behaving badly, Alessandra said fans can expect ‘a bit of everything’.

‘There are some brides acting out and there are some grooms acting out too,’ she teased. ‘You get a nice plethora of interesting behaviours this year.’

Meanwhile, veteran relationship expert John Aiken assured fans that despite all the fireworks, love is still at the heart of the experiment.

‘What we wanted to do this year was get a bit of love back in there – and we’ve got it,’ he said.

‘There are a few surprise love stories. Some of the ones we didn’t expect to make it actually did, and others who looked perfect on paper completely fell apart. That unpredictability is one of the secret sauces of the show.’

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail, the trio revealed that while the new season is packed with chaos and confrontation, it’s also filled with unexpected love stories

Alessandra added, ‘It’s like real life. You just never know. When the magic, chemistry and spark are there, things can work out regardless of the circumstances.’

John revealed that this year’s theme centres on the power of words and the way contestants communicate.

‘Words have a lot of power, and this year we get some very confronting language,’ he said. ‘There’s also boundary-crossing friendships, alliances, and betrayal — it’s all there.’

John chimed in, laughing off claims that the 2026 cast is the ‘most toxic’ yet.

‘We don’t call them toxic – we just find them spicy,’ he said. ‘Very spicy.’

Alessandra agreed, adding, ‘I like a little spice and a little heat.’

Mel added, ‘But  what really excites us is seeing people make mistakes, listen to us, take accountability, and actually change their behaviour.

‘That’s what gets us out of bed in the morning – and you’ll see a bit of that this season.’

Between filming MAFS Australia and MAFS UK, Mel admits life has been hectic.

The experts say the 2026 experiment will push boundaries like never before – both on and off camera. (Pictured: Alissa Fay)

‘It’s an amazing season,’ Mel said, before Alessandra agreed, saying viewers can expect ‘a particularly feisty’ group of brides this time around

‘Oh my gosh, it’s mad,’ she said. ‘It’s that crazy time of year where I’m filming one and the other one’s on air. But it’s so exciting – the UK series is now available here too, which is awesome.’

Despite the non-stop filming schedule, John insists the team remains energised and passionate.

‘There’s nothing we can expect other than there will be drama, there will be heartache, and there will be love,’ he said. ‘And we deliver all of that again this year.’

With filming wrapped and whispers of explosive dinner parties, fiery feuds and shock betrayals already circulating, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable seasons in MAFS history.

As for the experts, they’re tight-lipped on who walks away together – but they promise fans will be glued to their screens.

‘It’s unpredictable, it’s raw, and it’s real,’ John teased. ‘That’s why people can’t stop watching.’

It comes after Daily Mail  previously revealed that the upcoming 2026 season has already been rocked by wild off-camera drama — including a runaway bride, cast walkouts and producers battling to contain chaos.

One glamorous bride sparked a full-scale production emergency after vanishing from set for more than 14 hours without warning.