Latest news with #MAFSAU
Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
MAFS Australia star devastated in update over dad's cancer battle
During his stint on MAFS, Dave Hand was open about his father Howard's struggle with cancer. Months later, the Aussie hunk shares a devastating update on his dad's health. After making waves in Married At First Sight Australia, Dave Hand has revealed his father Howard is facing his own storm as his cancer has returned. From heartbreak to healing, Dave Hand is figuring out what comes after reality TV - one step, one trial and one walk with his dog at a time. Since leaving Married At First Sight Australia and after calling the show out, Dave has been focused on three things: his business, his family and his pooch. But the aftermath of instant fame hit him harder than he thought. 'It's definitely a lot harder than I expected,' he says, 'You're not only thrown into TV and popularity, it's like a whole new world. You're just learning to walk again.' New to the spotlight of the hit E4 show, Dave didn't anticipate how fame would ripple into everyday life. 'It plays out in everything you do,' he says. 'You go out for coffee, you're taking photos with somebody. Or you're walking down the street and people are asking you for advice.' What audiences saw on screen was a man entering the MAFS experiment with real intention. But behind his calm exterior, another story was unfolding. His father, Howard, was battling stage-four cancer. 'A lot of people connected with me through my dad's sickness,' Dave says, 'Cancer is a hell of a disease and it's an eye-opener because you don't realise how many people are going through it. It's really nice to hear people's stories.' But reality TV comes with backlash. Dave says he's experienced both the highs and lows of fan attention. 'On one side, you've got really nice, heartwarming messages and on the other, you've got someone who's so immature,' Dave says. 'You choose to be mean rather than spread kindness and love. I don't understand it.' The online noise isn't the only thing frustrating him. Off-screen drama between his castmates has left Dave disappointed in what could have been a supportive community. The latest season has been one of MAFS AU's most explosive yet - with Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot's feud spiralling into restraining orders and off-camera rows erupting between Jacqui, Rhi, Tim, amongst other participants. 'The cast members should be looking after one another after the show. And you've got people acting absolutely ridiculous towards one another. It's a damn shame,' Dave says. Before settling scores with on-screen rival Adrian Araouzou. 'Adrian said some things about me and he absolutely copped it from the public. I feel sorry for him,' he says, 'And in the meantime, he's attacking me. This isn't the way the group should be handling it. It's quite scary.' He adds: 'We should be backing each other at this time and we've dropped the ball completely. We could have been standing up to the bad comments together.' Tensions also brewed with Tim during filming but Dave insists that chapter is far behind him. 'I've moved on from Tim, any anybody who's thrown shade my way. I'm not hostile,' Dave says. 'If I saw him, I'd probably say 'G'day!' But if someone paints you a picture, don't let them paint you another.' He's also made peace with the end of his relationship with Jamie Marinos, the 28-year-old digital marketing agent he was matched with. While Jamie fell fast - telling Dave she loved him just weeks in - he struggled to match the pace. 'After the show, I've learned that I really want to take my time with somebody,' he says, 'It takes time for me. I'm not as quick as Jamie was, falling in love after six weeks.' He continues: 'You can love somebody when things are all good and happy but when things get hard, you don't really know who this person is. Jamie said two weeks later that she didn't love me. I feel like she loved the idea of me or the idea of someone she wanted me to be.' Now, Dave's focus is back where it matters the most - his father. The cancer Howard had kept at bay during filming has returned. 'The tumours my dad had on the show that had previously shrunk - they've come back pretty quickly,' Dave says, emotion straining his voice. 'He's on a new trial now. Only 200 people in the world are doing it. My dad's response for doing it is, 'if I can help somebody out, I'm going to give this trial a crack and help the future.'' But Dave doesn't sugar-coat the toll it's taken. 'He's been fighting it for five years and now it's taken a toll on him,' Dave adds, 'He's a bit frail and now he's got to go into battle again.' Looking ahead, Dave is considering a bold next chapter. 'I want to get over to the UK,' he says, 'I'd love to do some reality TV over there. I'll probably come out later in the year.' As for dating? He's in no rush. In fact, he's more focused on mental health advocacy. 'Mental health issues and depression have been in my family, I've witnessed it, I've lived it,' he says. 'But I've processed it, I deal with it and I know what works for me. I can help others with that. I want to get the message across that the sad days don't stick.' His long-term dream? A mental health charity. 'I'd like to touch base on some mental health stuff and be a role model for younger kids,' he says. 'I want to start a charity one day.' Until then, Dave's not walking alone. His five-year-old Marana dog is always by his side during his toughest days. 'He's definitely helped keep me grounded,' Dave says.
Cosmopolitan
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
All the times the MAFSAU s12 cast have thrown shade at each other - from sly comments to cheeky interviews
Season 12 of Married At First Sight Australia might be over, but the shade has not stopped. Since the series wrapped on E4 earlier this month, the cast have been shading each other left, right, and centre, whether on their social media accounts or in official interviews. Honestly, there's been enough shade to start a whole rainforest! Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly's marriage didn't last on the show, and Jacqui is now engaged to Clint Rice, who was with Lauren Hall (please keep up). Viewers are well aware that the pair are no longer on speaking terms, alhough Jacqui and Clint have been making some indirects (which seem to be aimed at Ryan) on social media... Then, there's Veronica Cloherty and Lauren, who've been shading their exes, Eliot and Clint. Read on to see some of the digs the MAFSAU cast have made at each other since the show ended. Who is she throwing shade at? Eliot Veronica has been making veiled references to "lustful losers who lie and cheat" on her Instagram and recently captioned a post: "When they no longer have control over you they will try and control how others see you." She didn't name any names, but it's pretty clear someone has got under her skin. She was a lot more vocal about Eliot in an interview with Glamour, saying: "[Eliot] would do things like praise me for keeping the apartment clean and for being super low-maintenance, but never asked me a personal question about my career, about my aspirations, about what's important to me." Who is she throwing shade at? Clint During season 12, Lauren said that she didn't think Clint was "alpha enough", and since filming ended, she's been making a few digs at her ex. In an interview with Glamour, she revealed that instead of working on "businesses that he wanted to start", Clint would be "would be fluffing around, folding my G-strings into little triangles." She added that she didn't think he was "innately masculine" and referred to a time when filming ran late and Clint didn't speak up to the producers. "I said to Clint, 'That's not okay - are you going to say anything about that?' He was like, 'Oh no, it's fine. We'll be alright.' And I was like, 'No, it's your job to protect us…' But he just wouldn't. He was just, like, go with the flow, everything's fine. So I felt that I was always the one being the man in the relationship," she explained. Who is she shading? Ryan Jacqui's been throwing shade at Ryan to be honest. On the show, she questioned him about his beard not being manly enough and asked him why he didn't want to be "great". And the digs haven't stopped since the show ended. She captioned a photo "real men buy flowers", she's been calling Clint her "great man" on social media, and she recently made a video while walking round Clint's Tasmanian mansion with Gladdest's song "Done With Your Ex" playing in the background. If you're not familiar with the lyrics, Gladdest sings: "If you're done with your ex, move onto the next. If you're done with your ex... The only ex I want is ex-tra money, no extra stress, no extra worries." Who is he shading? Ryan Clint isn't a big fan of his fiance's ex, and he's made that pretty clear on his socials. In a video posted to his social media account, the 44-year-old was seen strolling around his Tasmanian estate. He then looked proudly at his Porsche Macan. He captioned the clip: "POV: He wanted to be great" in reference to what Jacqui had said to Ryan on the show. Who is she shading? Jacqui Awhina Rutene and Jacqui are no longer cool. It all started when Awhina said that she thought Jacqui should have been matched with her ex Adrian Araouzou. When asked by a fan who she'd put together, Awhina replied alongside a picture of her and he son: "Adrian & Jacqui period." A MAFS fan then forwarded the whole thing to Jacqui and she's since clapped back, saying: "I feel sorry for her. And with her son in the picture?" She added: "And if speaking my truth, standing up for what I believe in and pursuing justice rubs people the wrong way - whatever - it is what it is - I don't care - that's none of my business. I genuinely couldn't care less." Who is he throwing shade at? Jamie It looked like Dave Hand could be making a sly dig at his ex Jamie Marinos. When asked by fans what he thought of her close relationship with Eliot Donovan and if they were really together, Dave replied: "I wholly doubt she's going to sleep with three cast members from this year's season," as Jamie dated Teejay Halkias before the show and was "married" to him. Who are they throwing shade at? Could be anyone at this rate Jamie and Eliot were majorly indirecting one of their cast members in a recent TikTok video. In the clip posted to Jamie's account, the pair can been seen laughing with the text: "Bestied so hard they blocked us both" written on the clip. One fan was quick to comment on the video referencing their exes: "Bye Dave! Bye Veronica!" with laughing emojis. Jamie has revealed that she no longer speaks to Dave, so could her ex be the one she's indirecting here? Married At First Sight is available to stream on
Cosmopolitan
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Only 3 MAFSAU couples from all 12 seasons are legally married - here's who has tied the knot for real
Over 100 couples have been matched on Married At First Sight Australia since it premiered on the Nine Network back in May 2025, and some of these couples are still together today. However, fans of the show might be surprised to hear that despite this, only three couples are legally married today. While the couples meet at the altar and get "married at first sight" on the dating show, this isn't actually a legally binding marriage, as The Australian Marriage Act requires couples to notify the court one month and one day before tying the knot - which would defeat the whole purpose of marrying a stranger. Instead the couples have a ceremony where they share their vows in front of their family and friends and make a commitment to one another. So, when the show ends, they're technically still boyfriends and girlfriends. Some couples have taken the extra step and made their marriage official, but as it stands, only three couples are legally married. This number could change to five, with Jacqui Burfoot and Clint Rice expected to wed next year, and Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli currently engaged. Read on for all the details on the MAFSAU couples who have tied the knot in real life. Season six power couple Cameron Merchant and Jules Robinson wasted no time signing on the dotted line after appearing on the show. Cameron actually popped the question during the finale and the pair got married in Sydney in November 2019. "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," Jules wrote on her Instagram following their engagement. The couple now have two sons, Oliver and Carter. One of the most talked about couples on season eight, Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven didn't seem like the they'd go the distance. There were even rumours that radio host Bryce had a secret girlfriend before the show, however, Melissa spoke to the woman in question and said she had no concerns. The pair stuck it out and proved everyone wrong, going on to make their marriage official in the eyes of the law. Melissa gave birth to their twin sons, Levi and Tate, in 2021 and they announced their engagement soon after. They got married in February 2023 with a beachside ceremony in Sorrento, Victoria. Back in 2021, intruder couple Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight entered the experiment and went on to be the only couple of season eight to officially tie the knot. The couple had their fair share of ups and downs while on the show, but proved that they were meant to be, with Johnny proposing to Kerry on their second anniversary. Johnny and Kerry got married in a intimate ceremony in January 2023, sharing a photo from their big day with the caption: "💍 MR & MRS BALBUZIENTE 💍 05.01.23." They welcomed their daughter, Chloe Rossi Balbuziente, in July 2024. Married At First Sight Australia is available to stream on
Cosmopolitan
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
The 4 things MAFSAU left out from Paul's shocking wall punch, as Carina reveals his "swinger past"
Married At First Sight Australia bride Carina Mirabile has revealed the full story behind the shocking moment that led to her then-hubby Paul Antoine punching a wall. About halfway through the experiment, things went left for the former power couple, as Paul revealed at a dinner party that he'd lost his temper and punched a wall after Carina admitted to sleeping with a rapper. The moment came as a shock to the other MAFSAU cast members and viewers alike, as the duo seemed super loved up and on the way to building a successful marriage. It turns out... a lot was actually left out of that moment. Here's everything that happened leading up to the moment that Paul punched the wall on MAFSAU. Carina and Paul told the other cast members that Paul had punched the wall because Carina revealed that she'd slept with a well-known rapper. However, the rapper's name wasn't disclosed on the show. Speaking about the incident on her new podcast with celebrity hairstylist Jacob Mueller, This Is Chaos, Carina claimed that the rapper she was intimate with is US star Quavo - who is best known as the frontman of the now-defunct hip-hop group, Migos. While we know that the incident took place after a double date with Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels, during which Carina revealed that she'd been intimate with a rapper, we didn't hear the exact details on MAFS. Carina has now opened up about the incident, saying: "We were taking turns putting on a song [in an Uber]. I put on a song and it was one with Quavo in it. I said, 'I slept with him' as it was funny and stupid, we all laughed about it. Paul laughed as well." She continued: "Then when we get back to the apartment and Paul was so furious. He was frustrated, I could see he was upset. He was pacing, he had to go the balcony, I was thinking, 'Okay this isn't normal, something is up.'" Carina thought that her comment would be unimportant given a previous confession from Paul. According to Carina, Paul revealed that he was into swinging in his previous relationship. Despite her initial reservations, Carina says she put it behind her, so she expected the same grace when it came to her revelation. She said: "When Paul and I were doing Confessions Week at the start of the experiment, he openly said that he was into swinging with his ex-partner. "I was like, 'Are you for real? Does your family know about this?' Then he told me all about his past dating life and I just let it go." She continued: "He was just so upset and dramatic about the whole Quavo situation. I kept apologising, he kept saying he was embarrassed that I openly said that. I kept saying sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't feel unsafe, it was just us having a fight. "I said, 'But you openly said, on camera, for a national television show, that you had slept with swingers and did swinging with your ex so I didn't think [me sharing that story] that was a bad thing.'" Before Paul punched the wall, Carina says a producer who had overheard their argument, tried to diffuse the situation, asking Paul to go for a walk to cool down. However, this didn't help and when Paul returned from his walk he was still angry. "He was angry, pacing and breathing heavily. I just said, 'Let's go to bed, let's go to bed.' So we're laying in bed, I could hear him panting and I asked, 'what's going on? Are you okay?' He got up and said 'No, I'm not okay.' "He got up and bang, bang. I was like, 'Holy s**t this has now gotten so much serious.' I was freaking out, thinking how did it get from that comment to this situation?' Married At First Sight Australia is available to stream on
Cosmopolitan
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Friends or foes? All the MAFSAU season 12 cast who are still friends – and who's definitely not
If you're anything like us, the most recent series of Married at First Sight Australia left you veritably gagged. While the show wrapped up in the UK at the beginning of May, here at Cosmo UK HQ, we've still been living for the season 12 drama, twists and turns for weeks now. In fact, we think all the after-the-show IG sleuthing, ex-spouse social media shading and unofficial cast reunions may well be almost as good as the actual show itself. Given our interest in the MAFSAU cast post-show, we've gained a serious curiosity about the couples who are still together. But what about the rest of the cast? Who is on good terms, and who seems to be feuding? After scouring post-show interviews, social media interactions, and various shady comments from the cast, we've pulled together our list of who from the cast are still friends and who may not be on good terms. To read more, scroll below! The most recent MAFSAU cohort, thankfully, appear to remain pretty close-knit (apart from a handful of cast members who are on the outs). Here are some of the strongest, and most surprising friendships post-show: While Billy and Dave maybe weren't the luckiest in love during the experiment, they each left with a veritable BFF in one another. While their bromance was obvious on the show, it has blossomed since filming stopped. "Me and Dave are looking at moving in together, we're looking at travelling the world together," said Billy in a video with Nine. "And this is one thing that I'm really, genuinely so happy about. OK, I didn't come out with a partner but I have come out with a best friend and I'm so grateful for that, I feel like I've won." Jeff is also on good terms with Dave, telling Nine: "Dave's in Melbourne, so I speak to him pretty much every day. I see him multiple times a week." Plenty of the girlies from MAFSAU are on good terms. "I see Carina, Beth, Awhina, Jamie, Ash and Katie," Rhi has told Mamma Mia regarding who she keeps in contact with. "We all got together for my birthday, the seven of us. I've stayed in close contact with all of the girls, and even this weekend we had a party with Daily Mail and all the girls were there. It was so lovely to all catch up again." However, we're most interested in the fate of Jamie, Awhina and Beth - three on-screen friends who seriously had each other's backs. Well, their friendship seems to be going strong: they've featured in multiple TikToks together following the show. In a cute moment, Awhina even told the Daily Mail that she "didn't leave with a husband" but, instead, "with a wife" in reference to her friendship with Jamie. In a video with Nine, Eliot also shared that he was on close terms with Jamie! "Jamie's a beautiful person, it's been incredible watching her journey," he said, suggesting a friendship between the two. (FYI, the duo have already quashed dating rumours). Eliot has also filmed TikTok content featuring the likes of Jamie, Beth and Awhina so clearly he gets on with the girls from the experiment. With such a drama-filled season, you can imagine that there may still be some difficult feelings between members of the cast. Here's what they seem to be saying about one another: It appears that Jamie and Carina are no longer close according to comments made by Jamie. 'Carina, I'm sure if there's like a pap photo or something, she might be there, or a girl's reunion, she might be there. But you know, she's not someone who reaches out or checks in or anything like that,' Jamie shared to Pedestrian TV. 'I don't think she's really interested in having friendships with the cast.' Eliot and Dave don't seem to make direct comments about one another in the press. However, Eliot has been making some TikToks which may suggest a level of ill-will towards Dave. In one instance, he shared a TikTok which began with a clip of Dave drinking coconut water. The video then cuts to Eliot and Jamie drinking coconut water together while wearing fluffy robes in bed. Given that Jamie and Dave were an item on MAFSAU, it definitely seems like a bit of a pointed reference... Two brides who don't seem to be on the best of terms? Veronica and Beth. Following the show, Beth was asked in a video if any MAFSAU brides were sliding into other grooms' DMs. 'She's not here… Veronica! I'm sure she's been sliding into every husband's but her own,' she said. Veronica was quick to reply, commenting under the video: 'Do you have receipts or are you just running your mouth? Asking for a friend.'
