As we (not-so-patiently) await for the new season of Married At First Sight to hit our screens—which officially drops on February 12th, if you weren’t already counting—we decided, there’s no time like the present to look back at some of the most outrageously chaotic, insane and downright can’t-believe-that-aired-on-national-television moments to ever unfold on the Channel Nine social experiment over the years.
And while we do have the MAFS All-Stars Reunion to look forward to, a brand new expert (Dr. Trisha Stratford will be replaced by sexologist Alessandra Rampolla for its seventh season), you can’t help but reminisce on the memorable fights, quirky characters, and of course, that now-infamous wine throwing incident that have kept us coming back for the drama year after year.
Below, we’re bringing you the most memorable moments ever from Married At First Sight Australia.
Martha Kalifatidis Pours Wine On Cyrell Paule
Perhaps one of the most chaotic, WTF scenes to ever unfold on MAFS happened during its 2019 season, when Martha threatened to pour red wine on Cyrell… and actually went through with it. It was the final dinner party before the couples left to re-enter the real world—and as tensions had been flaring between the two for weeks, it came as no surprise that things really escalated.
Following the incident, Martha admitted she felt regretful over her rash actions. “Totally, it’s embarrassing. I’m a 30-year-old grown woman,” she told 9Now. “In the moment I thought that would be the best option.”
According to reports, this won’t go down as the only wine throwing incident in Married At First Sight history though. Rumour has it Cyrell and Jessika power get into a heated exchange during the upcoming reunion, which—you guessed it—ends in some wine being thrown.
Elizabeth Sobinoff Wins Hearts After Expertly Shutting Down Sam Ball For Body-Shaming Her At Their Wedding
While I really don’t want to give any more breath to the rubbish energy that was Sam Ball in the sixth season of the reality TV series, this is more as a means of remembering the iconic moment Elizabeth (true queen of MAFS!) expertly shuts down her then TV husband’s abhorrent descriptions of her as “larger than other girls I’ve dated”, while adding he would be encouraging her to go for “runs” while they were together.
“It is good to embrace who you are and I am not going to change that for Sam by the way,” she said, adding, “I’ve got that booty and a small top,” adding “I am body confident. I love my body and I love my shape. It is good to embrace who you are.”
Yes, Lizzie!
Jessika Power And Dan Webb Break Up… On National Television
Deciding the moment you want to break up with a partner is never a welcome feeling, but deciding so while live on national television has to come with a whole other ballpark of emotions.
Jessika and Dan, who couple-swapped with each other while appearing on MAFS’ sixth season, appeared on Channel Nine’s sister show, Talking Married, following the bombshell finale episode that saw them relive their journey together throughout the series—the very same episode that showed Jessika had also propositioned fellow contestant NicJovanovic, to no avail.
When discussing their trust issues, Jessika decided not to respond and looked deadpan at the camera while ignoring all of Dan’s questions. Safe to say, it has to be one of the most awkward moments to ever play out while live on air.
Just Anything That Came Out Of Ines Basic’s Mouth
Really, there are too many moments to count when it comes to the outspoken Ines that appeared on the series sixth season. From her failed marriage to Bronson Norrish (which she promptly ended as soon as she saw he had an eyebrow piercing) to her hook up with fellow contestant Sam Ball, while he was married to Elizabeth Sobinoff.
While Ines appeared problematic on the show, she has since revealed the toll the dating experiment took on her mental health admitting she “wasn’t doing well” after it hit our screens.
“During the filming of MAFS and right after filming finished, I was not in the right headspace to talk about my mental health and I wasn’t in a good place,” the reality TV star told Sydney Confidential. “I wasn’t well during and after [the show], I think that was obvious but it got even worse. I was diagnosed with complex PTSD. It was 110 percent caused from the show. Nothing normal about the conditions on those sets or what [they] do to you.”
Dean Wells And Davina Rankin’s Affair
Married At First Sight’s Dean Wells has easily taken the crown as one of the series most controversial grooms and for good reason.
On season five, Dean began pursuing a relationship with Davina Rankin—despite being paired with their respective partners, Tracey Jewel and Ryan Gallagher. While on that date, charming Dean said he likes Tracey but that his wife’s “looks are not her best quality.”
In true MAFS fashion, producers saved the footage until the very last week of the show, before sitting everyone down to watch the affair play out. Which, of course, was met with an eruption of shocked reactions worthy of their own Academy Awards.
“It’s not good. All I was saying is that Tracey has many, many, many good qualities and she is beautiful,” he said in defense of his previous words. “But she has many other good qualities that even outshine how beautiful she is.”
Unsurprisingly, Tracey left Dean single at the final vows.
Dean Wells Attempts To Win Back Tracey Jewel With A Self-Composed Rap
Okay, this seriously cringe-inducing moment has got to be one of the most uncomfortable scenarios to ever play out on television. Like, ever. Following his affair with co-star Davina Rankin, Dean attempts to redeem himself by composing a rap for wife Tracey—and if you hadn’t guessed, it was promptly mocked on social media as “the most embarrassing thing” anyone had ever seen.
Lyrics include: “Tracey my little lady you drive me crazy/after last week on the couch you probably hate me/but you gave me a shot/you’re so hot/plus your brain is next level/ show me what you got.”
While it might not have worked for the audience, it helped rekindle the relationship between the strained pair. Speaking to producers following the rap battle, Tracey admitted his songwriting capabilities made her “feel like a giddy little girl.”
Video, for your easy
Troy Delmege’s Strange Tooth Brushing Technique
If you’re easily queasy, we suggest giving this little moment a skip over. Loyal fans will remember the insanely quirky Troy Delmege, who was paired with Ashley Irvin on MAFS‘ fifth season. While some might recall Troy’s odd quirks, it was his furious tooth brushing technique that really went viral.
So viral, in fact, Ellen Degeneres played the bizarre clip to her audience in 2019. The footage shows Troy eating some tuna, before aggressively brushing his teeth in front of the bathroom mirror.
“Now the guy who lives with his mum and the cats doesn’t seem so bad,” Degeneres joked after showing the clip on air.
Carly Bowyer And Troy Delmege Arrive At The Reunion As A Couple
After failing to find love with their expert assigned spouses, Troy Delmege and Carly Bowyer fell in love after meeting up outside of the experiment, with the new couple returning to the show’s final dinner party together—of course, to the shock of their co-stars (and audience).
Fanatics of the show will remember that prior to news of their relationship airing, the twosome was photographed in a Melbourne park while still wearing their wedding bands.
Sadly, things wouldn’t last for the couple who announced their split a few months later.
Carly is currently expecting her first child with partner Neil Goldsmith.
The Infamous Sheet Mask (And Cyrell Smashing A Fruit Bowl)
Prior to that red wine incident, Martha and Cyrell came to head-to-head while trying to get to the bottom of a rumour that had erupted among the brides and grooms.
As a refresher to the drama that sparked as the catalyst to the smashing fruit bowl: Martha told Cyrell’s husband Nic that Jessika Power had told her that Nic rubbed her leg under the table at a dinner party, which he denied ever happened. Cyrell, upon learning of the rumours, was not happy with any of the parties involved and quickly stormed into Martha’s room—who was blissfully getting a pampering session from husband Michael Brunelli—to scream and shout.
Eventually, Cyrell attempts to leave the room after being grabbing Martha’s robe and being pulled back by producers and makes the most dramatic exit, tipping over a fruit bowl in the process.