The MAFS 2025 trailer has dropped, and now with the contestants confirmed, we finally have the scalding tea ahead of its return to our screens January 27. Channel Nine was slow to release the official cast list, but it’s been worth the wait, and there’s already been plentiful drama. Allegedly, six contestants quit in the first week, and multiple exes have been paired together. We’re already living for the drama.
If unfamiliar with the premise of the show, the idea is that two strangers—who have been matched by MAFS‘ team of experts—meet on their wedding day, say their vows (or not), and then proceed to ‘date’… while living together and having frequent group dinners with the other contestants. So, without further ado, meet the new cast of Married At First Sight Australia.
Who Is In Married At First Sight 2025?
You can expect your Married At First Sight cast to come from all walks of life. For season 12, MAFS has tapped influencers, DJs, and former Bachelor contestants—the traditional Australian reality TV spectrum—for its chaotic cast list.
First up, a summary of our brides and grooms. Ordinarily, there are 10 main couples in the MAFS cast. In season 12, there will reportedly be two intruder couples who join during the season. Here’s who is speculated to be in the 2025 cast.
MAFS 2025 Brides:
- Ashleigh Ackerman, dancer
- Jacqueline Burfoot, lawyer
- Veronica Cloherty, model/actress
- Rhi Disljenkovic, fitness blogger
- Morena Farina, DJ
- Lauren Hall, CEO
- Katie Johnson, charity CEO
- Beth Kelly, operations manager
- Jamie Marinos, marketing manager
- Carina Mirabile, actress and fashion influencer
- Awhina Rutene, unknown
- Sierah Swepstone, IT consultant and former Bachelor contestant.
MAFS 2025 Grooms:
- Paul Antoine, fitness coach and former reality TV contestant
- Adrian Araouzou, leisurewear designer and dessert influencer
- Billy Belcher, plasterer
- Eliot Donovan, unknown
- Jeff Gobbels, actor
- Tim Gromie, unknown
- Teejay Halkias, former Big Brother contestant
- Jake Luik, wellbeing co-ordinator at a public school
- Tony Mojanovski, council worker
- Dave Thomas, the TikTok Tradie / caulker
You can watch the trailer below and see who you can spot. Unfortunately, most of the stars have their Instagram accounts set to private for now, per their MAFS contracts. We’ll keep you updated!
Ashleigh Ackerman, 34
Instagram: @a_ackermann
Ackerman is a Gold Coast native, where she runs a dance school with her mum and sister. Ashleigh appeared in the trailer and is a confirmed member of the cast. Described as “fun, energetic and loveable she lives with her sister and nephew in a house full of pets. Ash has shared that she’s a longtime watcher of the show, and actually learnt that her previous relationship was toxic when watching it. In the trailer she says she’s looking for a relationship like previous MAFS contestants Jules and Cam. We’re wishing her the best!
Paul Antoine, 30
Instagram: @paul___antoine
Paul Antoine is no stranger to reality TV, having previously appeared on The Real Love Boat back in 2022. Antoine is from France, and was born in Nice and raised in the coastal town of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Now based in Perth, he runs a business as a strength and conditioning coach. Paul looked very dapper in the trailer, and he’s serious about finding true love.
“I offer stability, respect, sensitivity and independence,” he shared. His perfect date? “[A] date that makes me forget that I’m in one. Long chats about our lives, past, present and future. I like it when things are spontaneous, and haven’t been planned ahead too much.”
Paul’s parents have been happily married for 40 years and that’s the kind of love he’s looking for. He’s exhausted the apps in Perth and of course, didn’t find luck on The Real Love Boat Australia.
Adrian Araouzou, 30
Adrian, 36, owns a sportswear brand PAKDsport and is a white belt in jiu jitsu. Dubbed the ‘dessert king’, Araouzou is behind the popular SweeetSundayz dessert Instagram account. He grew up in a Greek family as the eldest of five children. Interestingly, his other siblings are identical twin brothers and a pair of twin sisters. He said he’s looking for a woman who is honest and comfortable in her own skin.
Billy Belcher, 31
Instagram: @billybelcher7
Billy, 31, hails from England and reportedly brings a “bold personality and unique style” to the show, per the Daily Mail. He’s reportedly a plasterer by trade. “Billy brings that unique British charm and authenticity that we believe will resonate well with the audience,” an insider has shared. Billy has shared his ideal woman is positive, confident and enjoys Saturday nights in.
Jacqueline Burfoot, 29
Jacqueline Burfoot is a 29-year-old lawyer from New Zealand with plenty of confidence. She describes herself as having both “beauty and brains” and her CV lives up to the claim. Burfoot has a double degree in law and finance and earnt first-class honours in law. She also won the title of Miss New Zealand in 2012 and is a certified yoga instructor. Burfoot has copped to being “intense” in relationships and shared she’s working on being less needy. She’s also adjusting to single life having moved to Australia from New Zealand following the end of a 7-year relationship last year.
Burfoot’s ideal guy? Tall, blonde, intelligent and open-minded.
Veronica Cloherty, 30
Instagram: @veronicacloherty
Veronica, a former Miss Universe contestant and actress, is reportedly coming in as an intruder bride for Eliot Donovan. Veronica Cloherty is a controversial character in the MAFS universe. In September 2024 reports leaked to Daily Mail Australia from the set that Cloherty was proving a “nightmare bride” causing “nothing but trouble” for groom Eliot Donovan. The production team reportedly labelled her a “high-maintenance diva.”
She was accused of using the series to boost her acting career, rather than genuinely pursue love. “She’s treating this show like a personal audition,” the source told Daily Mail Australia. Sources also reported that Veronica had developed a close friendship with Eliot Donovan’s ex Lauren Hall. “It’s clear she prioritises hanging out with Lauren over connecting with Eliot,” the source complained.
Veronica has previously starred in limited TV series Streets of Colour. Whatever the veracity of the claims, we’re sure Cloherty will provide plenty of entertainment.
Rhi Disljenkovic, 34
Instagram: @rhidisljenkovic
Rhi Disljenkovic is an IT account manager but has been making a name for herself as a fitness blogger and influencer. She shares a professional Instagram account with friend Shayna Kotzur where the pair review Melbourne locations for fitness training and recovery. Disljenkovic said she is “tired of the modern dating scene”. She’s another bride fresh from a 7-year romance, and despite the length of her previous relationship, she’s admitted she’s “never been in love” (thoughts and prayers to her former boyfriend).
Disljenkovic is keen to settle down and start a family. But, in a turn of events, Rhi has been paired with her ex-boyfriend for her wedding day: Jeff Gobbels.
Eliot Donovan, 35
Instagram: @eliot.donovan
Eliot reportedly leaves the show early after initially being paired with Lauren Hall. He is later paired with Veronica. The dashing Eliot is a certified cast member, whose flowing head of Disney Prince hair featured prominently in the MAFS 2025 first trailer. However, he placed a very highly value on “authenticity” when he shared what he’s looking for in a lady and it seems like the MAFS girls may have fallen short.
Morena Farina, 57
Instagram: @morenafar1
Morena is a wedding MC and DJ represented by Top Dog Entertainment. She’s a 57-year-old mother of two. She says that she found a new lease on life at 53 when she became a DJ and her friends describe her as authentic and engaging. She shared that she’s looking for a partner who will treat her like a queen.
Morena was paired with Tony, however, Yahoo! has suggested she may have been removed from production for an unknown reason. Morena was in the first trailer, confirming her place in the 2025 cast.
Jeff Gobbels, 39
Instagram: @jeffgobbels
Jeff is an actor who once has appeared in three episodes of Neighbours. His filmography also includes The Warriors, Undertow, A Promise Carved In Flesh AND The Whistleblower. However, that’s not all he does in his spare time. His LinkedIn lists him as the Founder and Director of Splash Vodka, and an AFL coach and he’s currently working as an electrician.
Jeff describes himself as loving, caring and fun. As he nears 40 he’s looking to settle down and raise a family with a partner whose supportive and shares his values. This could be tricky as he’s “accidentally” been paired with ex-girlfriend Rhi.
Tim Gromie, 38
Tim Gromie describes himself as having been “unlucky in love”. He’s a primary school teacher and says working with kids brings him a lot of joy and he hopes to have his own one day. However, he’s another freshly single contestant. His previous girlfriend suddenly ended their relationship just as he was about to propose and he’s taken 12-months off dating to recover. Now, he’s back in the game in a big way and has allegedly been paired with Katie.
Teejay Halkias
Instagram: @teejayhalkias
Reality TV fans might remember Teejay from Big Brother Australia. The striking business development manager from Queensland is back on screen for season 12 of MAFS as an intruder. Indeed, Daily Mail has reported the Greek-Indian 20-something will “save” the series. “Teejay is definitely going to bring some serious vibes to the MAFS experiment,” an insider told Daily Mail, “He’s a lover boy at heart, but he’s not afraid to speak his mind, which could either make him a perfect match or stir up some major drama.”
Teejay has been paired with Beth Kelly for season 12.
Lauren Hall, 37
Instagram: @laurenhall_01
Lauren is the owner of a corporate gifting business, Mayfair Lane Gifts. As confirmed by the first trailer, Lauren is something of a ‘trad wife’, in that her main goal is to “serve” her man. The MAFS bride was reportedly first paired with Eliot on season 12, but the Daily Mail reports her groom abruptly packed-up and left. Lauren has high standards and is looking for a “real man” who takes the lead. But, it looks like she’s been paired with ex Eliot Donovan who made a quick exit early in the series. We don’t know yet whether Lauren will choose to stay on with a new groom or bail from the series.
Katie Johnson, 37
Instagram: @itswildbykatie
Katie runs a social enterprise called EATS HQ. (EATS stands for Empowering All Through Support.) The Australian café and hospitality chain aims to assist communities in Peru. She’s seriously impressive, but apparently, he’s unlucky in love and sick of men falling short. She’s after someone who is “kind, honest, wants a family and knows how to communicate.” In the first trailer, Katie can be seen shedding a tear during the series. It’s early days, but dare we say she deserves better?
Beth Kelly, 28
Beth Kelly hails from the UK and is an operations manager at a high-end hair salon. She’s been enlisted as an intruder bride and paired with Teejay Hawkins. Friends have described Kelly as funny, outgoing, charismatic and down-to-earth. “She’s one of those people who lights up the room the moment she walks in,” a friend shared with Daily Mail. “She’s really funny and just so real, I think people are going to love her,” they continued.
Jake Luik, 30
Jake Luik hails from WA, where he works as a well-being coordinator at an independent public high school. He stays off social media and seems like he has a heart of gold. Luik has had two serious long term relationships, one that lasted 10 years and another that lasteed three. He said that in both his struggles with communication caused issues and he’s hoping to find someone who excels in this area who can help him open up. He’s matched with Ashley Ackerman.
Jamie Marinos, 28
Instagram: @jamiemarinos_
Melbourne-based Jamie is an account manager at a digital marketing firm—and she’s set to bring the drama to season 12. The main thing we know about Jamie is that she confesses to having slept with Teejay at his wedding to Beth, in front of the new bride. Before the show even started, her TikTok account was exploding, and a close friend has shared with Daily Mail that she’s there to make waves. “She’s watched a few seasons of the show and would always joke about wanting to sign up for it. She won’t hold back at the dinner parties and will definitely not put up with anyone else’s shit.”
Jamie has described her ideal partner as covered in tattoos, passionate, patient, kind and calming.
Carina Maribile, 31
Instagram: @carinamirabile
Carina is an aspiring actress and digital marketing specialist with a journalism background who originally hails from Western Australia. In the MAFS25 first sneak peek, Carina is seen pulling aside a producer to say she knows her groom, and he “ghosted” her.
Carina hails from a traditional Italian family and is the only one out of five siblings not married. Her mum has prepared a checklist of qualities to look for in a man she should marry and Maribile is keen to settle down. We can only hope the alluded to “ghosting” doesn’t get in the way of this.
Tony Mojanovski, 53
Tony Mojanovski is from Port Kembla, and once made headlines for saving three fisherman who were swept off rocks. Tony is paired with Morena, but things apparently go south for the couple after it’s revealed Tony is still technically married to his ex. Married twice before he is allegedly looking for a committed, genuine and supportive partner. Hopefull the paperwork doesn’t get in the way…
Awhina Rhutene, 30
Instagram: @_awhinarutene
Channel Nine have described Awhina as one of the series most “opinionated” brides so we can assume she’ll bring some drama to the dinner table. She has a six-year-old son from a previous partner of 15 years, who she met in high school. Needless to say, she’s been out of the dating game and is hoping the MAFS experts can work their magic. She has been paired with Adrian Araouzou.
Sierah Swepstone, 31
Instagram: @sweppo
You may have seen Sierah before as a former contestant on The Bachelor and Married At First Sight. In 2021, Sierah sought love with Jimmy Nicholson, but was sent home. A self-described “tall, horny bogan”, we hope she can find love this time around. When she’s not dabbling in reality TV, Sierah is a financial advisor. She’s been described as “outspoken, brazen and resilient” and has exacting standards when it comes to men. Her longest relationship to date is 4 months, and she’s sick of dating apps so she’s turning to reality TV again in the hope of her perfect match.
Dave Thomas Hand, 36
Instagram: @dth_9
You may know Dave as the TikTok Tradie. At a towering 6’6″, Dave has nearly 30,000 followers on his company’s TikTok account @siliconevalleycaulking. He runs his own caulking business in Victoria and shares renovation projects online. Last year, his engagement ended and like many of the recently single on MAFS he’s turning to reality TV to give love another shot. Dave describes himself as thoughtful, respectful and goofy and is looking for someone with a natural smile who is comfortable with herself and can make him laugh.
Who Are The MAFS 2025 Couples?
The confirmed couples list for MAFS Australia 2025, season 12, is:
- Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels
- Ashleigh Ackerman and Jake Luik
- Teejay Halkias and Beth Kelly
- Lauren Hall and Eliot Donovan
- Eliot Donovan and Veronica Cloherty
- Morena Farina and Tony Mojanovski
- Tim Gromie and Katie Johnson
- Awhina Rutene and Adrian Araouzou
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