All the MAFS Australia 'backup' brides and grooms and who was tempted

30 April 2025, 16:16 | Updated: 1 May 2025, 14:54

Meet the MAFS Australia 2025 'backup' brides and grooms. Picture: Instagram

By Abbie Reynolds

Who went on a date with their backup bride or groom? Who are the MAFS Australia 'backup' brides and grooms? Meet them here and find out which cast members were tempted into a date.

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For the first time in Married at First Sight Australia history, the couples were given the opportunity to meet their alternative matches - aka their 'backup' brides and grooms.

The ultimate test of 'is the grass greener' came as the couples had already sat down for their final commitment ceremony and were just days away from Final Vows.

Left in the experiment at this point were six couples; Awhina Rutene and Adrian Araouzou, Jacqueline Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly, Teejay Halkias and Beth Kelly, Carina Mirable and Paul Antoine, Jeff Gobbels and Rhi Disljenkovic, and Jamie Marinos and Dave Hand.

Not all of the cast chose to meet their 'backup' bride or groom, but - spoiler alert - most of them did! The alternatives could appear in next year's MAFS Australia, so let's take a look at who they are and who chose to meet their backups.

Meet the MAFS Australia 2025 cast. Picture: Nine

Which couples met their alternative matches on MAFS Australia?

It should come as no surprise to MAFS Australia fans to find out that Rhi and Jeff chose to not meet their backup partners but it might surprise you that they were the only couple to not be impacted by the final task.

Dave and Carina were the only other two cast members to turn down the opportunity while their partners Jamie and Paul went on to meet with the alternative match.

As well as Jamie and Paul, Awhina and Adrian, Jacqui and Ryan, and Teejay and Beth all decided to meet their backup matches.

Who are the MAFS Australia 2025 backup brides and grooms?

Tara-Lee Preston

Teejay was matched with Tara Lee. Picture: Instagram

Teejay met his alternative match Tara-Lee.

Teejay and Tara hit it off on their date and Tara has confirmed to Chattr that they actually went on a second date. The pair follow each other on Instagram but for now nothing has blossomed between them.

She said: "We had a second date after filming and that went well and we’re still in touch... Right now I think we’re at different points and maybe all the show fuss creates a block."

Oisin Scully

Beth was matched with Oisin. Picture: Instagram

Beth met her alternative match Oisin.

Despite appearances, Beth has since said she didn't actually enjoy her date with Oisin. She told 9Entertainment: "I know I pretended I had a good time but he really wasn't for me.

"I think that's why I was so disappointed at the end of the date because it just made me think about Teejay even more," she continued.

"[Oisin] was nice enough, a bit cocky for me, but no – I would not have been happy if I was originally matched with him."

Hannah Dawson

Paul's backup bride was Hannah. Picture: Instagram

Paul met his alternative match Hannah.

Hannah ended up calling their date short, telling producers: "I do not want to be in a relationship with someone as curious as Paul."

But since filming ended it was reported that Paul is dating Hannah, however neither Hannah or Paul have confirmed this.

Tim King

Awhina's backup match was Tim. Picture: Instagram

Awhina met up with her backup groom Tim.

Awhina had a good date with Tim but he has confirmed to Yahoo that they didn't have any contact after the date. He said: "There definitely are some shared values that do align.

"When you spend an hour with somebody in a situation like that where you've got cameras around and you're miked up, it is hard to really be authentic and genuine.

"But from watching the season and seeing just how kind genuine and caring Awhina is, they’re qualities that I definitely look for in a partner."

Are Billy and Awhina from MAFS Australia dating?

Maxine

Adrian met up with his backup bride Maxine.

Adrian's backup bride was Maxine, who is a single mum like Awhina. Maxine has said their date "went well" but it's not known if they've been in contact since the show ended. However, the pair do follow each other on Instagram.

Maxine has said she'd be up for doing MAFS in the future, so we might see her again. She told Yahoo: "My date with Adrian went well. I mean, it was pretty scary and unnatural for me to have a camera filming me, but Adrian seemed comfortable with it which helped.

"I think they matched us because I said I liked dark features. I don’t know anything else [about Adrian] because I haven't watched the show, but living with a stranger for three months, there would’ve been some butting heads!"

Rory Lehmann

Ryan was Jacqui's backup groom. Picture: Instagram

Jacqui chose to go and meet up with her potential match Ryan.

After the date, Jacqui was caught on camera sneakily exchanging numbers with Ryan. But after being accused of being 'deceitful' by MAFS fans, Jacqui has addressed her date with Ryan.

Taking to social media, Jacqui said: "No, Rory and I didn't exchange numbers. First of all, the catch-up was just friendly. We were getting along, there was no potential marriage material there between either of us, and we were just laughing about stupid stuff and being idiots and being friends."

She continued: "I gave him my number in case he had any questions about the filming stuff or had any issues in Sydney, that was it. [But] we didn't even text. I do not have his number, I've never spoken to this man ever since, and honestly, frankly, I didn't care to.

"It was a day away from Ryan, it was a good break, and in all honesty, all I told Rory was that I was going to be out of the experiment in 10 days, and basically I couldn't leave until Final Vows. So that was the context of those words. It was kind of like, I'm stuck here in the experiment and then I'll be gone, but that's essentially it. There was nothing flirty, nothing deceitful, and that’s it."

Vivienne

Like his wife, Ryan chose to meet his alternative match.

Ryan and Vivienne had a pleasant date and afterwards Ryan confirmed that "physically Vivienne is definitely" his type. Since the experiment ended nothing has emerged about Ryan and Vivienne which suggests there was no second date.

Ryan used his date to get a females opinion of how Jacqui has been treating her. And when he returned to Jacqui to discuss this she produced another one of her infamous letters.

Do you think any of these were better matches than what the experts chose?