Married At First Sight's Awhina Rutene and Billy Belcher continue to fuel romance rumours as they appear to go Instagram official on date night

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Married At First Sight stars Awhina Rutene and Billy Belcher have sent the rumour mill into overdrive after enjoying a cosy date night in Perth.
The former TV bride, 30, shared a series of loved-up snaps on Instagram with her co-star Billy, 31, during an outing to The Garden in Perth on Wednesday - further igniting speculation that their friendship has turned romantic.
In one mirror selfie taken in an elevator, Awhina looked sensational in a figure-hugging black mini dress with long sleeves, her sleek brunette hair cascading past her shoulders.
Beside her, Billy cut a rugged figure in a sleeveless black top that showed off his tattooed arms, as he embraced Awhina from behind and beamed at the camera.
Another photo showed the MAFS beauty sipping a glass of red wine at the trendy bar, while a cheeky Billy hid behind a drinks menu.
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Awhina captioned the post with a telling phrase: 'I'll keep this one', suggesting she's holding on tight to her new beau.
Fans of the reality show erupted with excitement in the comments, thrilled that the pair many felt should have been matched on the show might have finally found love with each other.
'OMFG this is everything I love u two!' one follower gushed.
'The wife swap worked,' another declared, cheekily referencing the controversial partner-swapping scandal that unfolded during the experiment.
'We are absolutely HERE for this!!!!' added a third, as dozens more expressed their approval.
Many viewers have long suspected Awhina and Billy's chemistry, noting that the MAFS experts got it wrong by not pairing them in the first place.
This flurry of fan enthusiasm comes after months of speculation about the duo's relationship.
Both Awhina and Billy are based in Western Australia, and they struck up a close bond during the marriage experiment.
Their respective on-screen marriages famously imploded when it was revealed that Awhina's TV husband, Adrian Araouzou, and Billy's wife, Sierah Swepstone, had been secretly meeting up behind their backs during filming.
The betrayal left Awhina and Billy heartbroken, and the pair chose to leave the experiment separately amidst the drama.
It comes after Awhina opened up about what it was really like being married to her TV husband Adrian following the shock finale.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, the single mum did not hold back as she revealed just how uncomfortable she felt around her match.
'His behaviour before the show was questionable. His behaviour during the show... very questionable! Poor, poor, poor!' Awhina explained.
She said she was finding it difficult to permanently cut ties with Adrian because after the dating experiment finished he kept trying to contact her on social media.
'I blocked him, not the other way around... Then he added me on Snapchat and I blocked him! Then he added me on TikTok. I'm grateful I've closed all that,' she said.
Awhina added she believed it was a failing of the production staff for pairing her with such an ill-suited match - and she felt pressure to remain on the show despite wanting to leave.
'I feel like they failed me. When I chose to stay, I genuinely felt peer-pressured into making that decision,' she said.
She said she was working hard to completely cut Adrian from her life and hoped to never speak his name again.
'After this week, I will never mention Adrian's name again. We did this experience together and it was hard... I will happily never speak of him again,' she said.
Awhina said her 'final straw' was when Adrian went online and made comments about both her and her twin sister Cleo.
'He's not a child. Stop looking at this man like a child. He would go online and attack my character and my sister. It's relentless,' she said.
'He's choosing every day to make these poor decisions, he has zero self-awareness. You are rewarding bad behaviour by helping him, if he wants to drown, let him.'
Awhina described Adrian's behaviour as selfish and emotionally manipulative.
'He told me what I could and couldn't say. I felt alone,' she explained.
'There were moments of kindness – but they only came after he'd done something wrong. It felt performative... I kept giving him lifelines.'
Awhina admits that viewers missed some of the high points in their relationship, but insists the low moments were deeply hurtful.
'It wasn't all bad. We had some real highs. But the lows were so low. Unfortunately, what aired didn't show any of the good. So people didn't understand why I stayed,' she said.
After filming ended, Awhina says she tried to remain kind and supportive, keeping communication open because she felt sorry for Adrian.
Now removed from the chaos of filming and away from Adrian, Awhina says she's begun to heal.
'I think I've got my glow back. It's amazing what cutting off someone toxic can do for your soul,' she said.
She also revealed she had originally applied for the show alongside her twin sister Cleo, who pulled out due to work commitments.
'We went through the whole casting process together. That made it exciting. I truly believed my forever person was waiting at the end of the aisle,' she explained.
Instead, she says she was paired with someone who didn't align with her values or desires for a future.