MAFS Australia star reveals HUGE behind-the-scenes secret about the boozy dinner parties that fans won't see coming

The Irish Sun

25-04-2025

A MAFS Australia star has revealed a huge behind-the-scenes secret about the boozy dinner parties on the show that fans won't see coming.
Dave Hand is starring on the current series of the explosive
dating
show, and is married to bride Jamie Marinos.
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A MAFS Australia star has revealed a huge behind-the-scenes secret about the boozy dinner parties on the show that fans won't see coming
Credit: Instagram
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Dave said his co-stars 'understood the assignment'
Credit: Nine
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Dave Hand is starring on the current series with Jamie Marinos
Credit: Nine Now
And lifting the lid on what goes on behind-the-scenes, the tradie gave The Sun an insight into those boozy and often drama-filled dinner parties that keep viewers
hooked
.
They've often been rumoured by former contestants to roll on into the night, with hours of filming meaning contestants hit the sack around 2-3am.
But Dave said this was far from the case for his series, and even explained that they're held in tents or gazebos for hours in between filming.
Dave shared: 'Before going onto the show I got told that the dinner parties can go on until 3 in the morning, or maybe even four.
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'But our group understood the assignment. We'd go in and before the food was even on the table we'd be arguing with each other.
'We'd get the job done and even the people arguing at dinner would look at each other and smile and laugh and think, 'we did it, we'll be home for 11.'
Dave also dished the dirt on how much they all drink at the boozy and heated bashes, with stars of the show often seen pouring large glasses of vino.
And at the same time, he gave away a huge behind-the-scenes secret about the show.
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He continued: 'I think the majority of us used to sneak in some drinks before, because you're actually sitting in a tent for two to three hours before you go in.
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'So we'd sneak some drinks in and I remember Jeff sneaking me some in the tents.
'But then you have the cocktail party before going back into the tent for a couple of hours until it gets completely dark.
'Then you go to the dinner party and everyone wants to get the
wine
going.
'There was one night where production said 'Dave you're slurring your words,' so I went and sat in a room for an hour.'
Mafs couples that have stood the test of time
Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.
The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam's Doncaster home.
Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.
Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.
Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: 'I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out - and excited for everything to come.'
Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.
Owen recalled: 'I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.
"While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.
'The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, 'Wouldn't it be funny if I signed up?'
'A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.'
Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.
Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna's vegan lifestyle, the show's first same sex pairing are still going strong.
They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.
Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: "We're not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship."
Clarifying that the MAFS couples would go back and forth into tents for hours at a time while filming for the dinner party, Dave went on: 'There's like eight gazebos with tent walls on them.
'They're actually
next
to each other so you can still pass things through and talk and everything like that.'
The MAFS dinner parties make for some of the most explosive scenes of the series, and this season is no exception.
MAFS fans in the UK can continue to watch Dave and Jamie's journey on the show over on Channel 4, from Monday-Thursday each week.
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The MAFS stars are kept in gazebos for hours before cocktails and dinner
Credit: Channel 4
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The dinner parties are known for their shocking moments and big revelations
Credit: Channel 4
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Dave had to sit in a room because he was too bleary-eyed
Credit: Instagram