MAFS 2026: Expert John Aiken warns new brides are ready to unleash drama - as season 12 kicks off filming: 'They'll hold everyone to account'

Daily Mail​

13 hours ago

Married At First Sight expert John Aiken has promised the upcoming 2026 season will be one of the most dramatic in the show's history.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail, John, 55, teased that filming is already delivering fiery scenes and will feature a line-up of powerful, outspoken brides who will 'hold everyone to account' and are not afraid to stir the pot.
'I would say what we've got is a cast full of very powerful, opinionated, outspoken women who are really going to hold everyone in the experiment to account,' he said.
'Particularly the women - you're going to need to look out for them this year, and not just how they are with their partners, but particularly how they work in the sisterhood.'
The veteran relationship expert, who has been with the hit social experiment since its debut, said there's a freshness in this year's line-up.
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According to Aiken, producers have assembled a diverse group, including a cricket-obsessed sports presenter, two grooms from diverse cultural backgrounds, and a number of participants bringing what he describes as a 'heavy TikTok flavour' to their dating approach.
'That's what we try and do every year, we evolve the show. We don't try and completely break it and bring it back to zero. We just give the audience something that's a little bit different from the season before.'
While MAFS continues to dominate the ratings year after year, the series has never managed to score a win at the TV WEEK Logie Awards —something Aiken is quick to brush off.
'We don't do it to get a Logie. We do it because it's fun, it's exciting, and a lot of people watch it,' he said.
'At the end of the day, we're very happy with the numbers we get every year—that's the real prize.'
He believes the lack of Logies love comes down to voting habits.
'It all comes down to who's prepared to vote. Often the shows that win have the people that are prepared to get online and vote. With MAFS, while we have a lot of people watching and committed to it, they don't vote,' he said.
Over the years, many MAFS participants have been left off the Logies guest list—a point of frustration for some—but Aiken insists it's out of his hands.
'I would say what we've got is a cast full of very powerful, opinionated, outspoken women who are really going to hold everyone in the experiment to account,' he said
'It's a privilege to be invited, but it's completely out of my hands and out of the hands of the talent. Every year there's a possibility people will miss out,' he said.
And even if the show did win, he's not sure letting a bride or groom take the stage would be a wise move.
'You'd have no idea what they're going to say,' he laughed. 'That's the thing about the MAFS cast—they're very brave and put themselves out there, but you never know what they'll do once filming wraps.'
Despite the chaos, Aiken remains proud of the show's ability to create real connections.
'The real pleasure is that Rhi and Jeff are still together and going strong. It just shows that this experiment can work and people do get the fairytale,' he said.
As for what fans can expect from him this year, Aiken promises more of his signature no-nonsense approach at the dinner parties.
'My role's very clear now—I call out bad behaviour and hold people to account. I've become more direct and blunt with my feedback because the behaviour is becoming more extreme,' he said.
'We don't do it to get a Logie, we do it because it's fun, it's exciting and a lot of people watch it. The real prize is the huge audience engagement we get every year,' Aiken explained of the MAFS Logies snub
His advice to this year's participants is simple: stay curious.
'Come in with an open mind rather than a long list of deal breakers. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
'You've got to give it the full 10 weeks, because people do fall in love—sometimes when they least expect it.'
With production already underway in Sydney, Aiken said viewers are in for a treat when the explosive thirteenth season premieres next year.
'It's going to be big, it's going to be unpredictable—and you never know what they're going to say,' he said.
Married At First Sight returns to Channel Nine in 2026.