MAFS stars Booka Nile and Jake Edwards' pre-show connection

Married At First Sight stars Booka Nile and Jake Edwards have set tongues wagging after it was revealed that the pair knew each other prior to their stint on the reality TV show.

Musician and psychology graduate Booka and mental health charity CEO Jake appear to have connected over their shared passion for mental wellness months before MAFS even began filming.

Booka and Jake's pre-show connection

In early 2020, their respective mental health projects — Booka’s is Sonic Minds while Jake’s is Outside The Locker Room — are said to have partnered up.

And later in June, Booka, 31, was a guest speaker on Jake's YouTube series, with the former AFL player introducing Booka as 'the best guest' he's had so far.

Jake, 32, also revealed he was a huge fan of Booka's heavy metal band, Make Them Suffer, and had been participating in Sonic Mind's music therapy program for the past few weeks.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time, Booka appeared via Zoom and it's believed that the pair didn't meet in person until the MAFS shoot in September.

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Out on the town

Now that their season is well underway on TV, however, it's a bit of a different story. Booka and Jake were spotted grabbing drinks in Sydney's trendy Surry Hills after enjoying a swanky cruise on the harbour.

According to Daily Mail, the duo — who are 'married' to different people on the show — were snapped together in February, 'just days' before they shot the reunion episode.

At the time, Booka is said to have uploaded snaps and video of her and Jake aboard the boat to her Instagram Stories however they have since expired.

Booka was of course paired with electrician and psychology student Brett Helling, 31, while Jake wed Perth business manager Bec Zemek, 27.

MAFS stars' reality links

Booka and Jake aren't the only MAFS participants who had been mixing with reality TV celebs prior to their small screen debut.

As far back as February 2020, Bec was posting pics to her Instagram with fellow Perth local and soon-to-be-announced Bachelor star Locky Gilbert.

In the snaps, which she shared to her Instagram Stories, Bec and Locky are seen cosying up together for selfies while drinking at a pub and also trying out some serious dance moves.

An insider source told The Wash that while the duo never officially dated, they were 'always very flirty' and 'had a bit of a spark.'

Another of Bec's reality TV pals happens to be former MAFS star Aleks Markovic, who appeared on the show last year.

Groom Bryce Ruthven, meanwhile, invited former Big Brother star Jason Roses — the pair work in radio together in Canberra — to his TV wedding.

Cameron Dunne also has a connection with a former MAFS star, having reportedly moved in with Jessika Power and her boyfriend on the Gold Coast after filming wrapped.

And at the season's first dinner party, Sam Carraro let slip that he ‘knew Cameron from back home’ in Melbourne.

The reality TV world sure is small.

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