Yahoo Lifestyle 
MAFS expert throws subtle shade at Aussie cast after Logies snub: 'Quite a difference'
EXCLUSIVE: John Aiken reveals how the Australian brides and grooms compare to the New Zealand cast.
Married At First Sight’s John Aiken has taken a subtle swipe at the participants on the Australian version of the reality show in comparison to the brides and grooms on the New Zealand series. While the 54-year-old has starred on MAFS Australia since season one in 2015, he recently joined the New Zealand franchise which has a slightly different format.
Not only are there just two relationship experts on the Kiwi series, with John appearing alongside sex therapist Jo Robertson, but this year’s season only featured 10 participants hoping to find love across four weeks. Viewers also took to social media earlier this year to praise the New Zealand cast for being more “genuine” than a majority of the Australian stars, and it appears John Aiken might agree.
Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle at the 2024 Logie Awards on Sunday, John admitted that he thinks the contestants’ personalities are very different between the two reality shows.
“I think probably the MAFS Australia version, the participants are very rowdy, they're combative, they speak their minds,” he detailed. “In New Zealand, they're a little bit more modest and a little bit more down to earth. So quite a difference there.”
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John went on to say that viewers will be surprised by the brides and grooms in the upcoming twelfth season of MAFS Australia, adding: “I would say our cast has been as loud as we've ever had.”
His co-star Alessandra Rampolla also shared: “Right off the bat, they're very comfortable saying what they think, and that doesn't always happen immediately when you begin filming.”
MAFS experts react to cast snub at the Logies
While Alessandra and John made their mark on the red carpet this year to support the show’s nomination for Best Structured Reality Program, the show’s participants were noticeably absent from the red carpet after they missed out on scoring an invite.
Alessandra asserted to Yahoo Lifestyle that she “[doesn’t] organise the Logies” and has nothing to do with the guest list, however, it would have been nice for the 2024 cast to be invited.
“I would love for them all to be here,” she shared, with John adding, “Yeah look, we love our MAFS cast but this year Alessandra and I are the ones that are gonna have to fly the flag”.
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Another notable person missing from the red carpet was fellow relationship expert Mel Schilling, who shared a statement with Yahoo Lifestyle on Sunday explaining that she chose to skip the event to spend time with her husband Gareth and their daughter Maddie.
“This year, I’ve made the choice to prioritise my health and my family,” Mel said. “Although I love the Logies - and really hope we scoop up an award this time round - I’ve decided to stay on the Gold Coast with Gareth and Maddie to fully recuperate and ensure that I’m fighting fit for season 12 of MAFS Australia.”
Alessandra also told Yahoo Lifestyle on the red carpet they “really miss” Mel, while John said: “We’d love for Mel to have been here tonight. She’s just taking some downtime with the family, so we are here representing.”
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