Surprising MAFS star set to make $35,000 with huge career move

Let’s face it, Married At First Sight has created more social media stars over the years than it has successful love stories. The reality TV juggernaut has become so synonymous with influencers that many of this year’s cast members have openly admitted to going on the show to build their profile.

While there are still a few weeks left in the experiment - and over a month until participants regain access to their Instagram accounts - several brides and grooms have already received tens of thousands of followers across both Australia and the UK. These numbers are often the easiest way to determine who has the best chance of staying relevant after the show and who will likely fade into obscurity.

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With the finale fast approaching, Yahoo Lifestyle has used Influencer Marketing Hub’s earnings calculator to determine how much money the brides and grooms could potentially earn from brand deals when the series ends.

Keep in mind these follower counts will continue to grow as the show airs in the UK and around the world, but some clear favourites have already been established.

Who is the most popular person on MAFS 2025?

Jamie Marinos is undeniably the fan favourite on this year’s season of MAFS and currently sits on 118,000 followers, making her the first and only cast member to crack 100k on Instagram at the time of writing.

Influencer Marketing Hub’s earnings calculator reveals that Jamie’s following - which is expected to grow over the next few weeks - could see her earning up to $35,000 in Instagram brand deals over one year.

Josie Gagliano, director of Sydney talent and PR agency RoJo Consulting, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that Jamie has the best chance out of everyone in the cast to maintain a following after the show.

“I think Jamie will do well after the show because she is outspoken and has worn her heart on her sleeve,” she shares. However, she asserts that large social media followings don’t always translate to a successful career in the media industry.

“Social media followers can build, but if you are not authentic and have a habit of being controversial or just plain nasty, nobody is buying what you are selling,” she adds. “Consumers do not forget and will vote with their money."

The most followed MAFS 2025 stars revealed

The second-most followed MAFS participant at the moment is Jamie's partner Dave Thomas Hand, who currently has 94,000 followers and has the potential to earn around $650 for a single sponsored post.

He and his co-star Billy Belcher also recently launched a joint social media account 'Billy & Dave' which suggests they will continue to create content or potentially launch a podcast after the show. The account is currently sitting on 10,000 followers on Instagram and 68,000 followers on TikTok.

Awhina Rutene has 70,000 followers, meaning she could earn around $450 per post, while Carina Mirabile has 57,000 followers and could charge brands around $400 per post. Yahoo Lifestyle previously revealed that Carina is an aspiring television presenter with “ambition and dreams to excel in the entertainment world”, and her growing audience is putting her one step closer to making this a reality.

Interestingly, Katie Johnstone is currently the fourth most followed participant on Instagram with 58,000 despite only appearing in a handful of episodes and leaving at the first commitment ceremony.

MAFS 2025 participants ranked

Here is the official ranking of the MAFS 2025 participants based on the amount of Instagram followers they currently have, although this will likely change as the season continues:

1. Jamie Marinos

2. Dave Thomas Hand

3. Awhina Rutene

4. Katie Johnston

5. Billy Belcher

6. Carina Mirabile

7. Rhi Disljenkovic

8. Jacqui Burfoot (on her business account, which isn’t run by Channel Nine)

9. Jeff Gobbels

10. Veronica Cloherty

11. Paul Antoine

12. Teejay Halkias

13. Sierah Swepstone

14. Morena Farina (on her business account, which isn’t run by Channel Nine)

15. Eliot Donovan

16. Lauren Hall (on her business account, which isn’t run by Channel Nine)

17. Tony Mojanovski

18. Beth Kelly

19. Adrian Araouzou

20. Clint Rice

21. Ashleigh Ackerman

22. Ryan Donnelly

23. Jake Luik

Tim Gromie is the only MAFS 2025 participant who doesn’t have social media, however, based on the backlash he’s received it’s probably for the best.

The MAFS intruders will also likely jump in the ratings once they enter the experiment for UK viewers, and time will tell how they react to some of the more controversial participants.

The secret to staying relevant after reality TV

Josie, who represents several reality TV stars including MKR’s Viviana Barile and MAFS' Olivia Frazer, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the secret to maintaining relevance after appearing on reality TV is to “be honest, be yourself and be authentic”.

“If you are promoting myriad products across lots of categories, the consumer catches on and will not regard your opinion as real,” she shares. “Think about influencers and content creators you love watching - what makes you light up as you watch them? They are being real and honest and open, and I think the very best ones don't make it too ‘ad-like’. Instead, they infuse their personality in the posts. And then, sure - you might go buy what they are spruiking.”

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She adds that if an influencer would prefer to use their voice for good rather than doing product collaborations, then relevance comes from “being a good human, being kind and being transparent about who you are”.

“You remain in the spotlight because you are a decent person with good values, and bonus points if you go speak up for those who are vulnerable,” she details. “A name in the spotlight, should they choose to want that, is a lovely by-product of that. That to me is relevance, and relatability is everything.”

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