With a fresh season of MasterChef Australia: Back to Win on the horizon in 2025, judge Andy Allen has revealed to Chattr that fans can expect fiercer competition and more elevated dishes than ever before, setting it apart from a typical MasterChef season.
MasterChef Australia 2025 will see 24 contestants who’ve competed on past seasons return to the kitchen for their second — or third — chance at winning the title.
Among them is Andre Ursini from Season 1, Sarah Todd from Season 6 and 14 and Snezana Calic from Season 16. During an interview ahead of the new season, Andy told Chattr that the calibre of contestants is much higher than a regular season made up of new faces.
“The first Back to Win we did in 2020, and I feel like a lot of these contestants watched that show, and they know how fierce the competition is.
“The standard is the highest I’ve ever seen it. I think it’s the want to win, and also the camaraderie that all of the contestants have on a daily basis.”
MasterChef Australia 2025 cast. Image: Ten.
The dynamic between the older and newer returning contestants
Some of the returning contestants, like viral cookbook author Steph de Sousa have established successful careers in the food industry post-MasterChef, and Andy said that he found that the level of experience in the kitchen from the veterans pushed the newer contestants to reach their full potential.
“I think it’s one thing to go really well in the competition, but to rub shoulders with some of these guys who have been there, done that, gone out into the industry, kicked massive goals — even just having lunch and sitting next to them and picking their brain and and getting better at cooking, but also getting a few life lessons as well. It’s such a priceless process.”
“I think as soon as you get that chance to come back in the MasterChef kitchen — and I think for a lot of these contestants, they probably thought that would never happen again.
“As soon as you get that ticket, it’s up to you what you do with it. So I know how much this means to each and every individual that walks through those doors, and they don’t take that lightly, and they don’t take it for granted.
“I think that it’s just a natural thing for people to go, this could be my last shot, and I’m going to give it my bloody all,” he said.
Bring it on!
MasterChef Australia premieres Monday, April 28 at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Katie now seems to be one of the few 2025 MAFS cast who managed to get their social media back, and she’s now created an online course to help women recognise toxic traits in potential partners. On her website, Katie says it’s her “mission to inspire and educate people about the psychological tactics that can cause harm in our lives”.
The course is currently being offered for free, with Katie seemingly looking to branch out into a merch line, advertising an $89.95 ‘Peace, Love & Boundaries’ hoodie online for pre-order, calling the invention a “self-love uniform”.
Why are Redditors unhappy with MAFS’ Katie Johnston?
On Reddit, however, MAFS fans have called out the one-time bride for trying too hard to be a ‘Lucinda Light‘-style personality and accused her of ‘setting fans’ on people who have questioned her and her old business in the comments.
“She clearly believes she’s this season’s Lucinda, all the while having failed businesses, owing a load of people money and failing to abide by her obligations to pay supers,” one person said, referencing Katie’s previous business controversy (more on that below).
“She basically set her ‘new TikTok friends’ on someone who has dared to question her in the comments. I liked her at the start of the series, but she’s showing her true colours now,” they continued.
“You can’t message her about supers or paying her staff: you get blocked,” another person said, with someone else saying, “Oh, I got a lot of hate when I commented on her TikTok asking if she was going to be paying her staff now.’
MAFS’ Katie speaks out: “I don’t have space for those kinds of people in my life”
It should also be noted that Katie has uploaded a few videos about being attacked by online trolls who have targeted her looks and weight.
In a statement to Chattr, Katie said: “The tiny minority are people who just spew venom and can’t be bothered to read the facts. I don’t have space for those kinds of people in my life.
“I also don’t have tolerance for body shaming, and I don’t want young women like my niece seeing it’s OK to do that. I want my platforms to be a space for positivity and power.”
Katie has also hit back on TikTok, uploading videos with captions like, “When people whinge about being blocked after their toxic projections and comments” and giving a tongue-in-cheek public apology about some of the drama on her page.
Katie describes herself as the CEO of a social enterprise group of restaurants that provides emergency food aid, education, housing, and employment opportunities to youth in Peru. However, after Katie’s journey on MAFS, it was reported that the company that owned the restaurants – Wild The Lifestyle Co PTY – went into liquidation in 2023, owing more than $400,000, which included $150,000 of unpaid superannuation.
Katie told The Sunshine Coast Daily that a payment plan was in place to repay the debt, citing Covid as a big factor. “Covid ruined a lot of businesses and continues to ruin people’s lives as we struggle with the cost of living and mass business closures,” she said.
With Married At First Sight (MAFS) done and dusted for another year, fans have already started speculating how the creators and producers of the show could make the next season even better.
In fact, the current season was plagued with so many scandals that NSW police and Safework NSW opened an official investigation into the show.
Naturally, the drama on and off screen was quite overwhelming for fans, and now people have taken to Reddit to discuss what MAFS could do differently in 2026.
This year’s MAFS hit unprecedented levels of drama. Image: Nine
MAFS fans debate how to make the show better going forward
On Reddit, one fan said there was “so much to improve” when it came to future seasons of the show.
“It may be fun to have a little discussion on how to improve the show? I understand they will keep it the same because it’s so popular,” they said. “My takes are: the experts should see more of the hotel [living situation] stuff. Morena, Veronica and Adrian behaved awfully and it didn’t really come out to the experts. [And they should] compress all the weddings to two episodes. Boring!”
MAFS fans think the experts should be more across the storylines playing out. Image: Nine
Another person agreed when it came to the footage the experts were seeing. “Totally agree that the experts should see all the footage we do! So much bullshit behaviour goes unchallenged because it doesn’t come out at the dinner parties or commitment ceremonies,” they said.
Other fans weighed in with their opinions, with a lot of people agreeing that the wedding episodes went on for a bit too long.
“I would like to see fewer cast members who are influencers, actors, or other media personalities,” someone else said, before throwing out a very rogue idea. “When one says ‘Stay’ and the other says ‘Leave’, the group get to vote. We’d then also see cast members forming alliances and strategising = extra drama!”
Another fan said the show needs to stop pairing up people with very different lifestyles, particularly regarding families and kids.
“Stop pairing people together where one has kids and the other said no to being paired up with kids,” they said. “I know they do this to create drama, but this one crosses the line.”
MAFS fan throws out wild backup matches storyline
One person theorised that instead of introducing intruders, the show could shake things up more by bringing in the backup matches earlier.
One MAFS fan thinks it’s time to cut the intruders, and bring in the backup matches earlier. Image: Nine
“Dump the ‘intruders’ round and instead allow the OGs to meet their ‘backup partners’ early in the season, and decide whether to stay or swap. If an OG wants to stay but their OG partner wants to swap, the one who wanted to stay gets booted. If they both want to swap, they both get to stay with new partners.”
It wasn’t love, and it didn’t even end up as a triangle either for former MAFS star Mike Gunnerafter he bid farewell to his first Love Trianglematch, Melinda, in Sunday’s episode.
If you need a refresher, Mike and Melinda didn’t get off to the easiest start from the moment they met. On their first date, Mike asked Melinda numerous times if she recognised him from anywhere, trying to suss out if his new match recognised him from his controversial MAFS days.
Things then got worse after they moved in together, with Melinda googling Mike and finding out about his MAFS antics. The couple then had an off-camera fight after Mike came home to find a production team member sitting on Melinda’s bed, with her bedroom door closed, which led to him saying things like production members should be “seen and not heard”.
Melinda previously addressed that moment with Chattr, explaining, “I was chatting with a member of production behind a closed door, and Mike came in and didn’t like what he saw. And, you know, things escalated, and he asked the staff member to leave.”
There’s no love lost between Love Triangle’s Mike and Melinda. Image: Stan
The two couldn’t see eye-to-eye on the situation with Melinda slamming Mike as a “washed-up reality star”.
Melinda took accountability for her actions and words at the Dinner Party, but it wasn’t meant to be for the pair, with Mike unable to see things from her perspective or offer an apology for his behaviour. Eventually, Mike asked Melinda to pack her backs and go, and look we don’t think she needed telling twice.
Love Triangle’s Melinda on whether she’s spoken to Mike Gunner since their bitter falling out
Melinda told Chattr she hasn’t spoken to Mike since she left the show. “I’ll probably reach out once this is all over and offer another apology for my behaviour because I’m not overly proud of the things that I’ve said,” she added. “But whether that’s accepted or not is another thing.”
She also said it was probably for the best that she didn’t meet Mike’s other side of the triangle, Melissa.
When Chattr askedwhat she would’ve said to Melissa if they had all been under the same roof, Melinda was diplomatic.
“Look, that was part of the reason why I left as well, because I didn’t want my opinions skewing her views on Mike, or anything like that,” Melinda said. “That wouldn’t have been fair. And I think anyone who had walked into that house with Mike and me would have felt the tension. So yeah, I think it was best that I just left and let her come up with her own opinions on him.”
New episodes of Love Triangle drop every Sunday on Stan.
It’s already been revealed that Married At First Sight (MAFS) 2025’s Dave Hand is set for an appearance on The Block this year, but there’s another contestant who also wants a spot on the renovation TV show.
Adrian Araouzou tells Chattr he’d like to make a return to reality TV, though he wants to steer clear of most romance shows. TBH, after how Awhina Rutene and Adrian ended up, that’s probably a good idea.
“Knowing what I know now, I really enjoyed my experience on the show and loved every minute of it,” Adrian says. “Meeting the producers, like the whole set, Channel Nine, like no matter [how] the edit turned out, I was super grateful and had a super great time.”
He said he would “100 per cent” go back on reality TV, and it would be fun to do something with his twin brother James Araouzou or his social media buddy Eliot Donovan.
“I would love to do something like The Block with my twin brother or Eliot, if that was [the] direction they wanted us to do, like The Block would be cool,” he says.
“My twin brother, especially because he’s exactly like me, he would make great TV. And you know, design being one of my main points, considering that’s what I do for a living, designing products would be cool, to be able to design our house.”
Imagine these two thrown into the Big Brother house! Image: Nine
What other TV shows would MAFS’ Adrian consider being on?
“I would love to do The Amazing Race, whether it be with my twin brother or Eliot… from what people have seen from the show, I think people would love to see [my] brother, me [or] Eliot do something together, because we are very similar,” he explains.
“I think people can see [I’ll] be honest and [tell the] truth, that’d be interesting to watch.”
With Gogglebox Australia, he says Australia can count on him to be honest, as he isn’t bothered by how he comes across on TV.
Would you watch Adrian and Eliot on The Amazing Race? Image: Instagram
He’s not super keen on any dating shows, but Love Island UK is a possible exception.
“Unless I got offered Love Island UK — I would consider that — and even then, I probably wouldn’t… but that’s a pretty big show… but I don’t think I’d ever do another dating show,” he admits.
“But if the offer came, you know, I’d think about it. I would never say never, right?”
Seeing as we’ve seen former MAFS contestants pop up on a bunch of different shows, including Made In Chelsea and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, it’s possible Adrian will follow in their footsteps. We’ll just have to wait and see!
He tells Chattr he wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of the grooms join OnlyFans, but it’s not for him.
“In my mind, when you’ve got nothing else to offer but all you have is your looks and you don’t believe in yourself and your brains, and you got to do something like [OnlyFans]… depending what you want to do, people do anything for a dollar,” he says.
“It’s definitely not my style. I’ve got my business and I plan on growing that and expanding it.”
However, he adds that he doesn’t see OnlyFans as a bad thing — it’s just not for him.
“If [anyone wants] to do OnlyFans, and that’s something they want to do, then again, hats off. Like they live their life and they’re allowed to do whatever. But for me, it’s like — everyone has their personal brand and if that’s what you want your personal brand to be, then you’re allowed to do that. But for me, that’s just not my personal brand,” he explains.
He says he can see “two people maybe” joining the platform, but he’s not sure if anyone will “actually go through with it”.
Adrian wants to concentrate on his business rather than OnlyFans. Image: Nine
“A lot of other people say that as well. Billy is jumping on everything you can to make a dollar, and hats off, you know, you’re there, you deserve to make some money as well,” he says.
“You went on, put yourself out there to the world. Everyone deserves to make a dollar because the show made millions off us.”
Beth said there wasn’t a “fucking chance” she’d be “getting [her] bits out” on OnlyFans, and added that she didn’t actually think anybody from the MAFS 2025 cast would end up on there.
“I’d be very surprised if any of this cast [signed up for] an OnlyFans account. I doubt it. I can’t think of anybody that would do it, not a chance.”
We won’t be seeing these two on OnlyFans either. Image: Nine
Teejay said he didn’t think anybody would subscribe to his account, so he has no reason to join.
“OnlyFans is nothing I would ever consider. I don’t know if anyone would ever consider subscribing to me if I had one to be honest with you, so I don’t think I’m OnlyFans material,” Teejay said.
“No disrespect to those doing it, but yeah, I don’t know if I’m up to scratch.”
Hmm. We might not get any MAFS 2025 stars joining OnlyFans at all this year!
For newly engaged Married At First Sight (MAFS) 2025 couple Jacqui Burfoot and Clint Rice, this should be one of the happiest times of their life. Instead, they’ve been dodging accusations that their engagement was “faked” — with MAFS co-star Awhina Rutene saying it was a “PR stunt”.
During an AMA, Jacqui addressed Awhina’s comments and called the MAFS bride out.
“I feel like this is really mean,” Jacqui said. “If she wants to make bets on our relationship, she can put her money where her mouth is, otherwise, she should just keep her mouth shut, really.
“If you’ve got nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.”
Jacqui also spilled some other details about her relationship with Clint, and said she was a “very insecure person” when she first met him, but he “reassures [her] in all ways”.
“You know when you feel like you’re having an ugly day? He always reassured me that I was beautiful, and made me feel good about myself, and gave me that confidence that I really needed,” she said.
What did Awhina say about Clint and Jacqui’s relationship?
Awhina made some bold claims on the Stav, Abby & MattB105 radio show, saying she thought Clint and Jacqui’s engagement was a “PR stunt or a joke”.
“I will be 100 per cent honest with you guys, it’s not real on Jacqui’s end. We’ve seen Jacqui’s behaviour during the experiment, especially post-show, for someone who’s deeply, madly in love, she’s got time to post 22 TikToks. She’s using her online platform to sell a narrative, but she contradicts herself consistently,” Awhina claimed.
“I feel bad for Clint because I think Clint is so desperate for love or just wanting a connection, he’ll settle for anyone. And Jacqui [has] definitely taken advantage of that situation and in the process, he’s become the biggest enabler.”
Awhina doesn’t buy it. Image: Nine
Carina weighs in on Jacqui and Clint’s relationship
“I think they have amazing chemistry, absolutely, it’s very evident,” Carina told us. “She wanted the love story. I think everyone does… we all want love at the end of the day. We want to figure out who’s best suitable for us and how we can build a family in a life time with someone.”
When you know, you know. Image: Nine.
“Clint, obviously, it’s very evident that he brings the best out in her and then she made the move to Tasmania. To me, it’s pretty serious, and you can’t put a time frame on love.”
Time will tell if Jacqui and Clint are the real deal!
TheAustralian Survivorwinners group consists of a handful of castaways who have managed to outwit, outlast, and outplay their fellow campmates.
Australian Survivor first aired for a single season in 2002 on Channel 9, and it was followed by a celebrity edition in 2006. However, neither season attracted many viewers, so the franchise was put on hold until it was revived by Channel 10 in 2016 — the network where the series still airs.
So, on that note, we decided to have a look at where the past winners of Australian Survivor are now.
Australian Survivor 2016
Kristie Bennett
Kristie Bennett. Image: Ten.
Kirstie Bennett took out the first season of the revived Australian Survivor format in 2016.
Almost a decade on from her win, Kristie’s still reaping the benefits of being crowned Sole Survivor. She sells Reality TV Casting and Audition Mentoring packages, and fans can buy a short video from her on Cameo.
Australian Survivor 2017
Jericho Malabonga
Jericho Malabonga. Image: Ten.
Jericho Malabonga wasLuke Toki‘s right-hand man on Australian Survivor 2017. However, according to his Instagram, he now lives a somewhat normal life as an F45 Ambassador.
Champions v Contenders 2018
Shane Gould
Shane Gould. Image: Ten.
Shane Gould owns the title of being the oldest winner ever—she was 61 when she won Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders.
Shane, who is an Olympic Gold Medalist, is currently writing a book for athletes preparing to retire from sport and in the process of transitioning to a new life. She posted about the project on her Facebook page, and asked for advice between two possible titles.
Champions v Contenders II 2019
Pia Miranda
Pia Miranda. Image: Ten.
Pia Miranda was initially known as the star of the 2000 film Looking For Alibrandi, but she added a new accomplishment to her resume when she took down some of the best Australian athletes players during the Champion v Contenders II season.
Since then, Pia has released a memoir titled Finding My Bella Vita, which detailed how her role in Looking for Alibrandi changed her life.
All Stars 2020
David Genat
David Genat. Image: Ten.
David Genat wasn’t afraid to ruffle some feathers during his appearance on Champions V Contenders. However, it was his stint on All Stars that earned him the title of Sole Survivor.
After winning Australian Survivor 2020, David competed on Australian Celebrity Apprentice in 2021. In 2022, he launched a podcast alongside his Survivor costar Luke, titled Who Authorised This?
David returned to his reality TV roots in 2022, hosting Rush Australia.
In 2025, David joined Deal or No Deal IslandSeason 2, and walked away the winner, scoring a record-breaking $5.8 million deal in the finale (approximately $9.2 million AUD) — the biggest prize in network TV history.
But, despite his huge prize win, David hasn’t retired from reality TV just yet. He’s scheduled to appear on Survivor: Australia v The World alongside his Deal or No Deal Island co-star Parvati Shallow. The new Survivor season is rumoured to be premiering on June 22, 2025.
Brains v Brawn 2021
Hayley Leake
Hayley Leake. Image: Ten.
Hayley Leake triumphed against George Mladenovin the Australia Survivor 2021 season. She returned for Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, where she made it to the Jury.
Since her time on Australian Survivor, Hayley has given birth to a baby girl named Chloe.
Blood v Water 2022
Mark Wales
Mark Wales. Image: Ten.
Mark Wales originally competed on Australian Survivor 2017, and returned for Blood v Water.
Mark met his now-wife Samantha Gash on his first season, and he returned to Australian Survivor in 2022 and competed alongside her. The couple now share a son named Harry.
Before competing on Survivor, Mark was an officer in the Australian Army. In 2021, he released an autobiography titled Survivor: Life in the SAS, detailing his time in Afghanistan.
While the other two members were eliminated in the final stages of the game, Liz went on to be crowned the winner.
Since competing on the show, Liz has given birth to her baby, Texas. She also maintains a strong friendship with Shonee, with the Survivor alums documenting their babies’ first meeting on Instagram.
Titans v Rebels 2024
Feras Basal
Feras Basal. Image: Ten.
Feras Basal engaged in a rivals-become-allies alliance with Kirby Bentley during Australian Survivor 2024. However, he eventually turned against her, which led to his elimination and paved the way for his win.
Since winning the show, Feras has spent his time travelling around Europe and focusing on his TikTok account @laughwithferas, as well as his new podcast Yaz and Feras. He also works as a teacher.
In a post-win interview with Chattr, Myles said being the Sole Survivor felt like a dream.
“It still feels surreal the next day, like today, honestly, like I still can’t believe it,” he said.
“For me, to get that far — when I was almost voted out on day four, and then almost voted out 1000 other times after that — was just incredible,” he laughed. “It was incredible to win, and not only win but win in the way that I did — playing the game that I did — is just unbelievable.”
Up next is Survivor: Australia v The World, and All Stars winner David is among the cast.
Stream Australian Survivor 2025 Sundays – Mondays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
The couple made their first MAFS appearance together at the MAFS reunion. In a twist, the couple were at a MAFS reunion watch party on April 6 when Clint popped the question.
During one of Jacqui and Clint’s many AMAs, a fan asked the engaged couple if they had any baby names picked out. It turns out they each have a unique name they want to use for their future kids.
“I really want to have a baby called Livily if she’s a girl,” Jacqui told fans.
“And I’ve got Rio. Rio Rice,” Clint added.
“So it will be Livily Rice and Rio Rice,” Jacqui said.
Jacqui and Clint answered this question on social media. Image: Instagram
The pair then made rice jokes, saying they could also call their kids Jasmine, Sushi and Brown. It’s giving North West!
Some of Jacqui and Clint’s followers were obsessed with the rice-themed names, with one suggesting: “You need a tribe of kids, there are so many names just waiting to be chosen. Fried, Brown, White, Arborio, Creamed, Saffron, Coconut, Boiled, Steamed.”
Clint and Jacqui are engaged
Publicity stunt or hopeless romantics? Clint popped the question at a MAFS reunion party, asking Jacqui to marry him after a little speech.
“You’re amazing and I know we’ve talked about a lot, a lot about our future and our future plans,” Clint said.
“We signed up for Married at First Sight to get married, to find a life partner. So I’ve got one question for you.”
Jacqui nodded yes and let out a bunch of screams.
Looks like these two are the real deal. If it works, it works!
Image: InstagramImage: Instagram
Jacqui and Clint’s debut during the MAFS reunion
The couple finally made their long-awaited debut during the MAFS reunion, where Jacqui gleefully declared that Ryan was “jealous”. The pair apparently got together two weeks after Final Vows, after Clint paid for a plane ticket for Jacqui to visit him in Tassie.
The most outrageous part? They were already making plans to move in together after just weeks of dating!
“Clint lives in a really nice place and there is space for Jacqui. He’s cleared out half of the walk-in wardrobe for me,” Jacqui said.
“I’ve got my own shower, like we’ve got his and her showers, his and her vanity, I’ve got a house key, a tennis court and [a] bike. We’re starting a business together, which is actually the best part.”
She gushed about her relationship with Clint and told the hosts that their meet-cute story “does come out at the Reunion.”
“If you speak to Clint, he will explain that out of the group, I was the most normal girl who had a life and was down to earth, [that] doesn’t take herself too seriously and loves having a laugh,” she continued.
Jacqui then clarified that they only started hanging out romantically after Final Vows were filmed.
“He reached out to me and wanted to get to know me and after Final Vows, he did invite me down to Tassie to spend some time with him.”
Jacqui added that she was initially nervous about their 14-year age gap but said after meeting him, “it doesn’t really affect us at all.”
MAFS stars found out about Jacqui and Clint’s relationship at the Reunion
As per The Daily Mail, the romance left Ryan “blindsided” at the reunion, with the groom having “no idea’ that Jacqui and Clint had started dating.
“Ryan had no idea. He heard rumours, but seeing it unfold like this left him feeling betrayed,” an insider told Daily Mail. “He considered Clint a mate—now he feels like they both lied to his face.”
Ryan was left “blindsided” by Jacqui’s new romance. Image: Nine
However Clint hit back at those rumours in an interview with Chattr, saying he never had a friendship with Ryan and said that he broke the news to him personally.
“We didn’t want to be smug about it or throw it in anyone’s face. We wanted to handle things respectfully,” Clint said. “Ryan tried to spin it as though we were mates – but we weren’t. We didn’t know each other before the show, and we won’t know each other after.”
Are Jacqui Burfoot and Clint Rice still together?
The news of the romance was first teased when Jacqui uploaded a cryptic Instagram update in early December 2024, alluding to a “new chapter”. Days later, she was spotted in Tasmania looking cosy with Clint at a wildlife park.
The Daily Mail reported that Jacqui has quit her job, packed up her Sydney life, and moved to Clint’s luxury estate in Tasmania, with another insider saying the two have a “natural chemistry”.
Jacqui has also been liking photos and videos of Clint’s dogs on his dogs’ Instagram page and in a video on the page, her gold bracelet is seen in the shot with the pups.
Jacqui with Clint’s dogs. Photo: Instagram.com
Towards the end of the season, Jacqui consistently included Clint in her Instagram stories and spoke favourablely of him and their relationship. So, it appears that Jacqui and Clint are absolutely still together.
Jacqui confirms there’s no bad blood with Lauren Hall: “I love her”
Clint was originally married to Lauren Hall in the experiment, and the pair decided to leave the show as friends. However, many of the cast (and the experts) speculated Clint had feelings for Lauren but didn’t act on them, something he has since denied.
“We were done. We wanted out. But then we got a call from Nine, warning us that if we left early, they would make us the most hated couple on Australian TV,” Clint said. “Looking back, we should have just walked. They stitched us up anyway.”
Meanwhile, Jacqui has been going continuously rogue on her business Instagram page answering fan questions about the show and spilling all sorts of the tea.
In one Instagram AMA, Jacqui confirmed there’s no bad blood between her and Lauren, but didn’t mention her relationship with Clint. She said she still speaks to Lauren, saying the two have “lots in common” and that she had just gotten off the phone with her.
Married At First Sight 2025 airs Sundays at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
On Survivor, contestants who are voted out towards the end of the season are sent to the Jury Villa. The Jury members return for each Tribal Council, and at the finale they place votes for who they belive should win.
In previous seasons of Australian Survivor, there were nine Jury members, which meant there was no chance of a tie between the final two. Australian Survivor Brain v Brawn II was on track to have nine Jury members until Morgan Mitchelldecided to skip the jury portion and head home.
“You may have noticed that Morgan is not on the Jury. She’s decided to leave the game and go home, but the game continues,” host Jonathan LaPaglia told the tribe members after she left.
Without Morgan, there were eight Jury members casting votes, which meant a possibility of a tie vote between Myles and Kaelan. So, what would have happened if that were the case?
The Australian Survivor 2025 jury. Image: Ten.
There was a backup plan if the Australian Survivor 2025 finale ended in a tie
Speaking to Chattr the day after his triumphant win, Myles revealed that the cast was actually told about a plan that was in place if the end result was a tie, but his memory was a little hazy about the exact details.
“I remember we were told,” he said. “I can’t quite remember. I think it was some sort of Rock draw — like a Rocks draw.“
“I might be wrong, that’s what I remember, but I was also in a crazy, 47-day fatigue state at that stage,” he added.
Rocks is a concept that happens at Tribal Council when the contestants can’t decide who they want to vote out, so the players without votes take part in a game of chance, and one of those people is eliminated. Myles explained that Rocks would be slightly altered to fit a finale, in the case of a tie.
“[The jury would] go to a revote, and then if no one flips their vote over, then the Jurors draw a rock. Whoever draws the rocks on the Jury, their vote gets removed from the next revote, with the idea being that it is similar to a real Rocks draw; it incentivizes people to flip over because no one wants to risk losing their jury vote.
“Is it the cleanest thing that could happen? No, but thankfully, we didn’t have to worry about that.”
Love Triangle is starting to get spicy, with episode three seeing all the singles and their first suitors mingle at a cocktail party, where one suitor was caught saying some pretty controversial things off camera.
Payton Ellicott‘s chosen suitor, Jordan, decided to tell everyone but Payton that the two were in the “friend zone” while seeming flirtatious with Marissa.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Jordan was then sprung in an off-camera moment saying some very distasteful things about Payton, seemingly unaware that he was still mic’d up.
Admitting he’s not attracted to his match, Jordan then says, he wants someone “small, tanned, and ethnic”.
“Fuck you man, you know I’m not attracted to that,” Jordan said to someone, about Payton. “I asked for small, tanned, ethnic… She is the complete opposite in every single thing.
“Literally any other girl here I would be into,” he continued. “If I fucked her or whatever then I’m like even more of a fuckwit. Like, there’s just no way I’m not looking like an arsehole after this, dude.”
Jordan apparently forgot he was mic’d up. Image: Stan
Is it possible to forget you’re mic’d up on camera? Love Triangle stars weigh in
With Jordan seemingly forgetting in that moment that he was on a TV show, we decided to ask other people who have been part of the show how easy it is to forget you’re mic’d up.
Love Triangle Season 2 star Alan Wallacesaid it was “virtually impossible” not to know your mic was still on. “You usually ask your sound guy to mute your mic,” he said. “If you’re still wearing a mic, just don’t say anything dumb, surely it’s common sense.”
Alan from Season 2 of Love Triangle. Image: Stan
Melinda, from Season 3, told Chattr it was possible to forget but she personally couldn’t, revealing that they were mic’d up even to go to the toilet.
“I think at times you probably do forget that. For me personally, I couldn’t even pee in peace,” she laughed. “But other people might become comfortable and forget.”
New episodes of Love Triangle drop every Sunday on Stan.
Kaelan Lockhart officially took the top spot in the Survivor Hall of Fame after bagging seven Immunity Challenge wins, surpassing the previous record of five.
Kaelan not only has the most wins in the Australian Survivorfranchise, but he also holds the world record for the most triumphs in a single season worldwide.
However, despite his remarkable results, Kaelan told Chattr that he was actually throwing challenges at the start of the season so that he could fly under the radar and avoid getting a target put on his back.
“The one that Logan [Johannisen] won with the balls — the balance part is pretty much stand-up paddleboarding. I probably could have just told the balls what to do there,” the pro-stand-up paddleboarder explained.
Logan, Paaulie, Jesse and Kaelan in the Immunity Challenge. Image: Ten.
“I just wanted to not do so well in any challenges that resembled the final challenge,” he explained.
“So if I could make Logan see me as I can’t balance, I can’t stand on poles. I would try to try to get off those pretty soon. Anything with balance, I was trying to try to throw off.”
Of course, Kaelan was gracious about his fellow castmates’ victories, acknowledging that even though he held back in some challenges, it didn’t guarantee he would win more.
“They would probably beat me anyway, but there’s some I definitely could have gone a bit harder in.”
Kaelan played down his puzzle skills in Immunity Challenges
Kaelan was dubbed a Challenge Beast on Australian Survivor 2025, and he aptly adjuted his nickname to Challenge Enthusiast to lower his threat level. Every Survivor challenge involves mental or physical skills, and some require applying both.
While Kaelan’s physical strength was plain to see, the PhD student told Chattr that he also tried to play down his intellect.
In episode 18, contestants participated in a three-stage Immunity Challenge that involved balancing on a barrel, crossing a beam, and solving a puzzle. Kaelan had a clear lead by the puzzle leg but appeared to be taking his time on the challenge.
As host Jonathan LaPaglia was narrating to the group what each contestant was doing, Kaelan told the host: “Hey, don’t tell them where I’m at; don’t tell them I’m doing well. I don’t want them to know I’m good at puzzles,” suggesting that he was purposely trying to slow down the challenge.
Kaelan asking Jonathan to keep his secret. Image: Ten.
“Even when I was winning challenges, I was trying to show weaknesses in different aspects,” he explained of the moment.
“So on that challenge itself, when there was the balance beam, I jumped off it like three times or something. And then when I got ahead, I thought, nobody can see me behind this wall. I’ll get the puzzle done and disassemble it, and then I’ll finish it when people come over.
“Even Myles[Kuah] said to me that he thought I absolutely sucked at puzzles, and he couldn’t wait to go up against me in the puzzle. So it worked. Every challenge, I was trying to make it appear that I wasn’t so good at some part of it.”
Kaelan added that he wishes he had mentioned his actions at that particular challenge at the final Tribal Council.
“I didn’t think of it!” He said. “Maybe I could have gotten JLP on it and brought him into the final pitch. It would have been fun.”
Jonathan LaPaglia gives Kaelan another Immunity necklace. Image: Ten.
The strategy behind Kaelan’s attempt to lower his threat level
Any Survivor fan will know that it’s seriously impressive for a Challenge Beast of Kaelan’s calibre to make it to the final Tribal Council and not be picked off by the other contestants as a threat.
Kaelan said that his constant awareness of his threat level and his ability to manage it were strategies in themselves.
“Everything I was doing, it was quite measured,” he explained. “Even fishing — early on, people told me that in previous seasons, no one had gone out fishing or snorkelling because they were scared they’d be talked about.
“And I thought, that’s perfect. If I go out there, how innocent do I look? In every conversation I’d have people trying to explain the game of Survivor to me, and I’d be trying to act like I needed help to understand that.
“So, there were just little things, even though they were not strategic, as in making big moves. I was always trying to influence people in different ways.”
Kaelan is currently skiing the entire length of Norway to raise money for the charity Cottage by the Sea, which helps underprivileged kids. You can donate to his cause here.
Mike and Melinda didn’t get off to the easiest start after an awkward beach date that saw Mike ask Melinda numerous times if she recognised him from anywhere, trying to suss out if his new match recognised him from his controversial MAFS days.
Melinda told Chattr that the whole beach date had her out of her comfort zone for many reasons. “The beach date just had just an awkward vibe about it. I can’t put my finger on what it was,” she said.
“I mean, he did ask so many times if I recognised him, that was throwing me off, and I think, you know, it wasn’t Mike’s first rodeo,” Melinda explained.
TFW he asks you about seven times if you recognise him. Image: Stan
“He’s used to being on TV and everything like that. But for me, I was the fish out of water, like, ‘What’s a voxie? What do you mean? I was mic’d up [even] to go the toilet, all of those kind of things. So I felt very out of my comfort zone.
“But for him, you know, it was just a walk in the park, so that was kind of throwing me off a little bit as well. Then, I guess the icing on the cake was the off-camera incident that happened and that, although we tried to sort of make amends, it was just it was we were never going to come back from that.”
Love Triangle’s Melinda addresses off-camera fight with Mike: ‘It just blew up’
One of the more dramatic moments of Love Triangle so far sadly wasn’t filmed for us to see, with things turning sour not long after Melinda and Mike moved in together.
The couple had a fight off-camera after Mike went for a walk and came home to find a member of the production team sitting on Melinda’s bed.
Melinda addressed that moment with Chattr, explaining, “I was chatting with a member of production behind a closed door, and Mike came in and didn’t like what he saw. And, you know, things escalated, and he asked the staff member to leave.”
There wasn’t much love lost between Melinda and Mike on Love Triangle. Image: Stan
Melinda left and opted to stay in a hotel for the night, before coming back the next day to chat things out with Mike, telling the cameras that she’d rather “shit in my hands and clap than get to know him better”. They were unable to resolve things, with Mike telling Melinda mid-argument, “The people that are going to be watching this, they don’t all like me, but you know what? They trust me because I never tell bullshit,” to which Melinda retorted, “So, I really hate to say this but you’re nowhere near as relevant as you think you are. You are a 50-year-old washed-up reality TV star.”
Maybe most surprisingly after that mic drop, Melinda has been able to take a step back and see things from Mike’s perspective.
“I can see his side of it now that I’ve sort of stepped back from it, and my emotion’s gone, and I understand what he was trying to say,” she told us. “It was just, I think the execution in which we were both trying to explain the situation. It just blew up.”
Will Melinda and Mike be able to come back from this? We’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out!
New episodes of Love Triangle drop every Sunday on Stan.
If you’ve been missing Dave Hand on our TV screens since Married At First Sight (MAFS) wrapped up, rumour has it we won’t have long to wait, with the MAFS groom sharing a photo with some recognisable faces from The Block on his business Instagram account page.
Dave shared a happy snap with The Block’s Foreman Dan [Reilly] and tiler Adrian Cursio, captioning the pic “The Block heads” with many fans wondering if this means we’ll see Dave on our screens for the upcoming season.
But Dave won’t be appearing as a contestant, telling Chattr, “I’m just doing some caulking on The Block to help some friends out”.
Dave is a tradie and owns his own caulking company, with MAFS fans discovering his business TikTok and Instagram page during the season and, well, suddenly a lot of women were interested in caulking. So we can see The Block being a great fit for him!
Dave is making caulking hot in 2025. Image: TikTok
Are MAFS’ Rhi and Jeff also set for The Block?
Given they’re the only couple still together from this season, Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels have now been plagued with rumours that they’re engaged, expecting, or more realistically perhaps, going to participate in The Block, something the pair hasn’t ruled out.
“We saw the same rumour, we’re hoping it’s true!” Jeff said in an interview with Chattr. “We haven’t had any discussions yet, but it’ll be amazing if that happened.”
Could MAFS’ Jeff and Rhi be on The Block next? Image: Nine
“I’m sure I could paint a room,” Rhi joked. “Look, I’m not very handy, Jeff is. I think it would be quite funny me going on The Block, but I’ve learned a lot of resilience being on MAFS, so I’d have enough resilience to make The Block work.”
The Jury Villa is a special holding area for the Australian Survivor contestants who have been eliminated from the game post Episode 15, who will continue to attend and observe Tribal Councils, and ultimately be responsible for deciding the winner of the game.
With every new arrival, the drama gets juicier, the dinners more awkward, and the tea piping hot.
The final member entering the Jury Villa was AJ Antonios, much to the shock of the other Jury members. Taking it on the chin, AJ said he couldn’t be happier forMyles and Kaelan to be in the final two, wondering how long it’d be until he could “gorge” himself again after seeing how much weight he’d lost after 46 days.
There was underlying tension in the Villa as AJ faced his ex-campmates, particularly Zara who he betrayed in the last elimination. He apologised to Zara for voting her out and explained his reasoning.
“When Myles won immunity, I had to decide between Kaelan and Zara, but because Myles wanted to take out Zara, it would’ve been fire between Zara and Kaelan, and I don’t think Zara can win that. And then because I put Kaelan in fire, he’d never take me to the end. So I had no choice but to vote Zara,” he explained.
Spilling the tea further, AJ told the Jury Villa that Kaelan had been “playing dumb” the whole time. “I’ve been his closest ally, and he intentionally played dumb the entire game. The real Kaelan is a lot smarter than you think he is.”
AJ fessed up to throwing challenges, saying he could’ve come second or third in many challenges instead of eighth. “I thought if I was also a physical threat, it’d just be too much,” he said.
AJ also said he didn’t think eventual winner Myles’ resume would have beaten him in the end. I guess we’ll never know!
Zara Callianiotis headed over to the Jury Villa after receiving a unanimous vote against her from Myles, Kaelan, and AJ. On her way to the villa, she said that she thought the remaining players voted her out because they didn’t want to face off against her in the final endurance challenge.
Zara’s first dinner was relatively calm — until she revealed the remaining players believed they could predict each Juror’s vote. Logan was stunned to hear AJ thought he wouldn’t vote for her, revealing that he was her ‘top vote.’
Meanwhile, Karin and Paulie found themselves fighting at the dinner table… again.
As Zara was leaving the dinner, she dropped a bombshell on the other contestants.
“I’m looking forward to the next jury dinner when whoever else — a boy — joins us,” she announced.
Fans have been speculating the finale could see a final three, since Morgan’s absence would leave an even-numbered jury for a final two, potentially causing a tie.
We can’t wait to see how this plays out!
Kate
KateGloufchis was the first juror in a while to receive a warm welcome from the other Jury members.
After Kate explained her strategy at the last Tribal, Logan told Kate about how cold both Kristin’s and Logan’s entry to the Jury was.
“You’re actually quite blessed because the last two, so mine and Kristin’s, I came in, and everyone was very mad at me, and I was very sad, and I nearly cried, and everyone was really mad at Kristin,” she said.
“I got attacked by Kaz and Paulie,” Kristin added.
The next day, Morgan and Kristin headed off for a spa day together. However, Kate noticeably didn’t mention anything about why her Survivor bestie Morgan decided not to join the Jury.
Morgan
Morgan Mitchell getting her torch snuffed on Australian Survivor. Image: Ten.
Morgan Mitchell was the fifth castaway sent to Jury Villa after she was voted out by Myles, AJ, Kaelan and Zara. However, she didn’t join the Jury.
During the Tribal Council, which took place the night after Morgan was voted out, Jonathan LaPaglia told the remaining castaways that she’d decided to leave the show.
“You may have noticed that Morgan is not on the Jury, she’s decided to leave the game and go home, but the game continues,” he said.
Kristin
Kristin Alston joined the jury in Episode 19, walking into the Villa with high hopes: “Bring on the food, bring on the bed, bring on anything,” she said.
But her welcome was a lot less than warm. Paulie confronted her immediately: “Everybody’s got their significant liar in the game, and it turns out you were mine.” Awkward.
Things escalated as Paulie accused her of throwing him under the bus, but Kristin fired back about his gameplay and lies.
“You’re saying what everyone wants to hear [but] I feel the information is different. It was always to save yourself,” she said.
“I thought, what happened was, it would go to the split vote, we’d go back and do it again, and then I thought that you and Zara get up and do a fire together, and then I was like ‘you’re going to kick her arse on the fire,’” she explained to Logan.
Yeah, dinner was… uncomfortable, to say the least.
“Well this was a different entrance than I was expecting,” Kristin summed up.
Logan
Logan Johannisen joined the jury in Episode 18, fresh from a near rock-draw elimination. “Love the drama for me,” she quipped.
She broke the ice at a very tense dinner: “Okay, what’s the vibe here? Are we all angry at me?”
“I think we have questions,” said Karin, before Laura jumped in: “Apparently there’s a big yellow bus and I’m completely under it.”
Logan defended herself, saying:“I needed to play it up and make you look like the bad guy because I was still in the game.”
Paulie didn’t hold back either. “It was pretty nasty,” he added.
Logan called it an early night. Wise choice.
Karin
Karin Gunatilake joined the jury in Episode 17, and was welcomed by Laura and Paulie, who were genuinely thrilled to see her. Karin was just as excited, and maybe even more thrilled to spot a box of Cheezels.
When she was eliminated, though, she got right to venting.
“Once again, surrounded by idiots,” she said. Oof.
After her elimination, Karin opened up about her frustration with failed alliance-building: “I said, we don’t have an alliance, I’m gonna give you one… and then we just pick them off one by one… No one took the bait,” she recounted.
“It wasn’t even bait, it was just like an opportunity. And you floundered it. Idiots.”
At least with the thought of the Jury Villa, her mood lifted: “We can just gossip about everyone else.”
Paulie
Paulie Michael was the second jury member, landing in Episode 16. “I need the tea and then I need the food,” he said as he stepped into the Villa and reunited with Laura.
He quickly opened up about how blindsided he felt:“I wish I could tell you what happened because nobody was telling me anything.”
“I wasn’t privy to any conversations because obviously people don’t trust me.” Ouch.
He threw shade at AJ and Myles for leaving him out of the loop. And given how quickly Paulie’s been confronting people he feels betrayed by, those two should hope they don’t land in the Villa anytime soon.
Laura
Laura Darras was the veryfirst Australian Survivor Jury member, arriving into the villa in Episode 15, where she got some solo time before the chaos began.
“I got got, that’s for sure,” she said after being voted out.
ICYMI, the original plan during Episode 15’s Tribal Council was to vote out Logan to break her tight alliance with Laura and dismantle the infamous “Buddy System.” But Logan trusted her gut and played her Hidden Immunity Idol. Laura was sent packing, in a move she didn’t see coming.
“They absolutely got one over on me. They completely fooled me. And you know what? Power to them.”
Hey, that’s the spirit. Right?
Stream Australian Survivor 2025 Sundays – Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Myles Kuahwas officially crowned the winner at theAustralian Survivor 2025 finale, and he caught up with Chattr to dish on all the things that went down behind the scenes at the last Tribal Council.
Myles was up againstAJ Antonios andKaelan Lockhartin the finale. The first portion of the show saw Kaelan win the final Immunity Challenge, giving him the opportunity to choose one person to take through to the end with him.
In an emotional scene, Kaelan chose to take Myles, which meant sending home his best mate AJ. Kaelan’s choice ultimately sealed Myles’s fate as the winner of Australian Survivor 2025.
“It’s like it’s a dream. It still feels surreal the next day, like today, honestly, like I still can’t believe it,” Myles told Chattr.
“For me, to get that far — when I was almost voted out on day four, and then almost voted out 1000 other times after that — was just incredible,” he laughed. “It was incredible to win, and not only win but win in the way that I did — playing the game that I did — is just unbelievable.”
The gripping finale was action-packed from start to finish, so, understandably, some things happened that viewers didn’t get to see, and Myles has spilled the details about what went down.
Did Myles and AJ get to pitch their case to Kaelan?
The Australian Survivor finale aired for just over 1.5 hours — including ads — and in that time we saw AJ, Myles and Kaelan see their loved ones, take part in a final Immunity Challenge, AJ’s elimination, Myles and Kaelan’s final pitch, jury questions, and Myles be crowned the winner.
With so much to get through, after Kaelan won Immunity and the opportunity to pick who he was taking to Final Two, there was no time for Myles and AJ to pitch their cases to Kaelan. So, Kaelan had to process his decision in front of the Australian Survivor 2025 Jury at the first Tribal Council.
“That was actually a big part of why Kaelan took us away in that final Tribal, because he obviously was getting very emotional about it all, and he wanted some downtime just to talk to us man to man, and he never got that opportunity,” Myles explained.
Myles, Kaelan and AJ at the final Tribal. Image: Ten.
Kaelan took AJ and Myles aside and spoke with them both away from the Jury and host Jonathan LaPaglia.
“That’s why tribal was emotional as it was, because Kaelan’s been holding in all these feelings waiting for final Tribal, and then they’re all coming out when we finally do get a chance to talk about it and express them.”
While Myles said he could see the emotional turmoil Kaelan went through to make the decision, he still went into the final with his eyes on the prize.
“Obviously, it’s rough because Kaelan is a lovely person, but it’s also, like, the game’s the game. At that point, I was so locked in, I was ready to demolish anyone who stood in my way at that final Tribal Council, even if it was the lovely puppy dog, Kaelan!”
Myles pitching his case at the final Tribal. Image: Ten.
Myles reveals the brutal Tribal question that wasn’t aired
Most Survivor fans know that in real life, the final Tribal is a long event — and a large portion of time is spent on the Jury questions.
Myles told Chattr that there was one specific Jury question that Myles thought clinched his win, but it wasn’t shown.
“The point at which I thought I had won Tribal was one that wasn’t shown. Laura [Darras] asked the question, ‘You both had a lot of protection throughout the season, Myles with your idols, and Kaelan with your necklaces; what’s a move that you made without that protection?'” he explained.
“I talked about the Rocks move, which was a really easy pitch for me — that I was vulnerable, and I was ready to go to Rocks, and then we won that vote.
“Kaelan talked about voting out Kristin[Alston]. But Kaelan didn’t realize that AJ, Zara [Callianiotis] and I already had a plan to vote out Kristen, and we were waiting for Kaelan to bring it up so we could pounce on it and be like, it’s actually our move.”
The jury. Image: Ten.
“So when he brought up voting out Kristen, I jumped in with Zara and I said, ‘Actually, we had this plan already. Zara will confirm that we, all the three of us, had already talked about it beforehand, so I don’t think that really counts.'”
“Obviously, that was a pretty brutal one, to be honest, because there’s no response there. There’s nothing that he can really say.”
“I think both our pitches were probably a bit long, and what you got were probably the better parts of our pitches without some of the fluff and boring bits.”
However, all in all, Myles said that he was impressed with Kaelan’s final Tribal Council pitch.
“[It] was what I was hoping. Honestly, I remember talking to him before, saying I just really wanted to see Kaelan bring the fire.
“I was so excited for that final pitch. And when he came out there, he came out swinging, and the first half of his pitch was genuinely fantastic. I was like, ‘Damn, where has this been hiding?'”
Kaelan pitching his case at the final Tribal Council. Image: Ten.
What will Australian Survivor winner Myles spend his prize money on?
While Australian Survivor Myle’s game may have been nothing short of exciting, his plan for spending his $500,000 prize money is comparably less spontaneous.
“I’m a finance bro. I’m just going to be investing it all. I’m going to be setting myself up for the future, and I’m just going to enjoy the financial freedom that this creates.”
Dave Hand was one of the first participants from this season of Married At First Sight (MAFS) to figure out how to get his social media back, and he treated fans last night to a cheeky little Instagram AMA.
While his ex Jamie Marinos recently revealed most participants don’t get their social media back until May, when the show stops airing in the UK, Dave popped up on his socials recently, keeping coy as to how he got back into his Instagram account.
While he hasn’t spilt much tea, he alluded to the fact he may have more to say about his time on MAFS at a later date, saying for now he’s trying to “stay in [his] lane” and live his life.
MAFS’ Dave spills on his currently relationship status after breakup with Jamie Marinos
When one fan asked if Dave was dating again and what he’s looking for, Dave confirmed he’s currently single.
“I think coming out of whatever the hell that was, [it] is going to take me a while to be ready for anything,” he said.
“I just want someone kind and gentle and fun. The strongest bond you can have is mutual respect, and to build each other up. Someone goofy and funny, and just chill, man,” he finished.
After having an up-and-down run on the show, where he started out as one of the most beloved grooms before people turned on him and accused him of betraying Jamie with his partner swap Veronica Cloherty, on top of dealing with the fact his father was going through chemo, Dave assured fans that he’s now doing OK.
“I’m doing fine, there’s a lot of outside noise from everywhere, I’m trying to stay in my lane and live my life, it’s all over and done with in my books,” he said.
“You don’t really know what it is until you get there and thrown in the deep end and you’re talking about your feelings every day. It’s a lot of pressure, but I loved it, I had a lot more good times than bad times, but the bad times were very stressful.”
MAFS’ Dave unfollows various cast mates, including Jamie Marinos
If you were hopeful of a reconciliation between Dave and Jamie, then we’ve got bad news. Since getting his Instagram account back, Dave has quietly unfollowed a few former MAFS co-stars, including Jamie.
Mike, 50, seemed nervous to be back on screens when he was reintroduced as a single bachelor looking for love on Love Triangle, saying he learned a lot from his MAFS journey where he loved, and lost, Heidi Latcham.
As the premise goes on Love Triangle, Mike was texting two women before choosing Melinda, with the two meeting up on a beach date before they moved in together. Mike was worried he may be recognised from his former reality TV days and seemed relieved but surprised when Melinda had no idea who he was.
Mike on MAFS, pictured with Heidi Latcham. Image: Nine
Mike came clean on the date, saying he was a “quieter” personality on MAFS, with Melinda leaving the date decided to Google him and find out more. In case you need a refresher, Mike wasn’t exactly beloved with MAFS fans, due to the sexist nature of some of his comments, including when he weighed in on the fight between Cyrell Paule and MarthaKalifatidis.
“I think groups of women under pressure don’t cope as well as groups of men under pressure. We’re seeing these girls have fallen apart, and the men haven’t,” he said on the show. “Any group of women that are put in this same type of situation just doesn’t speak to their biology … there is actually some merit in that.”
There was also an infamous scene on the beach with Heidi where it appears she was opening up to him, only for Mike to tell her “I’m not your therapist.”
So, yeah, he wasn’t exactly a “quiet” character.
What went wrong on Mike’s Love Triangle journey?
Before moving in, Melinda did her homework and confronted Mike about his MAFS days, asking him how he felt about his therapist line and whether he thought he was a misogynist.
“It’s not my finest moment, but I don’t think it matters, I think people have gotten over it now,” Mike responded.
Things only got worse from there, with the couple having a fight off-camera later that night when Mike went for a walk and came home to find a member of the production team sitting on Melinda’s bed.
The next day, as they both explained the story, Melinda called it a “shitshow” saying she’d rather “shit in my hands and clap than get to know him better”. Meanwhile, Mike questioned why the man had to sit on her bed and found the situation suspicious because Melinda’s door was also closed.
When Melinda returns to the house to clear the air the next day, the two still couldn’t see eye to eye on the situation, with Mike telling Melinda mid-argument, “The people that are going to be watching this, they don’t all like me, but you know what? They trust me because I never tell bullshit,” to which Melinda retorted, “So, I really hate to say this but you’re nowhere near as relevant as you think you are. You are a 50-year-old washed-up reality TV star.”
Well, it’s safe to say there’s no love lost between the two. But will Mike find love with the other side of his triangle, Melissa when she enters the experiment? We’ll find out soon enough.
New episodes of Love Triangle drop every Sunday on Stan.
If one thing is for certain, it’s that Australian Survivor 2025: Brains v BrawnII was unpredictable — one minute, a castaway was flying high with immunity, and the next, they were left blindsided at Tribal Council.
During practically every season of Australian Survivor, viewers experience emotional whiplash as their faves are eliminated from the beaches of Samoa and sent home — or to the jury villa.
Long-time host Jonathan LaPaglia guided the cast through the shocking Tribal Councils (which, for the uninitiated, are where tribe members are voted off). Jonathan has hosted the popular reality TV show since its revival in 2016, totalling nine seasons.
There can only be one Australian Survivor 2025 cast member who will outwit, outplay and outlast all of their fellow castaways, and that person was Myles Kuah, who was crowned the Sole Survivor of the Brain v Brawn II season.
Myles took home bragging rights and a whopping $500,000 cash prize. Read on to find out everyone who left Australian Survivor.
Who has been eliminated from Australian Survivor 2025?
Episode 24 – Kaelan
Kaelan. Image: Ten.
Kaelan Lockhart was the Challenge Beast throughout the season, or as he liked to call it, the Challenge Enthusiast.
While Kaelan’s physical game saw him get to the final two, it was Myles who took him out at the final Tribal Council, and was crowned the winner of Australian Survivor 2025.
“I was too confident that the way that I wanted to play the game is the way that should win the game, whereas I should have been in the in the minds of the of the Jury,” he said.
Episode 24 – AJ
AJ on Australian Survivor. Image: Ten.
Because he had won the Immunity Challenge, it was up to Kaelan to choose who would go to the final two with him.
Kaelan struggled with his choice, calling the experience “one of the worst days” of his life, and ended up taking both Myles and AJ aside for a heart-to-heart.
However, it was AJ Antonios he decided to vote for, meaning that Kaelan and Myles were officially the final two on Australian Survivor 2025.
In a post-elimination interview, AJ said that while he was disappointed to miss out on the finale, he understood why Kaelan chose Myles.
“When he had to make his decision, it hurt me, and after he made it, I didn’t want to berate him or anything,” AJ told Chattr.
“I totally understand. I gave him a hug. I love those guys, I really do. You’re with them for that long, and you play the whole game with them, and they’re just beautiful people.”
Episode 23 – Zara
Episode 23 of Australian Survivor saw Zara Callianiotis narrowly miss out on making the final three.
Things went sideways for the PTA vice-president when Myles ticked winning an Immunity Idol off his Survivor bucket list, which put Kaelan, Zara, and AJ in the firing line.
After a lot of scrambling on the beach, it seemed like a unanimous decision couldn’t be made about who to vote off — Myles wanted to bring Zara to the finale, and AJ refused to vote for Kaelan.
With the threat of Zara and AJ going to fire, Myles flipped his vote at the last minute and voted Zara out, leaving himself, AJ and Kaelan in the final three.
“I didn’t stop trying until right at the end, I was hustling. I was making a fire like I put in the best effort that I possibly could,” Zara told Chattr in a post-elimination interview.
Episode 22 – Kate
Kate getting her torch snuffed. Image: Ten.
Kate Gloufchis had her torch snuffed at Tribal Council tonight. Zara had the difficult option tonight to send home either Kate or AJ.
“I have the option of making a big move right now. I could go with Kaelan and AJ and vote out Kate,” Zara said. “She is my main competition.”
“On the other hand, Myles wants he and I to vote for AJ and we should be able to send AJ home with our two votes.”
Myles told Zara he was feeling “actually down” about voting him out, but told producers that this could be his “$500,000 move”.
“This is the correct play,” Myles told producers. “And AJ will respect that.”
At Tribal, Kaelan said it was strange not to have the immunity necklace, but he was still feeling “calm.”
Myles stunned the jury when he played his fourth immunity idol for himself, even though he said he felt “safe” from this vote.
Myles received one vote which did not count, Kaelan received one vote, AJ received one vote, and Kate received two votes, sending her home.
Zara apologised to Myles for blindsiding him, and he admitted that he voted for AJ.
In a post-elimination interview, Kate told Chattr that she believes AJ ‘s strong alliances were the reason he wasn’t eliminated earlier.
“AJ, I think people did want out, but I don’t think they could get enough people, because AJ had so many connections,” she explained.
“I think there were a lot of people who understood that AJ was such a threat, but he had made so many connections on the beach that you couldn’t round up enough numbers to get them out.
“You have to have, like, at times, five to six numbers, and that there was just not enough people to want to do that. Yeah. So I think he got through just from his social strategy.”
Episode 21 – Morgan
Morgan getting eliminated from Australian Survivor. Image: Ten.
After Kristin’s exit, the dominant Post-Graduates alliance (Myles, AJ, Kaelan, and Zara) were poised to target either Morgan Mitchell or Myles. But with Myles quietly eyeing Kaelan as a growing threat, Kate decided to pitch a bold plan to Kaelan: blindside Myles before he could strike first.
Then came a twist at Tribal. After Kaelan claimed immunity for a record-breaking sixth time, a surprise challenge offered up a second necklace — which Kate won.
With both off the table, the general consensus was that it would be Myles or Morgan sent home. The alliance stuck together, and Morgan was voted out 4–2, becoming the newest member of the jury.
Episode 20 – Kristin
Kristin. Image: Ten
Zara had a lot of power tonight, with the option to stick with the Graduates alliance and vote Kristin Alston out, or flip and start working with Morgan, Kate and Kristin. The biggest hurdle on her mind is that AJ and Myles seem to be calling the shots.
“I don’t want to be dragged along with the guys,” she said. “I need to find a path to get my control back.”
Myles and Morgan butted heads during tribal, with Morgan saying that she refuses to strategise with Myles because he’s so unreasonable. After causing a bit of chaos, the woman started whispering, saying they should vote for Myles with hopes Zara would flip.
Zara stood up to speak to the women in a hushed whisper, leaving her Graduates alliance concerned.
In the end, Zara stuck with her Graduates alliance and the Tribe sent Kristin home 4 votes to 3, making her the newest member of the Jury.
Episode 19 – Logan
Logan Johannisen. Image: 10
It was a dramatic showdown as the tribe split evenly between voting out OG Brains Zara and Logan Johannisen.
Both women aimed squarely at each other. Zara was seeking revenge for Logan taking out her “ride or die” Karin, and Logan was hoping to return the favour. “I hope this sends you home”.
The initial vote tied at 4–4. A re-vote led to another tie, forcing the tribe into a five-minute scramble to avoid a rock draw.
Kristin argued Zara had “too many connections,” while Myles labelled Logan an “endurance threat.” But with Zara, Kaelan, Myles, and AJ holding firm, it was clear the majority wasn’t budging.
After saying, “It’s okay,” Logan accepted her fate as the Tribe voted her out unanimously, becoming the newest member of the Jury.
In a post-elimination interview, Logan explained that she entered Australian Survivor with the strategy of focussing on her social game.
“My strategy going in was to really go in on the social angle, to really try and make proper friendships,” she said.
“I found that there were a few people out there who it was a bit surface level sometimes, so we didn’t connect fully, and I know they wouldn’t have my back.
“So my strategy was really to make deep connections with people, so that if my name was floated, it would be instantly shot down.”
Episode 18 – Karin
Karin Gunatilake. Image: 10
Paulie and Laura looked on from the jury as Karin Gunatilake prepared for a Tribal she knew could be her last. Sensing the target was either her or Zara, she pulled Zara, Kristin, Kaelan, and Logan aside with a bold offer: “Russian roulette” — five votes, and if someone played an Idol, she’d go home.
She revealed the other side had asked her to flip on Zara but refused: “Not going to turn on my ride or die, am I?” Karin called out AJ for scheming, while Kristin admitted she was pushing to save Karin over Zara.
In a wild twist, Karin voted for Zara anyway. “I want to see what happens,” she said.
But it wasn’t enough. The final votes: one for Myles, three for Zara and five for Karin.
“Self-immolation is my game,” she said as her torch was snuffed.
“I am rational and logical up to a point where I think it’s probably a do or die and I’ve got nothing else to lose, or I think it’s the margins of losing high over winning, and I just go, ‘alright, cool, don’t care anymore,'” she explained.
Episode 17 – Paulie
Paulie Balls. Image: 10
Paulie Michaelhad his torch snuffed after a tense Tribal Council. His paranoia got the best of him during the scramble, as he demanded that his name not be pulled out of the urn.
“He’s losing his mind. He’s actually losing his mind,” AJ said.
Seeing as only five contestants were on the chopping block — Kaelan, Kristin, Myles, Paulie or Logan— he was right to be afraid.
Myles played his immunity idol for himself, with the hopes that Kristin would go home. However, while the five votes against Myles didn’t count, Logan ended up voting for Paulie instead of Kristin and sent him home.
“I wanted to play a very authentic and honest game,” Paulie told Chattr in a post-elimination interview.
“I really wanted to build positive relationships with people, secure a really tight Alliance, and work with that. Obviously, you have to be quite flexible in the game, so I had to change my strategy depending on my situation in the game.”
Episode 15 – Laura
Laura Darras. Image: Instagram
Laura Darras was sent home after another dramatic Idol play turned the Tribal Council vote on its head.
The majority initially planned to vote out Logan, hoping to break her close alliance with Laura and dismantle the lingering “Buddy System”, and move toward a more open jury phase.
However, sensing something was off, Logan trusted her gut. “I had an icky feeling today,” she said before playing her Hidden Immunity Idol, explaining that she’d “prefer to be safe than sorry.”
Logan’s move nullified six votes against her, leaving just five valid votes. AJ received two, while Laura ended up with three, making her torch the latest to be snuffed.
“As soon as I left tribal and I went into the Jury Villa, I sat down and thought, ‘Okay, what does being the queen of the Jury mean, and how am I going to influence all of the people that come after me?’” She said.
Episode 14 – PD
Paul Dee. Image: Ten
In a shock idol play that no one saw coming, Myles chose to save Paulie from an almost landslide elimination, leaving Paul Dee (PD)’s head on the chopping block.
Since Merge, traditional alliances have been breaking, and players have split off into pairs for safety. The only outlier, being Paulie. However, it wouldn’t be Survivor without some big moves and that’s where AJ and Myles came in with one of the most exciting idol plays we’ve seen so far.
Knowing that the majority were voting for Paulie to keep pairs strong, Myles and AJ chose to blindside the rest of the players by putting votes on PD and ultimately sending him packing.
Episode 13 – Jesse
Jesse Noonan. Image: Ten
The first Tribal Council post-merge set the stage for shifting allegiances as old tribal lines blurred. As Logan quipped: “It’s not Friend Island.”
OG Brains initially pushed for Paulie, sensing an opportunity to take him out, while AJ tried to work his charm to sway OG Brawns into flipping. But with the game opening up, Jesse Noonan’s web of connections made him a target.
The vote came down to a near tie between Jesse and Paulie, but a final vote pushed Jesse over the line, making him the first casualty of the Merge. Meanwhile, Zara (up until now the only castaway to have played on both tribes) also picked up two votes as new alliances began to take shape.
Episode 12 – Ben
Ben Bylett. Image: Ten
While the Brawn tribe was at Tribal Council, Jonathan revealed that no one would be sent home due to Ben Bylett’s unexpected decision to leave the game.
“I know you were expecting to vote someone out tonight, but there’s been a development that changes things,” Jonathan explained. “This might come as a shock, but Ben from the Brains tribe has chosen to leave the game.”
“As a result, there will be no vote, and no one from this tribe will be eliminated tonight.
During the show, no details were shared about Ben’s sudden departure. However, he’s since taken to Instagram to say that he left Survivor because of a torn calf muscle and other illnesses he’d developed while filming the show.
Episode 11 – No elimination
Zara Callianiotis. Image: Instagram
After Brains lost Immunity, Laura found an advantage revealing that the voted-out player wouldn’t leave the game but would swap tribes, moving to Brawns.
Trusting Zara Callianiotis with the information for the sake of their alliance, Laura was blindsided when Zara strong-armed her into exposing it to the tribe to protect herself.
Both Laura and Zara saw the move as a chance to reconnect with old allies and form new ones. “I want to go because I think it’s the next building block before Merge,” Zara reasoned, even voting for Myles instead of Laura to tip the votes in her favour.
In the end, Myles and Laura received two votes each, but with four votes against her, Laura was sent to Brawns.
Episode 10 – Noonan
Laura Noonan. Image: Instagram
The new Brawns tribe faced another tense Tribal Council, where two hidden Immunity Idols completely upended the vote.
Knowing she was near the bottom, Laura Noonan (Noonan) made a last-ditch effort to rally allies, calling AJ’s unpredictability a liability.
Before the votes were read, Paulie played his Idol, nullifying four votes against him. Sensing he was next, AJ followed suit, negating his votes despite Noonan’s attempt to dissuade him.
With both Idols in play, Noonan became the default target, and the two votes against her sent her packing.
Episode 9 – Max
Max. Image: Ten
In a shocking Tribal Council, MaxWills became the latest castaway to have their torch snuffed.
After Brains 2.0 lost Immunity, they faced Tribal, but plans were upended when Myles played the Idol he won during the challenge, canceling four votes against him. Kate also picked up a vote.
Max had hoped to merge with OG Brawns Jesse and Ben by his side, but they stayed loyal to their original alliance, sealing his fate. Pretty safe to say a few saw it coming.
Meanwhile, over on Brawns, Kristin secured an Idol for herself.
Episode 8 – Ursula
Ursula. Image: Instagram
Ursula Rose became the first casualty of AJ’s “hostage” strategy — a ploy to force the new Brains to throw challenges while keeping the OGs strong for the Merge. Noonan also helped stir the pot against Ursula, but ended up taking two votes herself at the Tribal Council.
With five votes against her, Ursula became the seventh torch snuffed.
Rich Hughes‘ torch was snuffed out, with AJ remarking that “sacrifices are needed to create new alliances.” Rich himself admitted that Logan and Karin had wanted him gone “from day dot.”
In the final vote, Rich was eliminated with five votes against him, while Logan and Noonan both received one.
Episode 6 – Ally Kettle
Ally Kettle on Australian Survivor 2025. Image: Ten
After receiving the parchment from Rich, which granted him the power to exempt two tribe members from Tribal Council, Max chose Karin and Laura to sit out.
Ally Kettle, who had been rubbing some shoulders due to her fast and fast decision-making and difficulty working with others, was voted out, signalling a rift within The Coven.
Meanwhile, Myles received two votes but remained safe.
Episode 5 – No elimination
Rich Hughes. Image: Ten
A twist at Tribal Council meant no one was voted out in Episode 5. Instead, the Brains tribe had to vote one of their own to permanently join the Brawn tribe, bringing along a mysterious scroll.
Both AJ and Rich volunteered, with AJ saying he wanted find his team and call them the “Bomb Squad”. However, the Brains tribe voted instead for Rich to switch sides. Rich was up for it, saying, “Why not? I think it’s fun.”
The scroll, later revealed, grants the power to remove two players from voting at the next Tribal Council (they can’t vote or be voted for) and can either be used by Rich or given away.
Episode 4 – NashGendo
Nash Gendo. Image: Instagram
Nash Gendo became the first Brawns tribe member to have his torch snuffed after his tribemates discovered he had thrown the first Immunity challenge.
Despite his effort to fake having an Idol at Tribal Council, his bluff was called, and the votes sealed his fate. Ursula was next in line with two votes, while Morgan received one.
Even though his bold gameplay and confidence was his downfall, Nash told Chattr he doesn’t regret his approach, and feels his fellow castaways need to spice things up.
Episode 3 – Kent Miller-Randle
Kent on Australian Survivor 2025. Image: Ten
Kent Miller-Randle got the boot after Brawn sent Brain to Tribal Council, racking up six votes — enough to snuff his torch.
The Coven secured their target as Kent, despite AJ’s failed attempt to send Logan home after deeming Kent a non-threat. It was a fitting comeuppance for the business mogul, who targeted Myles in Episode 2 and, in a wild Tribal Council moment, bizarrely admitted to burning Max’s hat and trying to frame Myles for it
Myles, meanwhile, still narrowly dodged elimination with three votes.
Episode 3 – Zen Heaton
The Australian Survivor tackle that sent Zen home. Image: Ten.
The Reward Challenge saw individual competitors from the Brains and Brawn tribes tackle each other in the hope of scoring a flag first. Zen Heaton managed to get the point after taking on Kaelen, but he hurt his finger during the process.
Ahead of the Elimination Challenge, medics came to check out Zen’s injury and found that he’d broken his finger down to the bone. He was removed from the game.
Episode 2 – Indy Saleh
Indy. Image: Ten.
In Episode 2, Indy Saleh became the second contestant sent packing after the Brains Council snuffed her torch.
The girls initially plotted to take out Rich, but when Indy deliberately spilled the plan to him, the move backfired. Branded untrustworthy (and “as good as a boy”), she quickly became the tribe’s top target.
Myles also racked up a few votes, but in the end, Indy’s fate was sealed in a landslide.
Episode 1 – Candy Rule
Candy. Image: Ten.
Candy Rule was the first player to have their torch snuffed on Australian Survivor. She was eliminated in Episode 1 with five votes against her — Ursula narrowly missed out on elimination with four votes.
Meanwhile, Nash sashayed into the first Tribal Council with an Idol around his neck and led the campaign against Candy. However, he ended up playing his Idol even though only three votes were cast against him, meaning that he wouldn’t have left even if he didn’t play his Idol.
Stream Australian Survivor 2025 Sundays – Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Myles and Kaelan on their way to the Australian Survivor 2025 final Tribal Council. Image: Ten.
What happened in the Australian Survivor 2025 finale?
Myles, Kaelan and AJ Antonios were the final three castaways left standing.
Before the final three got down to business in the final challenges, their loved ones came for a visit. Myles welcomed his bestie Ollie, AJ’s best mate Nabil headed in, and Kaelan was joined by his mum Lydia.
The three spectators watched on as their loved ones competed in the final Immunity Challenge, which involved standing on a variety of thin bamboo pegs and supporting their body weight for the longest amount of time.
Myles in the final Immunity Challenge. Image: Ten.
Myles was the first person to drop out of the Immunity Challenge. AJ tried to convince Kaelan to give up with the promise that he’d take him to the final two. However, Kaelan decided to weather it out.
Three hours into the challenge, AJ started to show signs that he was struggling. He ended up slipping and Kaelan won the final Immunity Challenge, guaranteeing him a spot in the final two.
In a normal scenario, players would head to Tribal Council after the immunity challenge and one person would be voted out. However, with just three players left, no one can vote for the person with immunity, and the other two players votes cancel each other out, so the Immunity winner chooses who to take to final two with them.
Who was voted out of Australian Survivor 2025 before the final Tribal?
When pitching his case to stay with Kaelan, Myles said that he’s played a “sloppy game” at times. AJ took a different approach and instead painted a target on Myles, saying that he broke six Survivor records.
With a big decision weighing on him, Kaelan chose to take Myles to the final two, meaning that AJ was sent home.
What happened at the final Tribal Council?
Kaelan and Myles faced the eight jury members and pitched their case as to why they thought they should win.
Kaelan told the jury that his play was to be “underestimated” and be the “golden retriever” of the tribe. The PhD student said that he aligned with Myles and AJ so that they could do the dirty work or strategising for him.
Meanwhile, Myles said that he deserved to be the winner because of the risks he took during the game and highlighted his journey of playing from the bottom.
The final eight Australian Survivor 2025 Jury members. Image: Ten.
Each eliminated contestant then had an opportunity to ask Myles and Kaelan a question about their gameplay.
Once that was done, each juror headed to the voting booth and scribbled the name of the person they wanted to win on parchment.
