Rachel Gilmore and Steven Danyluk are two adorable singles in their mid-thirties who hoped to find their forever partner on Married at First Sight (MAFS) 2026.
With their wholesome demeanours and sweetheart personalities, Rachel and Steven had the potential to be our next MAFS success story, like 2019’s Jules and Cam.
However, with MAFS 2026 now completely wrapped, viewers know that the couple broke up before the Reunion. So, what went down and did they rekindle their relationship? Read on to find out everything we know.
Are MAFS 2026’s Rachel and Steven still together IRL?
Despite their rocky start, Rachel and Steven were one of only two couples who decided to stay together at Final Vows.
In their adorable speeches, both Rachel and Steven said that they “choose” each other.
“You’ve never asked me to tone it down, be less, or shrink myself to fit beside you… You’ve let me be me, completely, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Rachel told Steven.
“I choose you Rachel, I choose your smile, your laugh and your fire, and i promise from this day forward to show up for you, to take every risk for you and to never stop choosing you,” He replied.
However, it seems like things went sour for the couple not long after Final Vows.
Steven admits he has regrets over dumping Rachel
In a post-show TikTok confessional, Steven has admitted that he’s struggled with his decision of choosing to end his and Rachel’s relationship.
“I just want to be super real and honest with you, and the truth is that things didn’t end the way I hoped. And yeah, there is big regret, massive regret, and I know I’ve lost something special, and I’ve had a lot of time to reflect, to really sit with my actions, my words, and the moments I wish I handled differently,” he began.
“And the truth is, I’d probably give anything up to relive those moments and redo it all, because when something is genuine, you don’t realise how special and rare it is until it’s not there in front of you anymore. And if life ever opened that door again, I know I’d walk it completely differently, with a little bit more clarity, I guess, more patience and a whole lot more appreciation. Some people just don’t pass through your life, and you forget about it the next day.”
@steven.danyluk Sometimes life lessons are learned the hard way, but it’s how we take those experiences and grow from them that really matters. #mafs #mafsaustralia ♬ original sound – Steven Danyluk
Steven gives Chattr an update on where he and Rachel stand now
Rachel and Steven announced their split at the Dinner Party Reunion, which ultimately came down to Steven not having enough time for a relationship.
Chattr caught up with him five months after the Reunion was filmed, and he confirmed he and Rachel hadn’t rekindled their relationship.
“Currently, me and Rachel are broken up, unfortunately, but we are good friends. We’re cordial. Everything is good. We still talk almost every day, and we’re working with each other to get through this and get to the end, and watching it back has been an experience, very emotional,” he said.
Insider spills on Rachel and Steven’s split
Prior to the Reunion, we were given a major spoiler about what happens with Rachel and Steven on MAFS from an insider.
“Rachel and Steven both commit to each other at Final Vows, and they continue their relationship on the outside for two weeks, but they break up right before Reunion,” the insider spills.
“They walk into the Reunion together, but they’re not in a relationship. They make a speech about it at the dinner table.”
The source said that during the final Reunion Commitment Ceremony, the experts grill Steven and try to get to the bottom of why he broke up with Rachel. His excuse is that long distance wasn’t working, but after the experts don’t buy it, he admits his feelings were never strong.
“Eventually, he says, ‘No, I don’t like her enough’,” the source claims. “Rachel was crying, because she was really into him and really liked him. So that was hectic.”
Bec drops a hint about Rachel and Steven’s relationship status
In an interview with Chattr on March 12, Bec hinted that Rachel and Steven are still together.
At the time, Bec was talking about a segment on MAFS: After the Dinner Party she appeared on alongside Rachel and Steven — which was filmed just a few days before it was released on March 11 — where it was revealed that Steven hadn’t told his partner about a crude joke he’d made at the Couple’s Retreat about their sex life.
When Bec was asked by Chattr why she thinks Steven didn’t own up to it, her response suggested that Rachel and Steven were currently living together. This could be a red herring, but it’s still interesting.
“I think Steven was probably very shocked, and also thinking, ‘Oh gosh, I’m gonna have to sleep on the couch now,'” she laughed.
However, a comment Rachel made about her and Steven’s relationship earlier in the week following Bec’s Couples’ Retreat remark started ringing alarm bells about their future.
“Steven and I no longer felt comfortable being intimate,” she told TV Week. “We didn’t want to be made fun of again.”
However, in a mid-season interview, Alissa gushed about Rachel and Steven’s connection, and given how close she and Rachel are in real life, could this be a sign that their relationship lasted beyond the experiment?
“I think they are both such beautiful people. You know, we love Steve, we love Rachel… They’re beautiful people, really kind, and they are like, Rachel’s a grounder in the group. She really does see things from all angles,” Alissa said.
Earlier in the season, a theory was disproven that Rachel and Steven were one of the first couples to leave the experiment. MAFSFunny podcast shared that they tracked all of the couples after their weddings, and when they moved in together at One Global Resorts Green Squares.
“I saw the couples all one by one, going to Woollies, going to the beach, going to whatever. And did I see these two once? Nah, literally, not at all. So I’m just going to call it now and say I’m fairly sure they are one of, if not the first couple to leave,” podcast host Josh Fox revealed.
What did Rachel and Steven ask the experts for?
Prior to MAFS, Rachel recently found herself in a long-term situationship, so was looking for a man who was proud to be with her — something she’s never experienced before.
She was hoping to find a man in the experiment that she can be completely herself with and looking for a protective and communicative man who is willing to put in the work, like she is. Rachel is almost hoping to start a family of her own one day, so she’d love to find a husband who shares the same passion.
Throughout his life, Steven has found dating challenging, saying he’s struggled with women who come to the table with a never-ending checklist of expectations.
However, he hasn’t given up on finding the perfect partner for him, and he’s hoping to find someone who great personality and can engage in a bit of banter. On top of that, he wants someone who is ambitious, easy-going, and accepts him for who he is.
Married at First Sight (MAFS) 2026 Reunion airs Monday and Tuesday on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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