After a few lonely weeks between reality dating shows, Farmer Wants A Wife (FWAW) will soon fill the MAFS-shaped hole left in our hearts since the show ended.
However, eagle-eyed FWAW fans have noticed something suss about the recent promos for the 2026 season. Despite six Farmers being teased in the original promos, one was conspicuously removed from the final line-up. Huh?
Wait, what happened to Farmer John? Here he is in the middle of the original Seven promo for the selected 2026 Farmers but now… he’s nowhere to be seen.
In early promos, we found out Farmer John was a 37-year-old farmer from Mogumber in WA, which is about one and a half hours’ drive north of Perth, who was 6’2 (in case that matters!) and he was listed as one of six eligible Farmers in search of single ladies looking to find the one.
“Growing up on his parents’ cattle farm, John dreamed of owning his own farm one day. With that dream now a reality, John is looking for a loving partner to build a life and family with,” his bio reads.
A motor enthusiast who loves cars and off-road bikes, John was looking for an adventurous lady with a solid sense of humour. “I am fun, outgoing, determined and love a good laugh,” he said. “I find a good sense of humour very attractive. I would love to find somebody that is adventurous and who would want to spend their free time travelling, adventuring and exploring with me.”
John was hoping to find someone with a similar perspective to him on life. “I like a partner who is driven and has a sense of independence but also allows me to become a part of their life, and wants to be a big part of mine,” he said.
“Family is hugely important to me so I would love my partner to be family-oriented as well.”
In this teaser posted six months ago by Seven, Farmer John is featured prominently.
So what happened? An insider told Woman’s Day that Farmer John’s removal could have come down to a variety of reasons.
“They don’t just cast people, they cast content,” the source said. “Producers are looking for Farmers who can carry a storyline and deliver moments across the entire season.”
The series intentionally casts more Farmers than they may end up needing. “There are a lot of moving parts,” the insider said. “People drop out, stories don’t land, or producers realise someone isn’t quite what they expected.”
Above all, the Farmer who proves to be the most popular will be prioritised. “Some Farmers will just pop and get inundated with applications. Even as casting executives, we are surprised by the attention some Farmers get over others,” they said, adding that John living in Western Australia could have worked against him.
“WA is expensive. Flights, logistics, moving contestants – it all adds up. If they’re going to film there, that Farmer needs to be a big draw,” the insider claimed.
Chattr has reached out to Seven for comment on Farmer John’s removal.
Have other Farmers on Farmer Wants A Wife had their love stories cut from the show?
For the 2025 season, Farmer Jack Rowlandson was completely scrubbed from the final broadcast. A cattle farmer and professional bull rider from Oberon, NSW, Jack was originally announced as one of the lead Farmers for the 2025 season.
He participated in the early promos and filmed his entire journey with his group of women. However, before the season premiered, Channel Seven and Eureka Productions made the executive decision to edit his storyline out entirely.
“Eureka and Seven have decided not to include Jack Rowlandson’s storyline in the new season of Farmer Wants A Wife. We will not be providing any further comment,” a Seven spokesperson said at the time.
Jack’s removal was reportedly due to a breach of production rules — more specifically, he was romantically involved with multiple women outside the show during filming. This obviously didn’t reflect the wholesome image the series is known for reflecting. Bye-bye, Jack!
FWAW will be airing on Channel Seven soon, but no exact premiere date has been revealed yet.
Watch Farmer Wants A Wife Season 16 on Channel 7 and 7Plus. Coming soon.
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