As if any more MAFS couples can split this year, speculation was running rampant that Married At First Sight (MAFS) stars Evelyn Ellis and Duncan James had broken up, three years after meeting on the reality dating show.
The split rumours kicked off last month, when eagle-eyed fans noted how the couple — who were initially paired with other participants in MAFS’ tenth season — have seemingly led different lives over the past few months… at least according to their social media activity.
But finally, the couple are putting the rumours to bed. Duncan just posted a cute Instagram carousel of the couple, and if there were any doubts left in the minds of MAFS fans, he captioned the post: “My girlfriend made this dump.”
Off the back of increased speculation, Evelyn previously told nine.com.au that the rumours were “not true”, denying the pair had parted ways.
“I find it so funny that some people can’t comprehend that couples have their own interests and identities sometimes,” she said.
“I feel that people think me and Duncan are joined to the hip, but that’s not true.”
Evelyn made a point of adding she was simply focusing on her career. “I believe everyone should follow their dreams, take risk and have adventures with your girlfriends even when you’re in a relationship,” she said.
So how did we get here?
MAFS’ Evelyn and Duncan seemingly go silent on social media
Prior to Duncan’s July post, Evelyn and the MAFS groom had not appeared together on Instagram since April, with the MAFS bride sharing her European travels on social media while Duncan remained in Sydney posting about work, fitness and his cybersecurity business.
The months-long absence from each other’s profiles sparked split rumours online, with some Instagram users asking on Evelyn’s recent posts, “where is Duncan?” or “you broke up with your boyfriend?” A third fan wrote, “Obviously having a break from Duncan.”
Only adding fuel to the rumour mill is the fact that Evelyn and Duncan have neither liked nor commented on each other’s more recent Instagram posts, which signals a slight change given their otherwise gushing interactions on older posts.
A source claimed MAFS’ Evelyn and Duncan are “living different lives”
The split rumours reached fever pitch when a source claimed Evelyn and Duncan are in “very different places in their lives.”
“They’re definitely living very different lives at the moment. Evelyn is embracing the international party scene, travelling from event to event across Europe, while Duncan is back in Sydney focused on work and routine,” an insider told the Daily Mail.
“They’re in completely different places in life. Evelyn is chasing opportunities overseas and loving every minute of it. Duncan is much more settled and career-focused back home,” the insider added.
The source went on to claim that Evelyn and Duncan’s supposed split wasn’t the result of anything dramatic or scandalous, but was just a natural conclusion for the pair. “No one is saying there’s been a dramatic breakup or cheating scandal,” the insider claimed.
“It’s more that they’ve naturally drifted apart as their priorities have changed.”
Despite all the claims and social media speculation, the MAFS couple’s rumoured split was proven untrue. Chattr previously reached out to Evelyn and Duncan for comment.
Evelyn and Duncan are one of the very few MAFS success stories
If the split rumours were true, Evelyn and Duncan would join the very long list of MAFS participants who failed to find love on the dating show. Across MAFS’ entire run, only seven couples (including Evelyn and Duncan) have remained together off the air.
The most recent success story came from this year’s season with Stella Mickunaite and Filip Gregov — but the couple have just split.
Interestingly, Evelyn and Duncan’s romance came despite the original plans of the MAFS experts, since they were initially paired with separate participants Rupert Bugden and Alyssa Barmonde during their stint on the show in 2023.
Evelyn and Duncan didn’t confirm their relationship until after their MAFS season had finished airing, telling 9News that “we are in a relationship” and that “this is our hard launch”.
The couple then revealed in 2023 that they’d moved in together in Sydney.
With all that, it’d sure be a shame if the break-up rumours come to fruition, but given recent news of fellow MAFS couple Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels’ split, we know that, unfortunately, no one is safe from the MAFS curse.
Stream Married At First Sight Australia 2026 on 9Now.
Love to chat about Reality TV? Join us in our new Facebook group and come chat! Or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more entertainment news.
