Filming for Married at First Sight (MAFS) 2027 is already underway, meaning the experts are dishing out advice to a new batch of contestants each week during the Commitment Ceremonies.
Of course, with the tragic passing of long-time MAFS expert Mel Schilling in March 2026, the lineup for the 2027 season looks slightly different, and John Aiken and Alessandra Rampolla said attending the Logies without Mel was difficult.
“It’s a little bit bittersweet, you know, with Mel not being here now, it’s difficult at times. But you know, we are flying the Married at First Sight flag,” John said in an interview with Channel 9 on the Logies red carpet.
Alessandra added that Mel’s absence has been deeply felt as she and John navigate the new season of MAFS.
“it’s very different this year, but we are really enjoying the process of creating something new,” Alessandra said in an interview with Channel 9 on the Logies red carpet.
John teased that — as always — viewers can expect some turbulence in the upcoming season of MAFS.
“It’s early on in the experiment, so with that being the case, they’re really being tested in terms of whether they’re able to open up and let someone in, or whether they’re just going to keep to their old patterns and basically rule people out. So that’s always fascinating to see who dives in,” he said.
Alessandra added: “It’s always, I think, a really interesting part of the experiment early on because they still haven’t quite revealed themselves to us. That tends to happen as we go along. So we’re right at the part where it gets really exciting because we just really don’t know who’s going to make it and who won’t.”
Who is the new Married At First Sight expert joining Alessandra and John in 2027?
While Channel 9 hasn’t officially confirmed who’s replacing Mel as the third MAFS relationship expert, Daily Mail Australia has reported that it will be Brigitte Zonta, widely known as ‘Dr. Lurve’.
A source told the publication that Brigitte wouldn’t be afraid to confront the contestants over their bad behaviour and calls them out when needed, while also taking the time to understand their actions.
“She can explain why somebody keeps repeating the same destructive pattern without making it sound like a lecture,” the insider said.
“She is also quick, funny and very comfortable talking about subjects other people might avoid. For a show like MAFS, that combination is enormously valuable.”
An online bio for Brigitte describes her as “Australia’s leading love & relationship coach” and her own website says she is a respected relationship expert who has been helping people at every stage of their relationship journey since 2007.
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