The most explosive moments in MAFS history

Over its 12 seasons, Australia’s most popular reality show Married At First Sight has produced many flashpoints. As a new season launches here are our top six most explosive moments, plus a who’s who of the best, and worst, participants.
Dean and Davina’s affair, season 5
Compared to what came after it, the “affair” between Dean Wells and Davina Rankin seems positively chaste. But it shocked viewers at the time and paved the way for countless couple swaps to come. Dean had been paired with Tracey Jewel, and Davina with Ryan Gallagher. But they decided they’d rather be with each other and started something on the side, sharing flirty texts and an on-screen kiss. But then Dean admitted the affair to the group and decided he’d rather stay with Tracey, after all, much to the dismay of Davina. Tracey initially forgave Dean, then left him at the altar in the final vows, rightly telling him he didn’t deserve her.
Ryan Gallagher and Davina Rankin on Married at First Sight: betrayal and dismay.Credit: Nigel Wright
Martha and Cyrell’s dinner party showdown, season 6
It was Martha Kalifatidis versus Cyrell Paule in season 6, a feud that started when Martha shared a rumour that Cyrell’s hubby was hitting on another woman, escalated with a hotel room spat while Martha was mid-skincare routine, and came to an unforgettable boiling point at the weekly dinner party. In that now-iconic episode, Cyrell remarked that Martha’s TV hubby had “no balls” when it came to his wife. So Martha got up from her seat, calmly strolled over to Cyrell and tipped a glass of red wine over her hair. Cyrell, not exactly known for possessing a level head, retaliated in kind by chasing Martha and sloshing a glass of shiraz right back at her. Martha’s white dress was ruined, but two stars were born.
Toothbrushgate, season 7
Not every match on MAFS is a good one – case in point is Hayley Vernon and David Cannon. Love never quite bloomed between this season 7 couple, but their relationship reached a shocking low when David scrubbed dried faeces off the toilet bowl with his wife’s toothbrush, then popped it back next to the sink and let her keep using it for days. Hayley eventually found out about the pooey toothbrush and, unsurprisingly, that was the end of the road for her and David.
Bryce Ruthven, Melissa Rawson and their twins. How did their marriage survive Bryce ranking her “fourth”?
Bryce ranks his wife fourth, season 8
MAFS got another villain for the ages when Bryce Ruthven sat down with bride Melissa Rawson to take part in a challenge in which he had to rank every female contestant from most to least attractive. With Melissa sitting next to him, he placed her in the fourth position. “I think if I put you at number one, you’d be able to tell that [I’m lying],” he told his visibly upset TV wife. What’s perhaps most shocking is that the couple are still together – happily married with two kids.
Domenica smashes a wine glass, season 9
There’d been friction between Olivia Frazer and Domenica Calarco throughout season 9, but it was during a girls’ out night that things took a nasty turn. As the conversation grew heated, Olivia told Domenica off for how she speaks to people. It hit a nerve with Domenica, who yelled: “my entire f**king life I’ve been f**king told that my voice isn’t f**king enough”, stood up and dramatically smashed a wine glass on the table. Things would only go from bad to worse for the pair from there, with their feud becoming the centre point of the season.
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“Muzzle your woman”, season 11
They’ve been dubbed the three most controversial words in MAFS history. Amidst a heated dinner table argument with Lauren Dunn, Jack Dunkley turned to her husband and asked him to “muzzle your woman” – an utterly retrograde fit of misogyny that appalled the contestants, judges and viewers alike.