The Married At First Sight experts have been blown away by a batch of brides that have done something that’s “never happened” on the show before. Aussies will get to soak up a new batch of brides and grooms meeting each other for the first time at the alter when the Channel 9 show kicks off.
MAFS expert John Aiken told Yahoo Lifestyle the cast of the 2026 season is “complex” and there will be plenty of “twists and turns” due to a group of “strong women”. But he’s now opened up about this group of brides who have called themselves the “Boss Babes”.
He revealed on the TODAY show that this is a first for Australia’s most controversial reality TV show.
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“There’s a group of about six women that band together… and they come for everyone,” he said.
“They look to dominate and control the experiment. They go after women that stand up to them. They go after their husbands, and they come after the experts.
“We’ve never had it before.”
He added that the Boss Babes had a “long” list of non-negotiables that they wanted on the show and in their husbands-to-be.
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“They feel very empowered. They feel like they deserve the best… and if you cross them, you’ll know about it,” John added.
The relationship expert warned that some of the brides’ language on the show is “incredibly abrasive” and it’s something that hasn’t really happened on MAFS before.
Obviously, viewers have seen a lot in the past 12 seasons, but John reckons this new instalment stands above the rest.
He revealed that during filming, he tried to call out some of the Boss Babes on their behaviour but it didn’t go down well.
Who is on the 2026 season of MAFS Australia?
The cast was only recently announced and you can find out about them all here.
The majority of brides and grooms for this season are in their 30s, but there are a few exceptions, with the oldest contestants being in their early 50s.
Fellow MAFS expert Alessandra Rampolla told Yahoo Lifestyle she was thrilled when she saw the mix of contestants for the 2026 season.
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“I think the cultural diversity that is a part of the mix of this year’s cast is, for me, very exciting,” she said.
“I think there’s something to be learned and understood about human behaviour in general when you’re able to take those nuances into the mix. So I will enjoy that very much.”
John echoed this and believed it’s why audiences keep coming back each year.
“One of the great parts of the show is it’s very diverse. So we get different ages, different cultures, but different backgrounds and upbringings,” he said.
“And that’s one of the reasons why it’s so successful.”
Some of the contestants have called themselves “loud and outspoken”, “extremely emotional and quite sensitive”, and “principled and respectful”.
Some are looking for someone who will just make them feel beautiful, whereas one boldly said they were simply keen on marrying “fit woman with a big booty and small waistline”.
You can see now why the MAFS experts said it was a “complex” group of people.
The show will officially kick off tonight on Channel 9 at 7:30pm AEDT.
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