The excitement around Married at First Sight Australia 2025 (MAFS) is in full swing, with the season already delivering plenty of drama!
Talks about who’s still together and who’s called it quits are flooding the rumour mill. Among the MAFS couples generating the most chatter are Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly, one of the season’s more chaotic couples.
So, are MAFS‘ Jacqui and Ryan still an item? Here’s what we know so far.
Jacqui revealed a bit of a spoiler on Instagram
The MAFS 2025 cast has been going rogue on social media this year, and Jacqui might top the list. She recently shared an Instagram Story revealing that, despite the “misleading and deceptive stories” shown on the series, she is currently in a relationship.
“I am currently in a relationship with a person who was exactly what I asked for,” she spills. “Someone kind, considerate, a great man, and intelligent.”
Jacqui described this relationship as loving and long-term, but here’s what we don’t know – is this incredible man her current MAFS groom, Ryan? Or someone completely new?
Well, if we’re to believe Samir Banga, one of Ryan’s groomsmen, the answer is the latter. He reshared Jacqui’s post, adding his own text on top.
“So people asked me if Jacqui and Ryan are still together,” Samir began. “Well, I wasn’t going to answer, but she’s come to say she’s in a relationship. Which obviously means it didn’t work out.”
Still, we can hope. Is this all a cheeky red herring to throw us off? Only time will tell!
Jacqui and Ryan’s pairing
Ryan is one of a few actor/model/influencer types in the MAFS 2025 cast, although his Nine bio lists him as a “project manager.”
As Daily Mail reports, Ryan’s now-deactivated Star Now profile reveals his acting background, complete with shots of him in a police uniform for a TV series.
According to the publication, his friends describe him as a “super nice guy” who’s grown tired of swiping on dating apps and is “ready for something real.”
Meanwhile, Jacqui is one smart cookie. She’s a dual degree-holder, with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland. She also claims to have won the title of Miss New Zealand in 2012 (although the jury is still out on that one).
She’s also studied at the College of Law Australia and Harvard Business School Online.
Per her Linkedin, Jacqui has been building a career as a lawyer and investment analyst between 2019 and 2024, earning glowing endorsements from colleagues like “most hardworking, dedicated, and intelligent lawyer-turned-entrepreneur.”
Friends of Jacqui have described her to Daily Mail as “an absolute delight to be around” with “a heart of gold.” Another insider told the news outlet, “Women everywhere will feel empowered watching her stand up for what’s right.” But how well is she pairing with Ryan?
Are they still together?
Jacqui and Ryan’s wedding day got off to a rocky start, with Jacqui unimpressed the moment she laid eyes on her TV groom. He wasn’t blonde or clean-shaven, and she wasn’t thrilled about it.
Things didn’t improve during their wedding photoshoot when Ryan failed to notice his bride shivering. Hoping he’d offer his jacket like a gentleman, Jacqui was forced to ask for it herself — a move that didn’t sit well with her.
“I don’t want to explain to anyone that that’s what they should do,” she told the MAFS producers.
“I want them to want it themselves. I can’t make someone want to be a man. You know, either he is a man or he’s not,” she continued before breaking into tears.
Adding to the tension, Jacqui wasn’t a fan of Ryan’s dog, a Staffy-Kelpie mix. “The more I get to know Ryan, the less we seem to have in common,” she admitted.
But just when things were looking dire, Ryan’s wedding vows managed to turn the tide. When he shared his experience with school bullying (something Jacqui had also gone through), her feelings began to shift.
“The more I get to know him, the more I’m starting to like him,” she later confessed (talk about whiplash).
Of course, just as things were looking up, disaster struck when Ryan dropped Jacqui while attempting a dip during their first dance. It was pretty brutal to watch, and he knew it, immediately begging producers to cut the footage.
“I don’t wanna be that guy,” he said. Oof.
Since then, the couple has had plenty of ups and downs. During the Photo Ranking task, Ryan placed Jacqui in equal third, which she took offence to. The placement (and Ryan’s subsequent push-back about honesty) has continued to be a contention between the couple, even popping up during Intimacy Week.
What else do we know about Jacqui and Ryan?
According to Daily Mail’s sources, Jacqui and Ryan’s MAFS relationship is an absolute rollercoaster of “fireworks, backstabbing, and chaos that makes past seasons look like Disney fairytales.”
A production insider spilled that the pair’s antics both on and off-screen are “absolute bananas.”
According to the outlet’s source, Ryan is all about “pro-masculinity” and “embracing individuality,” while Jacqui is “unapologetically fierce,” often clashing with Ryan in ways that keep their fellow cast members perpetually on edge.
“Their toxic chemistry divides the group,” another insider shared. “It’s exhausting for everyone involved.”
Even the MAFS experts, who are used to handling some pretty volatile matches, were reportedly “blindsided” by the intensity of this duo.
Are Jacqui and Ryan paid actors?
Another controversy surrounding the couple is about whether their relationship is a producer plant.
It seems that Ryan’s deactivated Star Now account doesn’t spell the end of his acting career, with the MAFS groom spotted on a Sydney film set by Daily Mail. “Absolutely believe they are both actors, trying to get recognised by Home and Away,” one fan commented under a recent Instagram post on the show’s official account.
Jacqui has also been saying some pretty revealing stuff on Instagram. Recently, she shared some revealing information via her Stories, alleging that her storyline has been “highly edited” and that she is “playing it up for the camera” at times.
While it’s unclear if their story will lead to one of the MAFS 2025’s (apparently many) walkouts, one thing’s for sure: Jacqui and Ryan are already looking pretty messy together. We can’t wait to see what unfolds!
