Another Married at First Australia series has come to an end and we’ve well and truly lapped up all the dinner party fights, betrayals, and some love in the mix too. Now the reunion episodes are airing, the question on everyone’s lips is which strangers turned couples have stayed together?
Fan favourites Steven and Rachel are one of the couples that made it to final vows. They won over viewers with their slow and steady romance, which started off a little shakily, but seemed to grow into a genuine connection.
At final vows, the pair shared heartfelt words with each other. ‘Even with all the fears that whisper in the background, I want this. I want you,’ Rachel told her groom. Steven responded: ‘I choose you, and I’m diving in, head first, fearless.’ The Taylor Swift reference was deliberate: Rachel is a certified swiftie.
Steven and Rachel became boyfriend and girlfriend in their final vows
So, it might come as a shock that this cute MAFS couple are no more. Very shortly after the experiment ended, their romance fell apart. And spoiler alert: it’s actually pretty messy.
What happened with Rachel and Steven on MAFS?
Rachel and Steven had a slightly rocky start to their relationship on the show. Their wedding went relatively okay (by Married At First Sight standards), but afterwards they struggled with their physical connection, with Steven even rejecting a kiss from Rachel during intimacy week.
Over time, they seemed to get over these hurdles and develop a genuinely lovely bond with each other. Coming into final vows though, Rachel expressed concerns that Steven wouldn’t leave his life and business in Sydney to join her in Melbourne. Fears, it turns out, that were correct.
Why did Rachel and Steven split?
Despite Steven asking Rachel to be his girlfriend during final vows, which she accepted, their relationship broke down shortly after their loving declarations.
Rachel has said that Steven dumped her days after the final vows were filmed and just before a reunion episode. In an interview with New Idea, she said: ‘Heartbreak is the worst. It sucks. It’s like a physical illness.’
Sydney-based Steven, according to Rachel, started using ‘every excuse’ to avoid visiting her in Melbourne and she began to feel like a ‘burden’ to him. ‘I was willing to put in the effort, but ultimately it happened exactly the way I was concerned it was going to happen,’ said Rachel, ‘Steven went back to life in Sydney.’
Sadly, another budding MAFS romance bites the dust and this was one we were all rooting for.
Lucy Keitley is a writer at Grazia UK, covering news and features. She’s interested in female-focused stories and smart cultural analysis on a wide range of topics, whether that’s a hard-hitting societal trend or reality TV.
