The most unexpected MAFS friendships that formed off-screen.

Well, that's a wrap on MAFS 2025, folks. The confetti has settled, the champagne's gone flat, and we're left with just one surviving couple from the entire experiment. Not exactly a stellar success rate, but that's reality TV for you.

The social experiment has delivered its usual mixed results, though the drama certainly didn't disappoint. As participants return to their normal lives (now with significantly larger Instagram followings), the real tea is who is still mates and who is pretending the other doesn't exist.

The post-show landscape is quite the fascinating web of relationships. Some contestants who couldn't stand each other on screen are now on good terms, while other seemingly solid friendships have quietly dissolved.

The MAFS journey continues long after the final commitment ceremony, and it seems the most interesting storylines might be the ones playing out right now, away from the cameras.

Billy and Dave are moving in together.

Romance may not be forever, but it seems that bromance really is. Billy and Dave may not have walked away from MAFS with romantic partners, but these boys are apparently the strongest duo to come out of the experiment this year.

Watch Dave and Billy at the MAFS reunion. Article continues after video.

Not only are they besties, but Dave and Billy are actually moving in together. Talk about moving quickly, am I right?

"Me and Dave are looking at moving in together, we're looking at travelling the world together," Billy shared with Nine.

"And this is one thing that I'm really, genuinely so happy about. OK, I didn't come out with a partner but I have come out with a best friend and I'm so grateful for that, I feel like I've won."

And Dave spoke just as highly of Billy, claiming that they continued to keep in contact even after Billy left the show early on.

"Me and Billy are super, super close and I'm so glad I met him. I know he left early, but I spoke to him very often throughout and he had my back," Dave shared.

The three 'wives'.

Ah, Jamie, Awhina and Beth — the golden trio.

This will come as no surprise to anyone who watched the show, because these three ladies definitely had each other's backs the entire time (yes, I'm thinking of that blow-up fight between Jamie and Lauren. Awhina and Beth are real ones).

And since leaving the show, they've remained just as close. They've appeared in multiple TikTok videos together and the rest is history.

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A post shared by Beth (@bethh.kellyy)

During a recent interview with Mamamia, Awhina talked about finding lifelong friends in Jamie and Beth.

"I am so grateful I stayed on the experiment for as long as I did, because of those friendships. I may not have left with a husband, but I definitely left with wives," Awhina told Mamamia.

And at a reunion party hosted by the Daily Mail, Jamie reiterated that very same sentiment, referring to Beth and Awhina as her "wives."

"We love the girl power," Jamie said.

(Most of) the brides remain close-knit.

Despite the odd fallout, which we'll get into later, most of the women from this season's MAFS have remained good friends.

Just a couple of months ago, Rhi, Katie, Jamie, Awhina and Beth were all seen out and about on a girls' weekend in Melbourne. And there have been countless other outings and events since.

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Speaking to Mamamia about who she has kept in contact with since the show ended, Rhi listed off… well, most of the girls. So yay!

"I see Carina, Beth, Awhina, Jamie, Ash and Katie," Rhi added.

"We all got together for my birthday, the seven of us. I've stayed in close contact with all of the girls, and even this weekend we had a party with Daily Mail and all the girls were there. It was so lovely to all catch up again."

Jeff and Dave's bromance.

While Billy and Dave formed a strong bond during the experiment, another significant friendship emerged between Jeff and Dave. Despite being in different couples, and with Jeff and Rhi emerging as the only successful couple this season, the two men developed a genuine connection that outlasted many of the romantic relationships around them.

Jeff has spoken openly about his admiration for Dave, with the two maintaining regular contact despite the show ending.

"We're both very close with Dave," Jeff told Mamamia.

"Dave's in Melbourne, so I speak to him pretty much every day. I see him multiple times a week."

Eliot becomes one of the gals.

This friendship is the plot twist we did not see coming. Eliot and Jamie have formed an unexpectedly close bond since filming wrapped, surprising viewers who witnessed their complicated dynamic during the experiment.

"Jamie's a beautiful person, it's been incredible watching her journey," Eliot said about their friendship. He even said Jamie and Awhina were like his 'little sisters' during filming.

He's been seen on multiple occasions making TikToks with other brides from the show, including Beth, Ashleigh and Carina.

@not_eliotd

Charlie’s mean girls 👼🏻💕 @jamiemarinos_ @bethkellyyy #mafs #mafsau #marriedatfirstsight #fyp

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Given Eliot was a pretty polarising character in the first half of this season and the fact that many of the women on the show were pretty harsh on him during his relationship with Lauren, it's certainly surprising to see how close he is now with several of the girls.

Proving once again that sometimes the best (and most shocking) relationships can happen when the experiment ends. And that maybe all is not what it seems on-screen.

Jamie and Carina are on the outs.

Image: Nine.

While this comes as no surprise given their little falling out during the season, Jamie and Carina are no longer friends.

While Carina has stayed relatively tight-lipped about the status of their friendship, Jamie has — on multiple occasions now — made it pretty clear she is not interested in rekindling anything with Carina.

"She's proved the type of friend she is, so I don't need that," she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

"Carina, I'm sure if there's like a pap photo or something, she might be there, or a girl's reunion, she might be there. But you know, she's not someone who reaches out or checks in or anything like that," Jamie said to Pedestrian TV.

Eliot and Dave.

The boys are all buddies. But… not these two.

While there's not been any direct back and forth between Dave and Eliot, they don't appear to have remained close friends after the experiment.

Not to mention, Eliot has actually posted some pretty dicey TikToks — featuring Jamie — poking fun at Dave.

@not_eliotd

Replying to @user innocent67 can confirm she does love @Cocobella 💕 @jamiemarinos_ #mafs #mafsau #marriedatfirstsight #fyp

♬ NOKIA - Drake

One in particular featured Eliot serving Jamie and Beth at a restaurant, a not-so-subtle jab at Veronica's high praise of Dave's cooking and care for her during the couple swap challenge. To which Eliot famously responded, "like a restaurant?"

Yikes.

Another video spliced together a clip of Dave drinking coconut water with a video of Eliot and Jamie drinking coconut water together.

@not_eliotd

Do you think it’s appropriate that I’m patronising them? 👀💕 @jamiemarinos_ @bethkellyyy #mafs #mafsau #marriedatfirstsight #fyp

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The on-screen turned real-life feud.

Perhaps the biggest feud of MAFS 2025 is between Jacqui and Rhi, which is not surprising given the beef really started on screen.

Cast your mind back to the infamous "text gate", where Rhi accused Jacqui of texting Jeff behind her back and asking to meet up without her present. It played out on screen, but after the show wrapped, Jacqui accused Rhi of making the whole thing up and even released screenshots of the texts in question.

Speaking about the 'feud' between herself and Jacqui, Rhi told Mamamia that she feels like the whole thing has been overinflated.

Image: Nine.

"I feel like it has been really blown up," Rhi said.

"Jacqui and I actually spoke after that and didn't argue or fight. She's really held onto the text narrative and gone down that path to create some sort of divide between her and I."

She went onto explain how disappointing the whole situation was, but that she would not be responding to all the chatter.

"It's disappointing to see because it's all false. But, it is what it is. I can't control it, and I really can't be bothered retaliating to any of the things that she's saying," Rhi added.

Feature Image: Instagram/awhinarutene / Instagram/by.mirab.