MAFS 2026 is going to be the most villainous season we've ever seen.

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We all know what to expect when it comes to Married at First Sight by now.

What started as a genuine social experiment has morphed into part dating show, part psychological warfare, and part car crash television that we absolutely cannot look away from.

And honestly? We're not even mad about it anymore.

MAFS 2026 is already serving fresh levels of mess before it's even started. The drama is drama-ing, the tea is brewing, and we're here for all of it.

So let's dive into the gossip, because we're all thinking about it anyway.

Watch Adrian and Awhina's uncomfortable family lunch. Article continues after video.

The cast is full of "calculated" villains.

If you thought last season was spicy, get ready for MAFS 2026, because, apparently, this year is about as dramatic as it gets. According to show insiders, the unprecedented level of toxicity and emotional volatility this season means there is no single villain, but rather a revolving door of chaos. Yikes.

"No one is the villain because everyone is the villain at some point. It changes every week. It is emotional whiplash," an insider told the Daily Mail.

"You do not get a moment to breathe. People flip from sweetheart to nightmare in under an hour."

The toxicity reportedly became so intense that producers took the unusual step of showing the brides a montage compilation of their worst moments, including snide comments and emotional outbursts.

"They were stunned seeing themselves like that,' a crew member said. 'It was meant as a wake-up call, and for them to take a little bit of accountability, but the chaos still continued," the insider said.

The brides this season are described as "clout chasers", while the fragile grooms add to the "emotional carnage" with their own unpredictable mood swings.

"This is the most calculated group we have ever seen," they explained.

There's a huge cheating scandal coming.

A bombshell is set to detonate at a dinner party, centred on a shocking accusation: one bride allegedly flew back to her hometown mid-season to sleep with an ex. Oopsie.

Apparently, the allegation is being treated with the utmost seriousness. "It's the ultimate betrayal of the experiment," a source told Daily Mail. The source added that if the rumour proves to be true, "it'll blow the show wide open."

In the meantime, the accusation is spreading like wildfire through the cast and ruining friendships. An insider described the chaotic environment, saying, "No one knows who to trust" and "loyalties flip by the hour." Ooft.

Two bitter feuds are brewing between the brides.

The Daily Mail reports that a toxic feud between brides Gia Fleur and Rebecca Zacharia has gotten so intense that producers are struggling to keep them in the same room.

"They went from clinking glasses to cold-war stares in a heartbeat," a source said.

The conflict reportedly ignited during the hens' party after Bec was overheard calling Gia a "trashy s**t" behind her back. Classic! The damage was done, and by the time of their first group event, "the tension was humming."

The feud snowballed when Gia allegedly confronted Bec in front of the cast. "Suddenly, there were receipts being waved around, screenshots being shown to the group — it was brutal," one source claimed. "Private messages, gossip, all of it was dragged into the open."

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Then there's another predicted feud with brides Brook Crompton and Stella Mickunaite.

Producers have teased that Brook's fiery personality will dominate the season, and her main rival appears to be Stella.

They clash spectacularly at a girls' lunch when Stella blindsides Brook with a brutal takedown. "Stella told Brook that she came across as cold and fake, right there in front of everyone," a witness claimed.

Brook came back swinging. "She didn't clap back in the moment, but everyone could see her jaw clench," says an insider. "She waited until the next dinner party and then unleashed."

Drama, drama, drama!

A super villain is coming.

The bar for villainy on MAFS is rather high with Harrison Boon remaining one of the show's biggest villains, but insiders claim a new intruder groom is set to take his crown.

"This guy is on another level," one source told Daily Mail. "He's brazen, unapologetic, and some of the things he said were so outrageous producers had to step in to shut it down."

From the moment he arrived, the groom made his intentions clear, stating he wanted a "submissive wife" to match his dominating attitude. The demand went down poorly ('cos, duh!), with one bride reportedly branding him "a walking red flag".

One couple has already been cut from the show.

Well, that didn't take long.

Married At First Sight 2026 is apparently in chaos just weeks into filming, with one couple already getting the boot amid what's being called an "internal investigation."

According to the Daily Mail, Sydney finance broker Micah Lomu has been cut from production just days after marrying cricket presenter Ankita Karungalekar.

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The couple was reportedly told they were "no longer required on set" after returning from their honeymoon, and neither showed up to the first dinner party filmed on August 5.

MAFS producers are apparently investigating what went down, but nobody's saying exactly what happened and Micah has allegedly denied any wrongdoing.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what really went down behind the scenes.

The 'wildest bride in MAFS history'.

According to show insiders, next year's season is shaping up to be full of a "bunch of clout chasers".

As per the Daily Mail, a substantial number of the upcoming brides and grooms already have significant public profiles and industry connections.

Amongst the group is Melbourne model Gia Fleur, who's already being dubbed the "wildest bride in MAFS history".

Image: Instagram/giafleurrr

"Gia doesn't give a single f*** what anyone thinks," one source told Daily Mail.

"She's bold, she's brash and she says whatever's on her mind — which makes for absolutely iconic TV."

She'll be paired with fellow tattooed contestant Scott McCristal — a Gold Coast businessman who's already done the reality TV rounds on Million Dollar Island and Holey Moley.

The brides are ready to 'hold people to account.'

MAFS relationship expert John Aiken has teased what viewers can expect from the upcoming 2026 season, hinting at a cast that could shake up the show's traditional dynamics.

"I would say what we've got is a cast full of very powerful, opinionated, outspoken women who are really going to hold everyone in the experiment to account," he told the Daily Mail.

And can we just say... finally.

While we love a bit of MAFS drama, watching people get away with absolute garbage behaviour season after season gets old pretty quickly.

According to John, viewers should pay attention to how the women interact with each other, suggesting the traditional "sisterhood" dynamics could be more complex this season.

John Aiken. Image: Channel Nine.

"Particularly the women — you're going to need to look out for them this year, and not just how they are with their partners, but particularly how they work in the sisterhood."

When it comes to shaking things up, Aiken says they're taking a measured approach to keeping MAFS fresh.

"That's what we try and do every year, we evolve the show. We don't try and completely break it and bring it back to zero. We just give the audience something that's a little bit different from the season before," he said.

Filming is well and truly underway.

While we don't have an official cast list yet, the internet has done what the internet does best, and wedding photos of various couples are already all over social media.

The photos show couples in full wedding regalia looking appropriately nervous/excited/like they're questioning all their life choices.

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Are we ready for another year of dinner party drama, commitment ceremony chaos, and couples who probably should have swiped left on this whole experience? No.

But will we be watching anyway? Obviously.

This article was originally published on 12 August, 2025 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Nine.