Married At First Sight fans were left devastated when Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels confirmed their separation.
While it seemed like true love when the pair met (for the second time) at the altar on MAFS, it wasn’t meant to be.
They dated for 10 months before meeting again on the show, much to their surprise, and it seemed like a fairytale.
However, they are now nursing heartbreak and navigating a break-up in the public eye, which comes with its challenges.
Amid the devastating news, the couple’s therapist, Biannka Brannigan, has weighed in on their split, and how dating in the public eye may have played a part.
“The most unique layer for couples like Rhi and Jeff is that their relationship was never entirely their own,” she tells us.
“When a love story unfolds in the living rooms of millions of Australians, it carries something beyond the two people in it. It becomes a kind of shared hope. People invest emotionally; they see their own longing reflected back, they root for it.
“So when it ends, there’s a communal grief and sadness that can also get placed on the couple to explain or soothe when all they really want to do is have a sense of spaciousness to reorient themselves.”
Biannka explains what the next steps are for Rhi and Jeff, and the challenges they will now face going through heartbreak so publicly.
“One of the things that often gets missed in how we talk about break-ups is that it’s not just about losing someone, it’s about having to reorganise ourselves in the world without them,” she says.
“Our routines, our sense of who we are day to day, even the small things like who we text when something funny happens… all need to find a new shape. This process takes time, and it tends to require a lot of quiet, inward attention.”
“When you’re fielding commentary, speculation, and the eyes of thousands of people, it’s very hard to turn inward.
“The world is pulling you outward at precisely the moment when what you most need is to go still and figure out what your life looks like now.”
“Every question, every comment, every tagged photo can restimulate the grief before it’s had time to settle, and that can significantly slow the healing process.”
She also addresses the likelihood of one of them moving on with somebody new, a heartbreaking feeling everyone is familiar with after going through a break-up.
“There’s also the question of what happens when one person is seen moving on,” she explains.
“In a private break-up, taking a tentative step toward someone new is something you get to explore quietly, on your own terms. In public, it immediately becomes a story which can create real pressure, either to stay still longer than is healthy, or to defend a new connection before you’ve even had time to understand it yourself.”
While neither party appears to have moved on with anyone new yet, it could be a fresh heartbreak for the couple, and MAFS fans, when that day comes.
Rhi and Jeff finally confirmed their separation on June 2 after raising concern when eagle-eyed fans noticed they were no longer following each other on social media.
Likewise, Rhi’s post about “choosing relationships that feel calm and safe” over confusing “inconsistency” for love also raised eyebrows, with fans wondering if there was trouble in paradise.
Just days later, the couple then confirmed their break-up in two separate posts on Instagram.
“With a heavy heart, I want to share that Jeff and I have decided to part ways,” Rhi shared.
“This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I’m incredibly grateful for the love we shared and all of the memories we created.
“Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout our relationship and followed along on our journey.”
“Your kindness means more than you know, and I appreciate your respect and understanding as we move forward.”
Jeff also shared a statement, admitting that it has been an “incredibly difficult” time.
“After a lot of thought, unfortunately my relationship has ended,” he wrote.
“This has been an incredibly difficult time, and I’m trying to navigate this as best I can.”
“I’m grateful for the memories and genuine love we shared over the years. Thank you for supporting our relationship, being part of our journey and respecting my privacy during this time.”
New Idea has reached out to Rhi and Jeff for comment.
Their separation has come as a shock to fans, given they have happily been discussing wedding plans since falling in love on MAFS.
They previously said they were in no rush to get married, but wouldn’t rule out tying the knot in a televised event on Channel Nine.
They appeared to have been going strong since leaving MAFS together, with the couple saying “I love you” for the first time at the show reunion.
Shortly after filming wrapped, Jeff gave Rhi the key to his apartment as things became serious between them.
“We got along so well living with each other [in the experiment], so I knew I wanted that to continue,” Jeff told New Idea at the time.
“So I thought, ‘Why not give her a key?’ And then she can just come over whenever she wants.”
While the couple fell in love on MAFS, it wasn’t the first time that they had met.
In a twist of fate, they had actually dated for 10 months before they met again at the altar, giving them both a second chance at love.
Their slow-burning connection quickly became romantic again, and they were fan favourites from the 2025 series of MAFS.
They were the only original couple from the 2025 series still together. Now, Jacqui and Clint are the only couple still together, though they weren’t matched up on the show, with sparks flying between them after filming.
Jacqui and Clint got married on April 20 at Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand.
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