Married At First Sight’s John Aiken admits new season has been ‘difficult’ to film following loss of Mel Schilling

Married At First Sight expert John Aiken has opened up about filming the new season without his longtime co-star Mel Schilling.

The relationship counsellor admitted returning to the set of the Channel Nine dating experiment had been an emotional experience following Schilling’s death.

Speaking to Nine.com.au on the Logies red carpet on Sunday, Aiken described the occasion as ‘bittersweet’.

‘It’s a little bittersweet because, you know, with Mel not being here now, it’s sort of difficult at times,’ he said.

‘But, you know, we are flying the Married At First Sight flag.’

Fellow expert Alessandra Rampolla agreed that the atmosphere behind the scenes had changed significantly.

‘Yes, it’s very different this year, but we are really enjoying the process of creating something new also,’ she said.

Aiken and Rampolla are currently filming the 2027 season of the ratings juggernaut, which will introduce a fresh group of hopeful brides and grooms to the controversial social experiment.

While production is still in its early stages, Aiken revealed the participants were already being forced to confront the habits that had previously held them back from finding lasting love.

‘It’s early on in the experiment, so with that being the case, they’re really being tested in terms of whether they’re able to open up and let someone in, or whether they’re just going to keep to their old patterns and basically rule people out,’ he explained.

‘That’s always fascinating, to see who dives in.’

Rampolla said the experts were still waiting to discover the contestants’ true personalities, which traditionally begin to emerge as the pressure of the experiment intensifies.

‘It’s always, I think, a really interesting part of the experiment early on because they still haven’t quite revealed themselves to us,’ she said.

‘That tends to happen as we go along.

‘We’re right at the part where it gets really exciting because we just don’t know who’s going to make it and who won’t.’

It comes after Daily Mail revealed producers were preparing to introduce a new relationship expert alongside returning panellists Aiken and Rampolla following Schilling’s death.

Relationship coach Brigitte Zonta, better known publicly as Dr Lurve, is understood to be joining the panel, although Channel Nine has yet to formally announce her appointment.

The change marks a significant new chapter for the program, with Schilling having been a central figure in the Australian series alongside Aiken.

The 2027 season is also expected to steer the experiment back towards its original focus on relationships following heightened scrutiny of reality-dating formats and controversies surrounding recent seasons.

Producers are understood to have prioritised contestants with genuine relationship motivations over aspiring influencers with large social-media followings.

However, insiders have warned viewers should not expect the famously volatile experiment to become any less dramatic.

The new cast includes business owners, athletes, beauty professionals, a government employee, a gothic fantasy writer and several former reality stars.

It will also feature the show’s first female same-sex couple since 2020, as well as a former Bachelorette contestant returning to television more than a decade after his first televised search for love.

Sources previously told Daily Mail that the participants underwent extensive background investigations, social-media audits, reference checks and psychological assessments before being approved for the experiment.

Married At First Sight will return to Channel Nine in 2027.