Expert John Aiken Lists $5.8M Sydney Mansion

Married At First Sight expert John Aiken has quietly listed his stunning Sydney  mansion on the market, with the historic home now tipped to fetch almost double what he paid for it.

The Channel Nine psychologist and his interior designer wife Kelly Swanson-Roe have listed their five-bedroom sandstone estate in Willoughby East, known as Tyneside, with a price guide of $5.8 million ahead of a March 5 auction.

Confirming the move, John recently took to Instagram to share a photo of the couple's breathtaking backyard, hinting that the family is preparing for a fresh start.

'It's been a great ride. Onto the next chapter. #greatmemories #newbeginnings #movingon,' he wrote.

The image shows the sprawling heritage home glowing at dusk, with its wraparound wrought-iron balcony stretching across both levels and warm light pouring from every window.

The two-level residence, located on High Street, sits on a generous 777sqm block and blends 19th-century charm with modern luxury following an extensive renovation. 

Married At First Sight expert John Aiken has quietly put his stunning mansion on the market, with the historic home now tipped to fetch almost double what he paid for it

The Channel Nine psychologist and his interior designer wife Kelly Swanson-Roe have listed their five-bedroom sandstone estate in Sydney's Willoughby East, known as Tyneside, with a price guide of $5.8 million ahead of a March 5 auction

Built in the 1880s for Robert Forsyth, a member of one of Willoughby's pioneering families, the home features four fireplaces, an attic and multiple indoor-outdoor living zones designed for entertaining.

Inside, the curated interiors boast a marble kitchen, bespoke joinery and imported chandeliers, while outside the landscaped gardens include a barbecue and alfresco dining area, a spa with cabana and an outdoor shower.

The listing comes six years after the couple purchased the property for $2.93 million in 2019, when it was offered to the market for the first time in 50 years following the death of former Australian Jockey Club vice-chairman Noel Bracks.

The sale coincides with MAFS returning for its 13th season, with the 2026 premiere delivering the most successful launch in the show's history.

OzTAM figures revealed the opening episode attracted a massive 2.89 million viewers nationally, with early drama including a groom forgetting the wedding rings, and a bride forcing her groom to get down on his knees before marrying her.

John and Kelly, who have been together since 2007, share two children and are widely known for their passion for restoring heritage homes and elevated interior design. 

In an interview with Daily Mail ahead of the new season, John revealed the experiment was destabilised by a powerful and confrontational group of women who left even the experts stunned.

'I think it's the dynamic of the women in the group,' he said.

The two-level residence, located on High Street, sits on a generous 777sqm block and blends 19th-century charm with modern luxury following an extensive renovation

Inside, the curated interiors boast a marble kitchen, bespoke joinery and imported chandeliers

Meanwhile outside the landscaped gardens include a barbecue and alfresco dining area, a spa with cabana and an outdoor shower

The listing comes six years after the couple purchased the property for $2.93 million in 2019

'The self-proclaimed boss babes that come together; they are incredibly dominant in the experiment. They call both men and women out. Sometimes the language is incredibly confronting and at times very hurtful.'

John said the dominance was so intense it changed how the men behaved, with many choosing to sit back and speak carefully rather than risk becoming the next target.

'It's different this year,' he explained.

'While we put very strong-willed men with the women, what we found is that they were quite shocked at times about how this group of women would react, how they would speak to certain people.

In an interview with Daily Mail ahead of the new season, John revealed the experiment was destabilised by a powerful and confrontational group of women who left even the experts stunned

'And so they became people that would sit on the side more. They would watch very carefully what they said and how they acted, because at times they were really confronted by the boss babes.'

Despite the chaos, John insisted the dynamic wasn't manufactured.

'We didn't know that this would happen,' he said.

'What we wanted was some strong women on the show, empowered and vocal, but we didn't realise this would happen.

'It kind of came together organically. They met at the hens night and it really went from there.'

He also issued a blunt warning about the dinner parties.

'I don't know what's going to make it to air,' he said.

'But I just remember thinking at the dinner parties, I don't think they've ever been this hostile.'

John said the dominance was so intense it changed how the men behaved, with many choosing to sit back and speak carefully rather than risk becoming the next target. (Aiken pictured alongside experts Mel Schilling and Alessandra Rampolla)

Asked where honesty crosses into cruelty, John said it would become one of the season's biggest talking points.

'That is a talking point,' he said.

'When is it okay to use vile language? And when is it not? When is that being honest or when is that actually being offensive? These are conversations people are going to have while watching this season.'

John also revealed one of the boldest casting decisions in the show's history, matching the experiment's first openly bisexual bride.

'She said to us, 'I don't mind if it's a man or a woman that you match me with. Just surprise me,' he said.

The relationship guru also addressed criticism the experts engineer disasters, insisting the intention is always for couples to succeed.

'We don't set couples up to fail,' he said. 'When we match them, we want them to get over the line.

'But there are so many ingredients that can make it fail.'

Meanwhile, insiders have claimed producers deliberately created a rotating roster of villains rather than relying on a single troublemaker.

'No one is the villain because everyone is the villain at some point,' one insider said.

'It changes every week. It is emotional whiplash.'

Sources have also alleged producers were forced to screen a private montage of the participants' worst behaviour in an attempt to rein them in.

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MAFS expert John Aiken warns brides will turn toxic in new season

'They were stunned seeing themselves like that,' one crew member claimed.

'But the chaos still continued.'

The cast includes brides Alissa Fay, Bec Zacharia, Gia Fleur, Mel Akbayir, Julia Vogl, Rebecca Zukowski, Rachel Gilmore, Brook Crompton and Stella Mickunaite, alongside grooms Chris Nield, Danny Hewitt, David Momoh, Scott McCristal, Grayson McIvor, Luke Fourniotis, Steve Powell, Steven Danyluk and Filip Gregov.

And while the season is already being dubbed the most explosive yet, John says the biggest lesson remains painfully simple.

'Language is very powerful,' he said.

'Just because you're saying you're being honest, you do need to think about how you speak to someone and how you put that across, because language can really make or break a relationship.'