Despite signing up for love some stars on Married At First Sight and The Bachelor have made serious money since appearing on reality TV.
From endorsements to modelling and media gigs, these savvy reality stars have managed to turn their fleeting notoriety into millions of dollars.
While some stars like Bronte Schofield, Hayley Vernon and Jessika Power have claimed to have made over $250,000 on OnlyFans – others haven’t had to resort to selling X-rated content to cash in on their 15 minutes of fame.
Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant (MAFS)
Jules Robinson, 41, and Cameron Merchant, 40, are one of the show’s most successful couples, and are among the handful who became ‘household names’.
Since meeting on the sixth season in 2019, the pair have been the faces of multiple brands and their Instagram accounts are filled with sponsored content.
They were also blessed with their first baby in late 2020, son Oliver Chase Merchant.
Jules Robinson, 41, (left) and Cameron Merchant, 40, (right) are one of the show’s most successful couples, and are among the handful of MAFS stars who became ‘household names’
Since meeting on the sixth season in 2019, the pair have been the faces of multiple brands and their Instagram accounts are filled with sponsored content
Jules’ main meal ticket these days is her shapewear line Figur.
The brand is a success internationally and still growing, with Jules recently telling Women’s Weekly: ‘I decided to make my superpower shapewear that always made everyone feel good. FIGUR was created with a really strong message of body positivity and with the reminder that underneath the material it is all you.’
Meanwhile, Cameron has reinvented himself as an advocate for men’s mental health, drawing upon his own experience with depression that followed his retirement from professional cricket.
While their precise net worth is unclear, they are clearly doing well for themselves as they splashed out $3.65million on their second home in March.
In July the couple welcomed their second baby, Joshua Haigh.
Like Jules and Cam, Martha Kalifatidis, 35, (left) and Michael Brunelli, 33, (right) have also done extremely well after being matched on the 2019 cycle of MAFS
Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli (MAFS)
Like Jules and Cam, Martha Kalifatidis, 35, and Michael Brunelli, 33, have also done extremely well after being matched on the 2019 cycle of MAFS.
Martha a former makeup artist, skillfully distanced herself from the drama of her season and established herself as one of Australia’s premier beauty influencers.
Meanwhile, her fiancé runs a successful fitness program called Tru Fit, which was inspired by his love of exercise and past career as a gym teacher.
The engaged couple have since welcomed their first child, Lucius, in March last year, which will no doubt lead to more sponsorship opportunities for baby products.
Former AFL-turned-Big Brother star Daniel Gorringe, 30, (pictured) has become an unexpected social media sensation – ballooning his follower count to 6.9 million on TikTok
Daniel Gorringe (Big Brother)
Daniel Gorringe, 30, who used to play in the AFL and then went on to star on Big Brother, has become an unexpected hit on social media.
His follower count has skyrocketed to 7 million on TikTok and 200,000 on Instagram.
The ex footy star skyrocketed even further to fame when he came in second in Channel Seven’s Big Brother reboot in 2020.
Daniel is now using his massive fanbase to launch his own Sippy lager beer brand and boasts close to one billion views on his TikTok account.
The social media star can earn a whopping $4,201 – $7,001 per video, thanks to his impressive follower count and 2.99 per cent engagement rate.
Abbie Chatfield, 29, (pictured) has completely changed what it means to be a ‘reality star’ after her stint on Matt Agnew’s season of The Bachelor
Abbie Chatfield (The Bachelor)
Abbie Chatfield has completely changed what it means to be a ‘reality star’ after her stint on Matt Agnew’s season of The Bachelor.
The 29-year-old has become a major presence in the media, creating a multi-million dollar company while doing it all on her own terms and staying true to herself.
Since The Bachelor, Abbie has gone on to win I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and host Binge dating show FBoy Island.
Laura Byrne, 38, (left) and Brittany Hockley, 37, (right) skyrocketed to fame after their appearances on The Bachelor, with their Life Uncut podcast reaching new heights
Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley (The Bachelor)
Laura Byrne, 38, and Brittany Hockley, 37, skyrocketed to fame after their appearances on The Bachelor, with their Life Uncut podcast reaching new heights
This year, the two had a show on the radio, toured the country to sold-out audiences each night, and snagged the Listener’s Choice Award at the Australian Podcast Awards for the third consecutive year.
Besides the podcast, Laura’s Instagram page has gained a remarkable amount of followers and boasts an engagement rate of 5.67 per cent.
Al Perkins, 27, (pictured) has become one of reality TV’s most surprising success stories after he was once dismissed as the cheeky party boy of his MAFS season
Al Perkins (MAFS)
He was once dismissed as the cheeky party boy of his MAFS season, known for his infamous ‘shoey’.
But fast forward, and Al Perkins, 27, has become one of reality TV’s most surprising success stories.
After his season, Al raked in $5,000 per nightclub appearance, touring the country to party with fans.
Instead of squandering his cash, Al made some savvy moves by investing it all into property.
He now owns a unit in Sydney, a house in the Central Cost and a duplex on the Gold Coast.
With 275,000 Instagram followers and a string of lucrative sponsored content deals, Al has cemented his position as one of reality TV’s smartest investors.
MAFS groom Duncan James, 38, (pictured) has also transitioned from reality star to successful entrepreneur, but in a very different field—cybersecurity
Duncan James (MAFS)
MAFS groom Duncan James, 38, has also transitioned from reality star to successful entrepreneur, but in a very different field—cybersecurity.
Duncan recently took to Instagram to announce the launch of his new company, CyberAI, which he co-founded with his best mate of over 20 years.
The business, which focuses on AI-native breach protection, aims to empower Australians with real-time cybersecurity solutions.
‘WE DID IT!!’ Duncan wrote, sharing photos of him and his co-founder.
‘They say don’t go into business with your best friend, so… that’s exactly what we are doing,’ he added.
The pair both quit their jobs to launch the company and are now fully focused on keeping Australians safe online.
On top of his thriving business, Duncan is also understood to be pocketing in five figure deals to promote brands on his Instagram account.
Melinda Willis, 34, (pictured) who captured Australia’s attention on Season 10 of MAFS with her sass and business savvy, is now the proud owner of a seven-figure beauty brand
Melinda Willis (MAFS)
Melinda Willis, 34, who captured Australia’s attention on Season 10 of MAFS with her sass and business savvy, is now the proud owner of a seven-figure beauty brand, Feather Sisters.
But her success didn’t come without its challenges.
Speaking on The Lazy CEO podcast, Melinda shared how a freak vending machine accident nearly derailed her career.
‘It had jammed the metal parts of the cross on my ligament,’ she recalled.
With her wrist out of action and unable to work, Mel found herself in a dark place, but that setback led her to start researching business ideas during her lunch breaks as a personal assistant.
With just $300, Melinda launched Feather Sisters, selling eyebrow pens.
Despite a rocky start, she made $100,000 in sales within the first three months.
Today, her brother Ryan handles the finances while Melinda drives the creative side of the booming business.
Lorinska Merrington, 38, (pictured) may not be a household name yet, but in the last four years she has become a true force to be reckoned, thanks to her starring role on Yummy Mummies
Lorinska Merrington (Yummy Mummies)
Yummy Mummies star Lorinska Merrington, 38, may not be a well-known name yet, but over the last four years she has become quite the influential figure.
When the show first came out on Channel Seven in 2017, it didn’t create much of a stir and it seemed like Lorinska’s media career had hit a dead end.
But then Netflix picked up the series and started airing it globally, and she quickly became a huge success.
Now, this former schoolteacher boasts an impressive 715K Instagram followers, a carefully crafted feed of family-oriented content, a luxurious baby clothing line, and a very popular pregnancy app.
Australia was mesmerised when Matty ‘J’ Johnson, 36, (pictured) found love with Laura Byrne on The Bachelor back in 2017
Matty ‘J’ Johnson (The Bachelor)
When Matty ‘J’ Johnson, 36, found a connection with Laura Byrne on The Bachelor in 2017, Australia was captivated.
It was then made apparent the former marketing manager was incredibly humorous, and he has since gained recognition for his amusing posts on social media.
Unlike other reality stars, Matty’s posts are entertaining and relatable, giving people an uncensored look into his life with his two children, as well as his relationship with Laura, through mini skits and other videos.
