Married At First Sight firecracker Gia Fleur pulled out all the stops for her 35th birthday – but it was the guest list, not the cake, that had tongues wagging.
The controversial bride hosted a lavish celebration at hotspot Criniti's, stepping out hand-in-hand with her new beau Alan Wallace as the pair packed on the PDA in front of stunned guests.
The blonde bombshell looked every inch the birthday queen in a figure-hugging pink floral dress, which clung to her famous curves and showcased her heavily tattooed arm.
Her long platinum locks were styled in soft waves, while her full-glam makeup featured bronzed skin, sculpted cheekbones and a glossy nude lip.
Clutching a bouquet of pastel pink flowers, Gia arrived in high spirits, greeting friends with kisses before heading inside for a night of pizza, pasta and plenty of drama.
And while the party looked picture-perfect on the surface, insiders say the real story was who made the cut – and who didn't.
Married At First Sight firecracker Gia Fleur pulled out all the stops for her 35th birthday – but it was the guest list, not the cake, that had tongues wagging
Gia hosted a lavish celebration at Melbourne hotspot Criniti's
Among those in attendance were fellow MAFS stars Rebecca Zukowski, Luke Fourniotis, Chris Nield and Chris Robinson, all of whom appeared to rally around the birthday girl.
But notably absent was Gia's on-screen husband Scott McCristal – replaced instead by her new partner Alan, dressed in a custom Gia shirt, confirming once and for all that their marriage is well and truly over.
Even more shocking was the absence of her supposed 'ride or die' Juliette Chae, as well as Melissa 'Mel' Akbay, Alissa Fay and Rachel Gilmore.
Daily Mail understands Rachel was originally invited but ultimately chose to skip the event, wanting to distance herself from the ongoing drama engulfing the cast.
Also missing in action were Stella Mickunaite and Stephanie Marshall – suggesting deep fractures remain within the friendship circle.
But in a twist no one saw coming, Gia's longtime rival Bec Zacharia somehow scored an invite.
And according to Bec, their feud may be a thing of the past.
'I definitely didn't like Gia,' Bec told Daily Mail on the day.
'I knew that she and I were going to be at loggerheads like the whole season.'
The blonde bombshell looked every inch the birthday queen in a pink floral dress, which clung to her famous curves
Her long platinum locks were styled in soft waves, while her full-glam makeup featured bronzed skin, sculpted cheekbones and a glossy nude lip
Clutching a bouquet of pastel pink flowers, Gia arrived in high spirits
And while the party looked picture-perfect on the surface, insiders say the real story was who made the cut – and who didn't
Farmer Chris appeared to be in good spirits as he hugged the birthday girl
'The reason why I'm here tonight: we connected because we went through a really, really hard time,' she continued.
'We became really good friends, and now she's the one I love. You know, we're all just women trying to make it in this dog eat dog world.'
The unlikely alliance comes after months of explosive clashes between the pair during filming, with insiders previously describing them as 'arch nemeses'.
The Mail understands Bec and Gia are now no longer on talking terms.
Meanwhile, Gia appeared completely smitten with Alan throughout the night, with the pair seen laughing, whispering and embracing as they celebrated her milestone birthday.
The romance marks a dramatic new chapter for the bride, who has openly admitted she could no longer pretend her marriage to Scott was still intact.
'Navigating the new relationship has been hard, which is why I've done no Stan show and minimal press because I can't keep pretending I'm with Scott when I'm so in love with Alan,' she told Daily Mail of her whirlwind romance.
Among those in attendance were fellow MAFS stars Rebecca Zukowski (pictured), Luke Fourniotis, Chris Nield and Chris Robinson
Gia was also joined by her bestie Wil Thompson (left) and Luke Fourniotis
But notably absent was Gia's on-screen husband Scott McCristal
Gia's new man Alan was pictured walking alongside her co–star Chris Nield
The pair appeared to be getting along like a house on fire
But in a twist no one saw coming, Gia's longtime rival Bec Zacharia somehow scored an invite
And according to Bec, their feud may be a thing of the past
'I definitely didn't like Gia. I thought that her, but I knew that she and I were going to be at loggerheads like the whole season,' Bec told Daily Mail at the time. (Bec pictured with Luke)
Do you think Gia was right to cut close friends from her birthday or did she go too far with her guest list?
'It's hard to be fake and lie and I don't want to upset Alan, so we're just focusing on our real life together.'
Gia said their connection began toward the end of filming before officially kicking off around New Year's Eve, after months of on-and-off communication.
And it seems the spark was instant.
'When I saw Alan for the first time I knew I liked him because I was getting super jealous of him speaking to another girl,' she admitted.
'I was following him around most of the day trying to see if they were going to kiss or not. I was instantly like that's my man – he just doesn't know it yet.'
With her MAFS marriage in the rear-view mirror and a new romance firmly in the spotlight, Gia's birthday bash proved one thing – she's rewriting the script on her own terms.
But as alliances shift and friendships fracture, one question remains.
In the ever–changing world of MAFS, who's really on Gia's side?
