Four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan walked the BAFTAs red carpet in a custom Louis Vuitton gown on Sunday, but behind closed doors the actress indulged in the same guilty pleasure as some two million Aussies.
In a new interview with W magazine, the American-born Irish star said Married At First Sight Australia is unequivocally her favourite reality television show.
‘The Aussies are extra! As they say it themselves, they are so hectic. They take it somewhere else,’ she said.
‘I skipped the American version and the one in the UK. I’ve gone straight to Australia.’
There are 18 seasons of American MAFS, nine seasons of MAFS UK, and the twelfth season of MAFS Australia is currently airing.
Although MAFS has aired in six different countries, the Australian format has attracted celebrity fans such as Lindsay Lohan and Sam Smith because of its high-octane drama and endless shock twists.
The American W magazine interviewer, who didn’t seem to be familiar with the series, asked the Normal People star if any of the TV couples stay together.
‘Yeah!’ Saorise, 30, answered. ‘None of them do
‘In the season that I’m currently watching, I don’t think any of them stay together. Except for one couple,’ she added.
‘They were matched with different people and then they started secretly texting… behind each other’s backs.’
Fans believe that Saiorse is referring to notorious season 11 ‘cheaters’ Jono McCullough and Ellie Dix, who in November celebrated their one-year anniversary and purchased a home together in Burleigh Heads.
Jono and Ellie caused controversy on last year’s season of MAFS when their cheating drama was exposed while Jono was married to Lauren Dunn.
Saoirse, who has starred alongside Paul Mescal in two movies made in Australia, and no doubt met many A-list actors in her glittering career, went on to reveal that meeting the Australian cast of MAFS has been a long-held dream.
‘If I met someone from Married At First Sight Australia, I would die,’ she said excitedly.
‘No, they’re too hectic. We’re not hectic enough for them.’
Saiorse Ronan, pictured at the 2025 BAFTA Awards, said that she ‘skipped’ the US and UK versions of Married At First Sight and ‘went straight to Australia’
Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan, 30, and her husband Jack Lowden walked the red carpet for the 2025 BAFTAs on Sunday February 16 in London
Jono and Ellie, who were initially matched with other partners on MAFS, celebrated their one-year anniversary in November 2024
Relationship expert Melanie Schilling, who stars in both the UK and Australian versions of dating franchise, has previously said there is a difference in the pace of emotional openness between the Australian and UK participants.
Mel said the UK participants typically take a little while longer to reveal their true feelings, and as a result,
On Sunday, Saoirse and her rarely-seen husband Jack Lowden walked the red carpet together at the 2025 BAFTA Awards at Royal Festival Hall in London.
She was nominated for best leading actress for her role as Rona in The Outrun, against the likes of Cynthia Ervio in Wicket and Demi Moore in Substance.
Jack complemented his wife’s gown by dressing in a black Dior tuxedo and white button-down shirt, and finished his red carpet look with a black bow tie.
The Little Women actress and the Scottish actor tied the knot in a secret ceremony in Edinburgh, Scotland last year.
An extraordinary 2.53 million Australians tuned in to MAFS on Sunday, with more than 2 million people tuning in each night from Monday through Thursday as the reality juggernaut once again dominates the country’s TV ratings for Channel Nine.
