John Aiken has once again paid tribute to his former Married At First Sight colleague Dr Trisha Stratford.
The neuropsychotherapist, who worked alongside John, 54, for seven seasons of the series before her exit in 2019, died aged 72 in September 2023.
Now, two years on, her long-time friend has shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, posting: ‘Remembering Dr Trisha today. #mafs #mafsau #mafsaustralia #twopaddockswines.’
He also uploaded a photo alongside Trisha sitting courtside at the Australian Open, the next a photo of her smiling while on a coastal walk.
It comes after John marked the first anniversary of her passing last year with a reel of photos, sharing happy memories of their time working together.
The first snap showed John and Trisha sitting on the iconic experts’ couch during a filming break on MAFS.
John Aiken has once again paid tribute to his former Married At First Sight colleague Dr Trisha Stratford, two years after her death. Both pictured
The neuropsychotherapist, who worked alongside John, 54, for seven seasons of the series before her exit in 2019, died aged 72 in September 2023
Another image captured the pair smiling in the early years of the series, looking decades younger.
He also shared a photo of them with fellow MAFS expert Mel Schilling, before finishing with an intimate selfie with just him and Trisha.
John announced Trisha’s death at the age of 72 on September 19, 2023.
‘I’m heartbroken and devastated that my friend and dear colleague Trisha has passed away,’ he announced on Instagram at her passing.
‘We shared an amazing seven seasons of MAFS together. She loved everything New Zealand, relationships, the All Blacks, the Black Caps, French wine and travelling the world. I’ll miss you Tish. Thank you for all the memories.’
John appeared on the Today show to share his fondest memories of working with the neuropsychotherapist, telling co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo that Trisha was an ‘amazing woman’ and a ‘voice of reason’ on set.
When asked about the cause of death, John said he wanted to respect the wishes of Trisha and her family by keeping this information private.
‘Although she was on Australasia’s number one show, and also went around the world, she was also quite a private person and she had a lot of integrity,’ he said.
Now, two years on, her long-time friend has shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, posting: ‘Remembering Dr Trisha today’
‘I’m heartbroken and devastated that my friend and dear colleague Trisha has passed away,’ he announced on Instagram at her passing
Trisha’s impressive achievements include being a single mother to three girls while maintaining a high-stress career.
She was also the first ever sports journalist in New Zealand, and later became a war correspondent before retraining to become a clinical neuro-psychotherapist.
Channel 9 said in a statement at the time of her death: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Dr Trisha Stratford.
‘Our sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathies go out to her family and those closest during this difficult time.’
During her time on the show, Trisha was known for her ‘pheromone test’ and for asking participants whether they had been ‘intimate’ with each other.
She was part of the line-up for seven seasons, and announced in 2020 that she was stepping back ahead of the eighth season.
‘After seven seasons of Married At First Sight I have decided to step back from the television series to focus on my writing, research and neuropsychotherapy,’ Trisha said in a statement at the time.
In early 2021, Trisha also came forward to launch a scathing attack on the controversial reality series, claiming that it left her feeling ‘sick’.
‘By the end, I couldn’t compromise my professional and personal standards because there were participants on the show who I felt shouldn’t have been there,’ she told Woman’s Day New Zealand.
John previously shared a photo posing with fellow MAFS expert Mel Schilling (left)
