The Married At First Sight 2025 cast are no strangers to fuelling romance speculation – but the latest social media activity from Awhina Rutene has set tongues wagging.
The 31-year-old bride was spotted in Perth holding hands with fellow groom Dave Hand, sparking fresh rumours of a possible post-show couple swap.
In footage shared online over the weekend, Awhina looked smitten as she walked hand-in-hand with Dave, dressed casually in a white tank top and high-waisted jeans.
The video quickly sent the internet wild, with some speculating that Awhina has now moved on with her best friend Jamie Marinos‘ TV ex-husband.
But the reality star has since cleared the air, insisting the interaction was nothing more than friendly.
Posting to her Instagram stories, she wrote: ‘Guys, Dave is a friend, this is a TT trend where it emphasises height difference.’
The Married At First Sight 2025 cast are no strangers to fuelling romance speculation – but the latest social media activity from Awhina Rutene has set tongues wagging. (Pictured L-R: Awhina Rutene, Dave Hand and Carina Mirabile)
The 31-year-old bride was spotted in Perth holding hands with fellow groom Dave Hand , sparking fresh rumours of a possible post-show couple swap
She continued: ‘I think everyone knows how much I valued Dave during filming but just so we’re all clear I am single, and currently content not being in a relationship right now.’
Her post comes amid whispers that she and Dave had grown closer after filming, with fans quick to point out their chemistry in behind-the-scenes clips.
Meanwhile, Billy Belcher – who enjoyed a few weeks of flirtation with Awhina post experiment – appeared to send his own cryptic message.
The English tradie shared a photo of a mystery brunette walking along a Perth beach, adding a poll that read: ‘Soft launch? Yes/No.’
The timing of Billy’s post hasn’t gone unnoticed, with fans suggesting it was a subtle swipe following Awhina’s video.
The unlikely sighting comes just weeks after Billy was filmed kissing a busty blonde in Bali, just days after Awhina jetted home to Perth from the island.
Awhina had been staying with the 32-year-old tattooed tradie in a luxury villa where they celebrated his birthday.
Billy was spotted packing on the PDA with a mystery blonde at a local Bali nightclub in July.
But the reality star has since moved to clear the air, insisting the interaction was nothing more than friendly
Awhina was previously romantically linked to fellow groom Billy Belcher – but this was proven to be just friendly banter
In footage obtained by Daily Mail, the English groom was seen grinding and cuddling up to the leggy partygoer inside a dimly lit club.
Wearing a red and white oversized jersey with the number ’07’ and a backwards cap, Billy danced, held hands and leaned in close to the blonde, who wore a revealing backless black dress.
At one point, the pair appeared to share a kiss on the dancefloor.
An onlooker told Daily Mail: ‘They were all over each other. No attempt to hide it.’
When approached for comment, Awhina played down any romantic interest in Billy, telling Daily Mail that the pair were ‘just friends.’
The pair also released a video confirming they are enjoying a ‘close friendship’ and are no longer romantically linked.
During the show, Awhina and Billy bonded over their emotional turmoil during the infamously dramatic ‘wife swap’ scandal, which saw her partner Adrian and his spouse Sierah entangled in secret flirtations.
Their friendship deepened post‑show, and the duo were photographed holding hands on a Valentine’s Day beach walk.
In footage obtained by Daily Mail, the English groom was seen grinding and cuddling up to the leggy partygoer inside a dimly lit club in Bali
Wearing a red and white oversized jersey with the number ’07’ and a backwards cap, Billy danced, held hands and leaned in close to the blonde, who wore a revealing backless black dress
Billy also attended Awhina’s 31st birthday alongside her twin Cleo, and they enjoyed several dates in Perth.
Despite this, Awhina repeatedly described the relationship as ‘purely platonic’.
Yet in early June, the pair soft‑launched their relationship by posting a cosy Instagram carousel captioned: ‘I’ll keep this one.’
They officially went public soon after.
Awhina then introduced Billy to her son Landon – an important step, given she met him during filming.
Many viewers had long suspected Awhina and Billy’s chemistry, noting that the MAFS experts got it wrong by not pairing them in the first place.
Daily Mail has reached out for comment to Awhina, Billy and Dave.
