Married At First Sight fan favourites Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven unveiled a major transformation as they partied on a super yacht in Melbourne.
The couple took to Instagram to document the occasion, which was a raucous ‘divorce party’ for 2026 MAFS groom Scott MacCristal.
Both Bryce and Melissa, who rose to fame in the 2021 season of MAFS, were almost unrecognisable from their days on the Channel Nine reality juggernaut.
During their time on the show, Melissa was a blonde, while her reality beau sported a cropped shock of brown hair and designer stubble.
The couple looked completely different for their waterborne soirée, with a slimmed-down Melissa stepping out with straight chestnut hair that she kept under wraps with a zebra-patterned bandana.
She was a vision in black, too, looking every inch the rocker in a pair of leather pants and a figure-hugging long-sleeve top.
Married At First Sight fan favourites Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven unveiled a major transformation as they partied on a super yacht in Melbourne. The couple were almost unrecognisable from their days on the Channel Nine reality juggernaut
Bryce cut a very different figure, too, also looking slimmer than he did during his MAFS days.
Matching Melissa’s noir theme, Bryce wore a black corduroy jacket under a plain black T-shirt, matching with a pair of similarly coloured jeans.
While still sporting his designer stubble, Bryce had grown his hair out for a stylish, relaxed surfer ‘do’.
Captioning the post, Bryce wrote: ‘Black glamour,’ while revealing the yacht they partied on – The Queen Royal – was once owned by iconic INXS frontman Michael Hutchence.
The post was met with a flurry of comments from friends and followers, with many swooning over the couple’s obvious love for each other.
‘You two are just adorable together, you can see the love,’ one wrote.
Another offered a similar: ‘Definitely my favourite MAFS couple. Fab photos of you both, and Liss looks gorgeous.’
However, after the event, Melissa appeared to call out several reality TV personalities for their ‘biggest egos’ and ‘incredibly arrogant’ behaviour aboard the luxury vessel.
The couple looked completely different for their waterborne soirée, with a slimmed-down Melissa stepping out with straight chestnut hair that she kept under wraps with a zebra-patterned bandana
She was a vision in black, too, looking every inch the rocker in a pair of leather pants and a figure-hugging long-sleeve top
Bryce cut a very different figure, too, also looking slimmer than he did during his MAFS days. Matching Melissa’s noir theme, Bryce wore a black corduroy jacket under a plain black T-shirt, matching with a pair of similarly coloured jeans
Sharing a lengthy Instagram Story from the yacht’s bathroom mirror, Melissa did not hold back as she reflected on what she described as disappointing behaviour from some attendees.
‘Me in the yacht bathroom telling myself to check my facial expressions while making room for the biggest egos, I mean, ‘stars’ of reality TV,’ she wrote.
Melissa said while the evening itself was magical, not everyone onboard left a good impression.
‘I’m not about this, nor do I condone anything that I’ve heard or seen that is not respectful.’
Without naming names, Melissa’s pointed remarks have already sparked speculation among fans over which MAFS alumni she may have been referring to.
‘Want to know who the real, sweet, genuine people are? What about the incredibly arrogant (too many to list)? What about the mocking of people not there?’ she continued.
Despite being one of the strongest couples in MAFS history, Bryce and Melissa’s union on Married At First Sight was a flashpoint of controversy.
Some viewers accused Bryce of ‘domestic abuse’ and gaslighting, but Melissa always maintained she didn’t view their relationship as abusive.
Despite being one of the strongest couples in MAFS history, Bryce and Melissa’s union on Married At First Sight was a flashpoint of controversy. Some viewers accused Bryce of ‘domestic abuse’ and gaslighting, but Melissa always maintained she didn’t view their relationship as abusive
Despite the controversy, Bryce and Melissa’s relationship endured, with the couple welcoming twin boys – Levi and Tate – ten weeks early in October 2021, before tying the knot in 2023
A Change.org petition calling for Nine to apologise for ‘failing in its duty of care’ towards Melissa gained thousands of signatures.
However, the campaign was dismissed by the network and show producers.
Despite the controversy, Bryce and Melissa’s relationship endured, with the couple welcoming twin boys – Levi and Tate – ten weeks early in October 2021, before tying the knot in 2023.
‘We had planned to spend the weekend building the nursery and setting things up for the twins, but that all changed early Saturday morning,’ Bryce told New Idea of the premature birth.
‘Even though the boys have arrived early, they’re doing really well and are getting the best care possible.’
He added: ‘The boys are going to spend a few weeks in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). They’re responding well to treatment and are squeezing our fingers which is the best feeling in the world,’ he added.
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