MAFS Australia's Dave slammed by ex-fiancée over 'good guy narrative'

4 April 2025, 12:19

MAFS Australia's Dave has been slammed for his 'good guy' narrative on the dating experiment. Picture: Nine

By Jenny Medlicott

Dave’s ex-fiancée has reportedly ‘had enough of his good guy narrative’ on MAFS Australia.

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Married At First Sight Australia groom Dave Hand quickly earned a reputation for himself as the ‘big friendly giant’ when he joined the experiment.

He and his MAFS bride Jamie soon became fan favourites as they won over the hearts of those watching from home. But now new information has come to light which claims Dave might not be the ‘good guy’ he’s always made out to be in the show.

Stephanie Jaksch allegedly dated the MAFS groom for three-and-a-half years before his stint on the show and were apparently even engaged!

But just 12 months after popping the question, the couple called off their engagement and pulled the plug on their relationship altogether.

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Dave and Jamie on MAFS Australia. Picture: Nine

According to Woman’s Day, the pair initially left things on good terms, until they learned that Dave had allegedly applied to go on a reality TV almost immediately after their split.

A friend of his ex told the outlet: “They split, and as we all found out, he went straight on to apply to go on reality TV!”

The groom applied to a show called FBoy Island, the friend claimed, before adding: “Applications for FBoy Island closed around the time of their split in November 2023.”

Dave’s application to the show wasn’t successful, but production company Endemol Shine reportedly 'offered him MAFS' instead because they saw something in him.

Despite Dave and Stephanie seeming to end things on good terms, it wasn’t until the show’s lineup was announced that she discovered her ex was set to appear on Australia’s biggest dating show.

Naturally, the revelation left her shocked, but she was even more taken aback by the ‘tough guy with a heart of gold’ portrayal he was given.

The pal finally added: “She’s had enough of his 'good guy' narrative. Dave wasn’t ready for a serious relationship with Steph. That was very clear when they broke up. It is hard to imagine much had changed in the months between separating from her and going on MAFS.”

And the revelation came as a huge shock to Dave’s MAFS bride Jamie, who was reportedly "blindsided" by the new intel and made her feel as though "it’s all been a bit of a lie".