If Married At First Sight handed out awards for emotional sincerity, Rachel and Steven would be strong contenders.

From Rachel’s nervous laughter during their vows to the pair bonding over their shared insecurities, the two quickly emerged as one of the experiment’s more earnest matches.

Physical intimacy took a little longer to materialise, with Rachel’s Love Actually moment likely to live on in the franchise archive. Even so, the relationship appeared to be inching in the right direction, until the retreat introduced a few complications.
Image: Nine
Rachel entered the experiment carrying the weight of past relationships where she had often felt hidden away, the “secret” in situationships, rather than the woman someone was proud to stand beside.

What she wanted was simple: a partner who chose her publicly and wholeheartedly.

Steven seemed like a natural match. Frustrated by the exhausting checklist culture of modern dating, he told the experts he was simply looking for someone ambitious with a sense of humour who would accept him for who he is.

Are MAFS’ Steven And Rachel Still Together?

Despite making it to the Final Vows whereby the two reaffirmed their relationship by ‘choosing one another’, rumours are swirling that Steven and Rachel are no longer together.

Sources close to the couple told Now To Love the split came just days after filming wrapped — reportedly Steven’s call. “He basically told her he didn’t have the time to really get to know her,” the insider revealed.

Whether this is true or not will be revealed at the upcoming MAFS reunion.

What Happened Between Steven And Rachel At The Retreat?

Despite relatively smooth sailing throughout the experiment, their relationship was recently thrust into the spotlight following the latest episode of MAFS: After the Dinner Party, which aired previously unseen footage placing Steven at the centre of an X-rated controversy.

The clip, filmed shortly before Bec delivered her now-infamous crude toast at the retreat, showed Steven joking with her about explicit details of his intimacy with Rachel. The moment later sparked fallout between the couple.

Watching the footage back, Steven admitted he was “mortified.”

“I’m even shaking just seeing that back,” he said.

For Rachel, the clip also clarified why Bec felt comfortable making the remark in front of the group in the first place.

“I thought I was supported and I thought my partner had my back,” she explained. “But now it all makes sense.”

Turning to Steven, she added, “You essentially gave a green light to it.”
Image: Nine

Hosts Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne suggested the footage made it appear Steven had allowed Bec to take the fall for something he had also participated in. Steven denied this, insisting he never gave permission for the comment to be repeated publicly.

Steven ultimately apologised for his words, though he maintained the conversation had been private.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Rachel later admitted the retreat had a lasting impact on their relationship.

“The retreat in general impacted mine and Steven’s intimacy,” she said. “It very much put our relationship on ice and set us back because Steven also struggled to understand why it had upset me, even though I could clearly articulate why.”

“I just feel like I spent retreat trying to explain myself. We all have feelings and people’s feelings get hurt at different times by different things, and I don’t feel like anyone should have to explain that. It should simply be respected.”

Whether Rachel and Steven can recover from the fallout remains to be seen. For now, viewers will have to watch the rest of the season to find out if their sweet start can survive the experiment.