MAFS Australia participant shares unexpected baby bombshell at reunion

Fatherhood has been a lifelong dream for Chris.

Married At First Sight Australia reunions are usually dominated by explosive rows, cheating scandals and awkward confrontations. Tension was still running high in this Wednesday’s (13 May) finale after Bec discovered her former husband Danny had formed a connection online with another bride following the experiment, while Rachel and Steven’s relationship remained on a knife’s edge.

But the reunion delivered a different kind of surprise when groom Chris Robinson shared he had welcomed a baby daughter. The gym owner and farmer entered the experiment to find long-lasting love when he was paired with Adelaide fitness studio owner Sam Stanton. However, behind the scenes of the experiment, Chris was already navigating a deeply personal journey towards fatherhood.

During the season, Chris hesitated to fully explain that he had two children potentially on the way – one through sperm donation for a close friend, the other through an ongoing surrogacy. Concerned it could become a dealbreaker in his marriage to Sam, he initially kept parts of the situation to himself before eventually opening up.

Chris Robinson Instagram//Instagram

Although Sam ultimately accepted the revelation, their relationship gradually deteriorated as it became increasingly clear they were fundamentally incompatible. Tensions escalated during the later commitment ceremonies before Chris finally admitted he no longer believed the relationship could work outside the experiment.

Since filming wrapped, Chris’ life has changed dramatically. Speaking to New Idea following the reunion, the MAFS groom confirmed his daughter had been born in 2025 after filming his TV wedding. “I am her father, but she lives with her mother full time, and she makes all the decisions,” he said. “I see my daughter two or three times a week, and I’m very involved in her life.”

Rather than entering into a traditional co-parenting setup, Chris became a sperm donor for one of his close friends – a woman he has known for almost two decades. “I’ve wanted kids since my early twenties,” he said. “I jumped at the chance. We’ve been close friends for 17 years, so I knew we could make it work.”

Channel 4

However, he also shared a far more heartbreaking update about his second child after the reunion. The process became emotionally devastating. “I transferred one embryo halfway through filming, and it was unsuccessful, but I didn’t talk about it on the show,” he said. “And then I had a second transfer just before Reunion. That one was looking good, but unfortunately, the surrogate lost it.”

The loss deeply affected Chris behind the scenes, with MAFS bride Rachel becoming one of the people supporting him during the difficult period. But the miscarriage ultimately shaped the rest of his journey on MAFS. “I burst out in tears and cried to Rachel, and she consoled me,” he explained. “None of that was shown. That might have given people a bit of context as to why I wanted to leave.”

Since then, Chris has reconsidered his plans moving forward. “I’ve decided to put the second child on hold for a bit and try again probably later in the year,” he said. But fatherhood clearly remains central to Chris’ long-term future.

In fact, his responsibilities as a parents influenced his decisions throughout the experiment. “Going into MAFS, I had two deal breakers,” he remembered. “One was that I couldn’t relocate for my husband, if our marriage succeeds, because I need to be close to my daughter. The other condition was that my husband had to be child-friendly because I had already begun a separate surrogacy journey.”

Though Chris hasn’t found his perfect match on MAFS Australia, he’s found lifelong friends with whom he often shares the spotlight on his Instagram account. On social media, the farmer shares snaps and videos of his outings with co-stars Rachel and Stella. He’s even treated himself to a matching tattoo with Gia.

Married At First Sight Australia airs Thursday at 8pm on E4.