Spoilers ahead for MAFS Australia.
Let’s take a break from the relentless female feuds on MAFS Australia and turn our attention to Rachel and Steven. Unlike many of their counterparts – Gia and Scott or Bec and Danny – these two kept their eyes firmly on the prize: actually finding love. They refused to get swept up in the chaos, steering clear of the kind of explosive blow-ups we saw with Juliette and Joel or Brook and Chris.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re no Stella and Filip, but Rachel and Steven quietly outperformed a lot of the other MAFSAU couples this season. Both had been single for years, were open about their insecurities, and came into the experiment genuinely ready to meet their person.
So, did it work? Did Rachel and Steven go the distance after MAFS? Let’s get into it.
Rachel and Steven's journey on MAFS Australia
While the wedding went relatively well, Rachel was left disappointed when Steven didn’t compliment her appearance. After raising it with him, he apologised and made an effort to put things right.
During their honeymoon, what should have been a light-hearted moment quickly spiralled when Steven made a comment about Rachel’s love of football, leaving her visibly upset and fleeing their date in tears. It highlighted a major hurdle in their relationship: their very different communication styles.
Rachel later made a conscious effort during Intimacy Week to dial up the romance. In a vulnerable gesture, she planned a Love Actually-style moment, asking Steven for a meaningful kiss.
“I can kiss you Rachel, I can kiss you but I'm not sure that it'll make you feel something,” he admitted, confessing he felt more like they were “friends” than lovers.
Humiliated, Rachel left the apartment in tears.
Despite these early setbacks, Rachel and Steven began to make real progress. At their first Commitment Ceremony, they appeared completely smitten, bonding over shared experiences and a shared sense of humour.
During Friends and Family Week, Steven was encouraged to be more physically affectionate with his wife, and he seemed to take this advice on board.
And when Bec’s comments at the Couples Retreat left Rachel deeply hurt, the conflict ultimately strengthened their bond, with Steven firmly by her side. It even led to a rare PDA moment at the next dinner party — a win.
Will WifeTok survive this?
Did Rachel and Steven stay together at Final Vows?
“I’m nervous,” said the groom on the morning of Final Vows. “We’ve had a few hiccups in the experiment and I haven’t been the greatest husband either.
“There is that thought in the back of my head that long distance, potential career changes — I’ve got these concerns polluting my head.”
The pair met on the grounds of Centennial Park, Sydney, for their Final Vows.
Things started off strong, as Steven told his wife she looked “beautiful” — clearly learning from the first wedding.
Rachel went first, reflecting on both the highs and lows of their relationship. “You accepted me in ways I didn’t know I needed, from getting emotionally attached to our fish, to singing the same line of a song on repeat, you’ve never asked me to tone it down, be less or shrink myself to fit beside you,” she said.
“You’ve let me be me completely and that’s all I ever wanted. I choose you, Steven. No hesitation, no holding back.
“I want to walk out of this experiment hand-in-hand with you, ready to keep building something messy, something beautiful, something real and entirely ours.”
She sealed her vows with a passionate kiss, and then it was Steven’s turn. “I had hope but I also found it hard to imagine anyone ever loving someone like me,” he said. “Rachel, you really changed that for me. You taught me that my heart wasn’t broken, it was just waiting for the right person to see it and that person is you, Rachel.”
“So today, I’m standing here to tell you that I choose you. I choose your smile, your laugh, your fire, and I promise from this day forward to show up for you, take every risk with you and to never stop choosing you.
“I am falling for you. Rachel, I choose you and I’m diving in head first, fearless.”
(Yes, that was an intentional Taylor Swift reference; Rachel is a confirmed Swiftie.)
Rachel later told Mamamia that by this point, she and Steven had moved far beyond surface-level dating. They were already mapping out a shared future, from children to a forever home and even a dream coastal lifestyle.
Are Rachel and Steven still together after MAFS?
In the three weeks between Final Vows and the MAFS reunion dinner party, Rachel and Steven split.
The disappointed bride revealed the shock news on the It’s A Lot podcast, telling host Abbie Chatfield: “On the last commitment ceremony, I expressed my concern that Steven was going to go back to his normal life, and I would become a burden and it’s going to be easier to let me go, which I very much feel like that’s what’s come to fruition.”
According to Rachel, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, cracks began to show almost immediately after filming wrapped.
Despite making big promises about building a future together, Steven returned to his normal life in Sydney and failed to fully show up for the relationship.
“We’d really spoken about him coming to Melbourne… that was his opportunity to show up for me,” she explained. “But there was always an excuse and a reason not to come.”
We can't unsee this.
Steven ultimately ended the relationship, allegedly telling her: “I don’t think I can be the man that Rachel wants me to be.”
Rachel insisted she never asked him to change and was willing to move to Sydney for him, but believes his feelings ultimately didn’t match hers.
Neither Rachel nor Steven is publicly dating anyone at the moment.
Are Rachel and Steven friends after MAFSAU?
Despite the heartbreak, Rachel insists there’s no animosity between them.
“Steven still has a very special place in my heart,” she told the Daily Mail. “Seeing him is always really nice… it’s weirdly still a bit of a safe place for me.”
The pair were even photographed hugging at a reunion event and continue to speak warmly about one another. Friendship, it seems, is still very much on the table, but romance? That chapter appears to be closed.
Time for both of them to queue up some Taylor Swift and Begin Again.
