MAFS Australia's Jono reveals why he didn't tell Lauren about Ellie before reunion

30 April 2024, 12:47

Jono claims that producers told him and Ellie to keep their relationship a secret before the reunion. Picture: Channel Nine / Ellie Dix - Instagram

By Alice Dear

Married At First Sight's Jonathan and Ellie have received a lot of backlash for the way they treated Lauren at the reunion when they debuted their new relationship to the group.

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Jono and Ellie left their fellow grooms and brides shocked as they walked in to the MAFS reunion dinner party hand-in-hand, but none more so than Jonathan's ex-wife Lauren who he repeatedly told that there was nothing going on between him and the other bride.

While the couple were greeted by some happy faces in the group, ecstatic to see that they had found love despite their on-screen romances not working out, others were left stunned and blindsided by the revelation.

The expressions from Lauren, Sara and the rest of the group confirms that no one had any idea about Jono and Ellie, which has lead some fans to criticise the couple for not giving Lauren a heads-up before strolling in together.

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Now, Jono has revealed the real reason he kept his relationship with Ellie a secret until the reunion, explaining that they were "sworn to secrecy" by the producers, who we're guessing would love the idea of the pair debuting their relationship in front of the cameras.

Lauren and Jono were reunited at the reunion commitment ceremony where he was questioned why he hadn't told his ex about Ellie. Picture: Channel Nine

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jono said: "We were sworn to secrecy, so we were told we couldn’t tell anyone. The last conversation I had with Lauren was abusive, so I didn’t really feel the need to let her know, we were told not to, so that was the one condition of us coming back."

He went on to claim that the producers told him and Ellie "you’re not allowed to talk to anyone" and that they flew them down to film the reunion separately so they weren't seen together before the big reveal.

READ MORE: MAFS Australia's Ben takes brutal swipe at Jono and Ellie's 'fake' relationship
READ MORE: Here's everything that happened at the MAFS Australia 2024 reunion
READ MORE: MAFS Australia's Madeleine reveals why she wasn't at the reunion

"They put us in a hotel by ourselves, away from all the other cast members. So yeah, it was a big secret they wanted to keep," Jono said.

Ellie and Jono became a couple shortly after MAFS stopped filming, and debuted their relationship to the group at the reunion. Picture: Channel Nine

Having kept his promise with producers to keep his relationship with Ellie a secret until the dinner party, Jono was later left upset by the edit they were given with the final episodes, saying that they "took that and threw it in their faces".

“They [made] it look like we blindsided our partners and [that] we really enjoyed rubbing it in. We really didn’t. Everyone was so happy to see us when we walked in," the groom added.

Lauren had no idea Ellie and Jono were together, and was left shocked when they entered the reunion together. Picture: Channel Nine

This comes as Jono's ex Lauren recently took to social media to defend Ellie after she was targeted by trolls after the reunion episodes aired in Australia.

Meanwhile, Ben has not held back on his feelings about Jono and ex Ellie, claiming that the pair's relationship is for "publicity" and that he "doesn't buy" what they're selling.