While 2023 birthed a number of promising romances, we also bore witness to a sh*t-ton of dramatic AF reality TV breakups.
From on-screen hookups, secret Hinge profiles and cheating scandals aplenty, we’ve collated the spiciest celebrity splits of the year.
If you’re ready to relive the drama that is reality stars’ love lives, keep scrolling to uncover every reality TV breakups that had us SHOOK in 2023!
Kristy Woodruff and Shane Smith
My Mum Your Dad Australia Season Two’s Kristy Woodruff and Shane Smith sadly called it quits, despite having fans convinced that they were secretly engaged!
The pair were the only lasting couple from their season, after they were brought together by their respective daughters, Milli and Kayla.
In December, Shane’s daughter Kayla confirmed the sad news of her dad’s split from Kristy, saying: “The travel was too much so they decided to stay friends.”
Melinda Willis and Layton Mills
Married at First Sight Australia 2023 faves Melinda Willis and Layton Mills announced their split in October, one year after they met in the marriage experiment.
“After a lot of thought and consideration we have sadly decided to both take time apart,” Melinda wrote to her Instagram Story at the time.
“We still care very deeply for each other and this doesn’t mean our lives can’t come back together. But as of now, we think this decision is for the best.”
The pair have since unfollowed each other.
Thomas Malucelli and Leah Cummings
The Bachelors Australia 2023‘s Thomas Malucelli and Leah Cummings called time on their relationship in January, despite believing they were “soulmates” on the show.
Leah later revealed that they split because Thomas was an “anti-vaxxer” and held some pretty WILD views about modern medicine, requesting for Leah to “not get the fourth (COVID-19) vaccination”. Yikes.
“I’m upset because I considered it because I was in love with him,” Leah confessed at the time. “I was willing to risk my health to be with him.”
Mick Gould and Kayla Gray
Married at First Sight Australia 2019‘s Mick Gould and The Bachelor 2018‘s Kayla Gray silently split after four years together.
Whilst we assumed the couple were getting on swimmingly, Mick shocked his fans when he hard-launched his new bae, Crystal, on June 24.
To make matters worse, an insider told So Dramatic! that Mick split up with Kayla over text. And did somebody say messy?
Sophie Holcombe and Brenton Kuch
Farmer Wants A Wife Australia 2023‘s Brenton Kuch and Sophie Holcombe announced their breakup on July 1.
Whilst things seemed amicable at first, details of the messy split began to surface in August, with Sophie admitting she was “deeply hurt” by the breakup.
Brenton later revealed that the pressures of the real world and Sophie’s “doubts” and insecurities led to the demise of their relationship.
Liam Cooper and Samuel Levi
Married at First Sight’s Liam Cooper and Samuel Levi announced that they were “taking a break on [their] relationship“, despite still “lov[ing] each other immensely”.
The couple, who had been together since 2021, posted a joint statement to their Instagram Stories on April 4 to reveal the sad news.
“We’re using this time to find each other again and who knows what the future will hold,” they wrote.
Davina Rankin and Jaxon Manuel
Married at First Sight Australia 2018’s Davina Rankin sadly confirmed her split from her husband, Jaxon Manuel, after just one year of marriage.
On May 2, the 31-year-old influencer shared the news on her Instagram Story.
“Given the recent speculation, I feel like I need to confirm that Jax and I have separated,” she wrote. “My current focus is learning to navigate my new normal while providing a seamless and loving transition into co-parenting our daughter [Mila-Mae].”
Moana Hope and Isabella Carlstrom
Australian Survivor star Moana Hope and Isabella Carlstrom confirmed their split after three years of marriage.
On May 15, Isabella took to Instagram to announce the news.
“It’s with a heavy heart that Mo and I have decided to separate,” she wrote. “We will continue to raise our beautiful kids together as we consciously uncouple. We appreciate all the love and support over the years, thank you.”
Meanwhile, Moana told the Sydney Morning Herald that the couple had been “unhappy for a while“.
Moana has since gone public with her relationship with I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Australia‘s Maria Thattil.
Jessika Power and Connor Thompson
Married at First Sight Australia 2019 ICON Jessika Power and her boyfriend of two years, Connor Thompson, broke up in June.
“It was a mutual decision and we still care for each other, but things just change and that’s normal,” Jessika told So Dramatic!
She later told her Instagram followers that she’d taken the break-up pretty hard.
“[When we broke up], I cried my tiny, little heart out and there’s no water left in my body. I haven’t been eating, I haven’t been sleeping,” she shared at the time.
Melissa Leong and Rob Mason
Former Masterchef Australia judge Melissa Leong deleted all traces of her boyfriend Rob Mason from her Instagram in May, sparking rumours that the pair had split.
The couple had been together since September 2021.
Madi Clark and Matt Phelan
Love Triangle Australia 2022‘s Madi Clark and Matt Phelan called it quits after recoupling following their stint on the dating show.
Madi told So Dramatic! that the pair split due to “communication issues”.
“I think Matt needs to do some work before being in a relationship, which he has owned recently,” she admitted.
Jed McIntosh and Alesia Delaney
The Bachelors Australia 2023‘s Jed McIntosh confirmed his split from his final pick, Alesia Delaney, in February.
During an Instagram Q&A, Jed explained that Alesia was still the “number one woman” in his life, despite their split short after the show wrapped.
“Alesia and I, even though we’re not currently in a relationship, we are still continuing to grow together,” he said at the time.
And it seems like this is no longer true, because Jed hard-launched his new bae, Tori Tabbit, in August.
Felix Von Hofe and Jessica Navin
The Bachelors Australia 2023‘s Felix Von Hofe reportedly ghosted his final pick Jessica Navin once filming wrapped.
This was confirmed by a fan who slipped into Bachie alum Tara Pavlovic-Shepherdson‘s DM’s.
Felix then took one final jab at Jess, who famously had an open relationship with Damien Kelly, in his spicy Hinge bio, which read: “Green flags I look for: Someone who isn’t currently dating someone else.”
Brutal!
Tahnee Cook and Ollie Skelton
Over a year after getting hitched as strangers, Married at First Sight Australia 2023‘s Tahnee Cook and Ollie Skelton announced they broke up. #Devo!
Taking to Instagram with the shock announcement on December 13, Tahnee confessed that their “lives are taking [them] in different directions”.
Meanwhile, Ollie said the couple struggled to adjust to life outside of the experiment.
“If friendship was the foundation of us before love, I like to think it might be something we can share in the aftermath,” he wrote.
Insiders have since revealed Tahnee and Ollie have been “coasting for a while now”.
“We all knew this was coming,” they told Yahoo! Lifestyle. “It’s just awkward because Ollie moved his whole life here [Sydney] for Tahnee.”
Tully Smyth and Daniel Parisi
In May, two-time Big Brother Australia star Tully Smyth revealed that she’d broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Daniel Parisi.
After two years together, the reality star and her partner (who moved to the US for work) called it quits, with Tully telling her followers that their “impossibly difficult” long-distance relationship contributed to their split.
Taking to Instagram on May 30, Tully said the breakup wasn’t something she “ever imagined” would happen. However, life doesn’t always go “according to plan”.
She’s since debuted her new romance with Ned Rohrt.
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