Suchismita Ghosh
The Nine Network Australian television series ‘Married at First Sight’ is a reality show revolving around strangers finding compatibility with each other. In season 8, Queensland teacher Alana Lister was paired with fellow Queensland construction estimator Jason Engler. While she was an emotional fast talker with a heart of gold, he was the life of the party and was looking to move on from his bachelor days and find someone permanent to settle with.
The couple were an instant hit from the moment their eyes first met. Their compatibility was electrifying and quite visible to ardent fans of the show, who believed that Alana and Jason had the potential to be a ‘MAFS’ success story. So, was the couple’s relationship able to stand the test of time?
Alana and Jason Didn’t Have a Smooth Sailing Journey on the Show
After a smitten 30-year-old Alana and an equally mesmerized Jason, then 35, tied the knot, there were instant sparks. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing throughout. While Alana had been pretty clear about wanting a husband with whom she could start a family, her concerns were aggravated when she learned of Jason’s past as a party freak. Despite the worries, the pair had ended their day on a happy high after Jason gave an emotionally charged speech at their wedding. The good mood continued through the night when they happily arrived in their suite, and the couple comfortably settled in.
The couple who had strong sexual chemistry helped them find success with intimacy and deal with the problems of communication. Alana, for their Love Languages Test, chose to cook dinner for Jason in her lingerie, an act that won his heart and made him loved and cared for. Despite easing into each other’s likes and dislikes, the couple had their differences when Alana chose to speak on fellow couple Melissa and Bryce’s relationship. While Alana believed his supporting Bryce meant that he harbored similar sentiments within him, Jason simply wanted to stand by his friend and believed that every decision the latter was taking was for a reason, despite it backfiring.
What put further cracks in their relationship was when Alana chose to bring up his allegiance during the Couple’s Retreat. Her act left Jason completely blindsided against all the other couples. It also angered him a great deal as he’d shared all that in confidence with her and didn’t expect her to blurt it out in the open. The problem became a huge issue for the couple and consistently weighed in their minds right up to the Final Vows. Jason looked for advice from his mother when making his final decision. While she asked him to follow his heart, he struggled with weighing the pros and cons as both seemed present in equal measures.
However, upon realizing that Alana made him a better man, he decided to continue with their relationship. Meanwhile, Alana, having pondered over their relationship during their time away from each other, realized it would be best for them to call it quits. As an emotional Jason blurted out all he had to say about their time during the experiment and about falling in love with her, Alana realized that despite being willing to call it quits, she wanted to give their relationship a chance. Eventually, the happy and relieved couple decided to walk out together, intent on a future together.
Alana and Jason Have Moved On in Their Respective Lives
Despite the topsy-turvy journey endured by Alana and Jason, the couple’s decision to want to stick around was appreciated by fans. However, the happiness was short-lived, as the pair soon parted ways. In April 2021, Jason confirmed the couple’s split on his social media. While he said “outside influences” might have been responsible for them not working out, Alana had a completely different narrative. In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Life!, Alana referred to the controversial video of Jason and their co-stars Georgia Fairweather and Johnny Balbuziente mocking bisexual groom Liam Cooper.
Alana stated, “Well, obviously the controversy was something that ended our relationship, so it impacted me in the way that Jason and I are not together anymore.” Revealing her relationship status at the time, she added, “I’m not even dating anyone, I’m not even talking to anyone. I don’t want to make a Bumble account and then have it get (screenshot) and then (an article) will come out and say, ‘Alana on dating sites!’ So, I’ve not even tried to get onto the dating scene yet.” After their split, Alana and Jason decided to focus on their lives.
While Jason started dating ‘MAFS’ season 7 star KC Osborne in May 2021, the couple called it quits shortly after, in August 2021. Jason currently resides in Brisbane and chooses to focus on his life by maintaining a low profile. His social media suggests he’s kept in touch with fellow ‘MAFS’ season 8 contestants Jake Edwards, Bryce Ruthven, and Melissa Rawson. Sometime after their split, Alana dated Ben Mitchell, but it isn’t clear if the two are still together.
In April 2022, Alana, who currently resides in California, spoke of a nightmarish stalker experience she had. Sharing the ordeal with her fans, the well-known OnlyFans creator narrated how the person whom she met at ‘Coachella’ seemed to know every aspect of her life and had hacked all her social media accounts and bank accounts. Alana is quite active on social media and is often seen sharing snippets of herself with fans on her social media.
Read More: Melissa and John: Has the MAFS Australia Couple Separated?
