Suchismita Ghosh
Australia’s ‘Married at First Sight’ airing on Nine Network is a reality show with a twist. Following a social experiment route, it brings on board strangers intending to test their compatibility to see whether they’d want to spend their lives together. In season 7, Adelaide natives Michael Goonan and Stacey Hampton too signed up for the show to see if the experiment would help them find their perfect matches.
The two were paired with each other and battled with their shares of ups and downs to try and find a common ground for their relationship. However, within no time they had become one of the most loved couples of the season, with many believing that they’d go the distance once the cameras would stop rolling. While it has been quite some time since the 2020 season ended, fans of the show have been wondering about the current equation between Michael and Stacey.
Stacey and Michael Had a Shaky Start
A 25-year-old mother of two, Stacey was the embodiment of beauty with brains. She held high expectations from her potential partner. Having dealt with tragedies in the family, she was scared to let her guard down but was now willing to give herself a chance at love. Meanwhile, Michael, 28 at the time and father to a toddler, was a confident alpha male. Having found success professionally at a young age, the company director was looking for a woman who would challenge him and make him a better man.
While both were a ball of nerves for their first meeting, their first encounter soon eased the equation. Michael was blown away by his gorgeous blonde bride-to-be. As for Stacey, she was yet to form an opinion. Their initial ceremony went well, but incompatibility issues soon began to crop up. While Michael was fun and goofy, Stacey was firm and icy, making it awkward for the pair to open up. However, a confrontation eventually led Stacey to apologize and offer a fresh start. While the ship had just about started to get steady, the second day of their honeymoon saw the couple fight.
With Michael having left for drinks with a few guy friends the night before and having returned to show his arrogance, Stacey was in no mood to accept any apologies. Despite the turbulent start, the couple slowly began to find their stride. During Intimacy Week, a reserved Stacey was able to open up to Michael, leading them to understand each other’s aspirations and qualities a bit better. Sadly, the couple simply couldn’t catch a break, with allegations of Michael’s cheating with Hayley Vernon coming to light.
While it seemed like all hope was starting to dwindle, a forgiving Stacey accepted to let this one go, thus asserting that the couple was ready to survive it all. Right ahead of their Final Vows, Michael decided to test Stacey to see whether she genuinely loved him and wasn’t in it merely for financial stability. Luckily, everything went smoothly, and both wrote “stay” on their cards and left fans convinced that they were stronger than ever.
Stacey and Michael Have Separately Moved On In Life
While everything seemed perfect on the surface, Stacey and Michael’s blooming love was eventually cut short by cheating allegations. The couple chose to split during the season finale after the reunion dinner party saw Stacey getting exposed to a one-night stand with fellow contestant Mikey Pembroke. Both Michael and Stacey chose to deny the cheating allegations against them despite the people they’d allegedly cheated with claiming that the incidents happened. Despite a conclusive end not being reached, the two chose to call it quits on the grounds of a lack of trust.
After the series ended, Michael, in conversation with New Idea opened up about dating his co-star KC Osbourne five weeks before the finale in 2020. The couple had isolated together during COVID-19 and Michael had introduced her to his son as well. However, the couple amicably called it quits within five months. In September 2020, Stacey and Michael seemed to have rekindled their friendship after the two were spotted together on the Gold Coast and Michael also shared snaps from their catch-up. However, it is unclear if they kept in touch after.
This came after Michael made a public appeal on his social media, requesting Stacey to give them another chance to be friends again. In December 2021, he started dating Katie Nicole John and debuted with her on social media to the delight of fans. However, it’s unclear if the couple is still together. He also appeared in season 2 of ‘Celebrity Ex on the Beach.’ The series also starred his ex KC, and was supposed to star Stacey too but she chose to walk out before filming started. Michael, who is active on social media, is often seen sharing snaps of his son Connor and of his friends and family.
Meanwhile, Stacey too shared images of Anthony Messina, the new man in her life in April 2020. However, the couple seems to have broken up soon after. Despite rumors of her dating life, Stacey insists that she’s currently single and is focused on raising her two sons, Kosta and Kruz, and is looking to heal and work on herself. In December 2022, she’d shared a heartbreaking reel about the father of her kids, who had passed away in a motorcycle crash. The social media ambassador is quite active on her social media and ensures that fans stay abreast with the latest happenings of her life.
Read More: MAFS Australia Season 5: Which Couples Are Still Together?
