Married at First Sight expert dies – co-stars pay tribute

Married at First Sight Australia expert Dr Trisha Stratford has passed away at the age of 72. 

The sad news was announced by Trisha's co-star John Aiken, who said he was "devastated" in a post to Instagram.

Sharing a series of photos of the two of them, John wrote: "I'm heartbroken and devastated that my friend and dear colleague Trisha has passed away. 

"We shared an amazing seven seasons of @MAFS together. She loved everything New Zealand, relationships, the All Blacks, the Black Caps, French wine and traveling the world. I'll miss you Tish. Thank you for all the memories. Jx."

Fans were quick to offer their condolences in the comments section, with one person writing: "We are so sorry John, devastating," while another added: "Sorry to hear this sad news, John."

Fellow expert, Mel Schilling, who appears on both the Australian and UK versions of the show, also took to social media with a tribute to her former co-star. Alongside a carousel of images from their time working together, Mel penned in the caption: "Very sad to hear the news of Dr Trisha Stratford’s passing. Trisha was a MAFS pioneer, the first person to introduce neuroscience to the experiment, not to mention her illustrious career as a researcher and academic. 

© Mel Schilling/Instagram

"Trisha taught me so much about neuroscience, the science of attraction and the interplay between our brains and our behaviour. I know she spent the final years of her life with her Great Love and I’m so pleased to know she was surrounded by love & support. Vale Dr Trisha."

A spokesperson from Nine, which broadcasts MAFS Australia, said the network was deeply saddened to hear the news of Trisha's passing. "Our sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathies go out to her family and those closest during this difficult time."

READ: Meet the experts on Married at First Sight Australia

READ: MAFS Australia 2023: Which couples are still together?

Trisha, who was a clinical neuropsychologist, appeared on the reality dating show for seven seasons from 2015 until her departure in 2020. 

© Chris Hyde

At the time of her exit, she said in a statement: "I have decided to step back from the television series to focus on my writing, research and neuropsychotherapy."

However, in an interview with Women’s Day NZ from 2021, the expert revealed that part of the reason she left the programme was that the producers didn't listen to her pre-casting assessments. 

© Mel Schilling/Instagram

"By the end, I couldn't compromise my professional and personal standards because there were participants on the show who I felt shouldn't have been there," she explained. 

"If someone gets through the critical selection process when we say we don't want them on the show because they're quite fragile psychologically, they're not going to do well during or after the show.

© John Aiken/Instagram

"Then it got supersized ... The participants we got in seasons six and seven were so outrageous and outside the norm that it wasn't what I signed up for."

Trisha was born in Wellington, New Zealand. She lived and worked in Sydney before moving to Auckland in 2020. She leaves behind her daughter, Gina, and her partner Roger, who has three sons.