Married At First Sight’s ‘gentle giant’ Dave Hand is exposed after split from his ex-fiancée: ‘Enough of this good guy narrative’
He’s a self-proclaimed gentle giant with a goofy side.
But Married At First Sight star Dave Hand isn’t the man he appears to be on the show, according his ex-fiancée’s friend.
Stephanie Jaksch dated Dave for almost four years and they became engaged in late 2022.
But the pair ended their engagement just 12 months later, and he is believed to have applied to star on dating show FBoy Island Australia not long after their split.
‘They split, and as we all found out, he went straight on to apply to go on reality TV,’ a close friend told New Idea.
The source claimed his application was unsuccessful but he was later offered a position on MAFS.
Married At First Sight star Dave Hand’s ex-fiancée has claimed he isn’t the man he appears to be on the show. Pictured Dave and Jamie
‘She’s had enough of his “good guy” narrative. Dave wasn’t ready for a serious relationship with Steph,’ they added.
‘That was very clear when they broke up. It is hard to imagine much had changed in the months between separating from her and going on.’
Dave has been paired with Jamie Marinos on the Channel Nine dating series and their relationship has been described as one of the strongest on the show.
However, an upcoming ‘couple swap’ engineered by the relationship experts in the experiment also spells the end for the former golden couple.
Dave is partnered with Veronica Cloherty for a week after she ranked him second in the infamous photo ranking task. And let’s just say, the chemistry is instant.
After being paired with Veronica, suddenly Dave finds himself questioning everything.
‘Everyone already knew Dave wasn’t really into Jamie,’ another source tells me.
‘They were mismatched from the start. He was never fully invested.’
Stephanie Jaksch (pictured) dated Dave for almost four years and they became engaged in late 2022
Spending time with Veronica only confirmed what he had been trying to ignore.
The source adds: ‘With Jamie, it always felt forced. But with Veronica, it was effortless. Zero pressure, no awkwardness – just easy conversation and natural chemistry.
‘The moment he felt that difference, he couldn’t unsee it.’
Meanwhile, Dave and Jamie faced their biggest challenge during the show’s fifth dinner party.
Jamie arrived ready for a fight, still reeling from what she saw as a betrayal by Carina and Rhi during the couples retreat after a heated fight with Lauren Hall.
She had expected their support, but instead, they had comforted Lauren following an argument, leaving Jamie feeling abandoned and blindsided.
Before stepping into the chaos, Jamie confided in Dave and their close ally, Teejay Halkias, making it clear she wasn’t backing down and wanted an apology.
But Carina and Rhi were not about to roll over, believing Jamie had been unfair in how she treated Lauren.
But the pair ended their engagement just 12 months later and he is believed to have applied to star on dating show FBoy Island Australia not long after their split
As the dinner party began, Jamie wasted no time confronting Carina, accusing her of siding with Lauren and failing to have her back.
But Carina’s response only poured fuel on the fire – calling Jamie’s behaviour at the retreat ‘mean girls antics.’
Jamie was furious and a heated argument erupted.
With emotions running high, Jamie turned her attention to Rhi, making it clear she felt hurt and let down.
Unlike Carina, Rhi apologised and Jamie accepted – but not without making it clear that Carina wasn’t getting the same grace.
The night ended with Carina storming away in tears, while Jamie and Dave remained united, proving once again that while friendships may fall apart, their relationship is only getting stronger.
