They walked away from Married At First Sight as the season's success story – and now Jeff Gobbels and Rhi Disljenkovic have opened up about life after the cameras stopped rolling.
The couple, who melted hearts during their Final Vows on Tuesday when they chose to stay together, have revealed what's next for their blossoming relationship and shut down swirling engagement rumours.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the Melbourne-based pair admitted there was never a doubt in their minds when it came to continuing their relationship beyond the controversial social experiment.
'No, I didn't have to think twice at all,' Rhi, 34, said. 'It was definitely an easy choice, thankfully.'
Jeff, 40, added: 'I'm a pretty positive person, so I did go into it hoping that would happen and really believing it would happen for me. And luckily it did.'
The fan-favourite couple – who famously had history before the show said the key to their success was emotional maturity, communication and focusing on their connection instead of the surrounding drama.
They walked away from MAFS as the season's undeniable success story – and now Jeff Gobbels and Rhi Disljenkovic have opened up about life after the cameras stopped rolling
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the Melbourne-based pair admitted there was never a doubt in their minds when it came to continuing their relationship beyond the social experiment
'Good communication and emotional maturity plays a huge part in any relationship,' Rhi explained. 'And that's one thing that Jeff and I were really good at throughout the experiment.'
Jeff added: 'It's heavily reliant on who you get partnered with. On paper, some people look like great matches, but when it comes down to it, sometimes they're not. In our case, we were a great match on paper and in real life.'
The couple revealed intimacy week was the moment they realised their spark was real, but things almost came undone after the infamous couples' retreat – when the toxic drama and relentless feuds left them questioning whether to stay.
'I remember saying to Jeff after the retreat, "I'm not sure if I can do this anymore",' Rhi admitted.
'But I realised we were there for our relationship, not the drama and that's why I stuck around.'
The truth about those engagement rumours
In recent weeks, fans and gossip magazines have speculated the pair were preparing to announce an engagement at the reunion or shortly after – but the couple say that's simply not true.
'I don't know where that rumour came from – that we're coming into the reunion engaged or something,' Jeff said.
The fan-favourite couple said the key to their success was emotional maturity, communication and focusing on their connection instead of the surrounding drama
'That's incorrect. It is still a fresh relationship. We've got so many things we want to do first – travel, spend time with family and friends. But if everything keeps going well like it is now, then who knows.'
Rhi added: 'There was an element of pressure during the experiment, where we felt like we had to fast-track things because other people were going faster, but I'm really glad we took it at our own pace.'
Watching the drama unfold
The loved-up pair also reflected on how it felt watching the season back – and how their experience differed from some of the explosive break-ups.
'Nothing really surprised me watching us back because we lived it,' Jeff said. 'The only surprises were watching what was happening behind closed doors with other couples.'
Rhi added: 'It was really nice watching it back and actually seeing how strong our connection was – the way Jeff and I looked at each other, it was just really lovely.'
One of the more brutal moments this season was Carina Mirabile's savage dumping of her partner Paul Antoine at Final Vows – something Rhi admitted was hard to watch.
'I know how much Carina really liked Paul, and the decision for her was so hard because she was breaking her own heart leaving,' Rhi said. 'Even though deep down she probably knew it was the right decision.'
One of the more brutal moments this season was Carina Mirabile's savage dumping of her partner Paul Antoine at Final Vows – something Rhi admitted was hard to watch
They also weighed in on controversial couple Jacqui Burfoot and Ryan Donnelly, whose relationship crumbled after a string of scandals.
'Watching their relationship, there were things they were saying to each other which maybe gave us hope – but I think some of that was for show,' Jeff said.
'They probably stayed longer than they had to, so she could have her big moment.'
'Nothing left unsaid' at reunion showdown
Looking ahead to the highly-anticipated reunion, Jeff and Rhi teased that fans should brace themselves.
'I think nothing is left unsaid,' Jeff hinted. 'Everyone got everything off their chest.'
And while the pair may have stayed clear of most of the drama during filming, they confirmed there were definitely some co-stars who played things up for the cameras – particularly at the reunion.
'There were definitely people playing it up. It was pretty obvious to see,' Jeff revealed.
Rhi added: 'You can tell who was being genuine and who was playing it up for the cameras.'
As for what's next, the couple say they're focused on enjoying their relationship away from the cameras – no pressure, no drama, and definitely no wedding bells just yet.
'We want to travel, spend time with our families, and enjoy all the normal things that come with a relationship,' Jeff said.
Rhi added: 'As long as we're heading in the right direction, that's all that matters.'
