Evelyn and Duncan met on last year's MAFS. Only problem was they were married to different people.

Married at First Sight doesn't have the best track record for matching long-lasting couples, but what about the couples that weren't formed in the experiment? 

Yes, we're talking about season 10 groom and bride — Duncan James and Evelyn Ellis — who started dating after the show, despite being matched with different partners, Alyssa Barmonde and Rupert Budgen. 

Both couples made it to final vows but they split up before the reunion. Alas, the universe had other ideas. 

Duncan and Evelyn first connected during a couple-swap challenge in the experiment, as fans noticed that sparks were flying between the pair. 

Then in May 2023, they confirmed their friendship had turned romantic. "We're in a relationship. This is Duncan and Evelyn's hard launch. It feels kind of exhilarating in a weird, freeing way," Evelyn told 9Entertainment at the time.

Duncan later confirmed that the two had "got together" during Mardi Gras in 2023 which typically takes place in late- February and early-March. 

"Mardi Gras — a very special time for our LGBTIQ community, which is very close to my heart. It also happens to be the first time Ev and I got to [sic] together," he wrote on Instagram.

Duncan and Evelyn started dating around Mardi Gras in 2023. Image: Instagram/@duncan__james. 

In response to Duncan moving on with another bride, Alyssa shared her thoughts on her Instagram Story, saying she wished she had found out directly from Evelyn. 

"I don't expect any ex of mine to tell me they are moving on with someone else. That would be absurd, but if it's with someone in our friend group, who we went through a life-altering experiment with, and who was supposedly 'rooting for us,' and they had enough 'respect' for Rupes [Rupert] to tell him. Doesn't make sense to me," she posted.

By October 2023 after six months together, the couple moved in together to the affluent suburb of Balmain in Sydney. 

"We have been dating a while now and we've been travelling back and forth between our apartments that were way too small for us and so, we had a discussion and we decided it was time to make the move," Evelyn shared to Instagram.

A year later, the couple celebrated their first anniversary. In April 2024, Evelyn said the couple spent the milestone having "a boogie with our friends and just got back from travelling," she wrote.

In an Instagram Q&A, Evelyn said the couple had big plans in the pipeline. "We both want kids in the future," she wrote, adding an AI-generated photo of their 'baby.'

The couple have since enjoyed constant vacations and celebrated special holidays together.

Duncan and Evelyn celebrate their first Christmas together. Image: Instagram/@evelyn.ellis. 

They've both carved out careers as content creators and Evelyn even walked the red carpet of the Cannes Films Festival in May. 

And now, over 18 months into their relationship, the couple are still going strong. In a recent joint Instagram post, Evelyn wrote, "The Lord blessed me with this man, but blessed him with patience!"

Evelyn has addressed the 11-year age gap between the couple on Instagram with Evelyn being 28 and her boyfriend Duncan being 39. 

"Honestly it doesn't matter how old your partner is. If they're not ready, they're not ready. For me, Duncan and I's age difference has been a blessing," she said. 

"I feel like we're on the same page in life. We're going in the same direction, we want all the same things… It's not so much about their age but I think it’s about finding the person that's just ready and they could be any age."

Feature image: Instagram/@evelyn.ellis.