John Aiken remembers late MAFS expert Dr Trisha Stratford with touching tribute after her tragic death

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John Aiken has publicly acknowledged and praised his former Married At First Sight co-star, Dr. Trisha Stratford, once again.

The neuropsychotherapist worked with John, 54, on the show for seven seasons before leaving in 2019. She passed away in September 2023 at the age of 72.

Two years after her passing, a close friend shared a touching tribute to Dr. Trisha on Instagram, writing, ‘Remembering Dr. Trisha today.’ They also included the hashtags #mafs, #mafsau, and #mafsaustralia, along with a mention of ‘#twopaddockswines’.

He shared a picture of himself with Trisha at the Australian Open, sitting near the court. He then posted another photo of her happily walking along the beach.

This follows John’s remembrance of her first anniversary last year, when he shared a video of cherished photos from their time working together.

The first photo showed John and Trisha relaxing on the famous couch during a break from filming Married at First Sight.

Another image captured the pair smiling in the early years of the series, looking decades younger.

He also posted a picture of himself with MAFS expert Mel Schilling, and ended with a close-up selfie of just him and Trisha.

John announced Trisha’s death at the age of 72 on September 19, 2023.

He shared on Instagram that he was deeply saddened and heartbroken by the death of his friend and coworker, Trisha.

We had a wonderful seven seasons together on Married at First Sight. Tish was passionate about New Zealand – its culture, sports like the All Blacks and Black Caps, good wine, and exploring the world. I’ll really miss her and cherish all the memories we made.

John recently appeared on the Today show to talk about his positive experiences working with Trisha, a neuropsychotherapist. He described her to hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo as an ‘amazing woman’ and someone who always offered a sensible perspective on set.

John explained that he was honoring Trisha’s and her family’s privacy by not sharing details about how she died.

Despite her success on a popular show in Australia and New Zealand, and her extensive travels, she remained a very private and principled person, according to him.

Trisha has done remarkably well, balancing the demands of a challenging career with the responsibilities of raising three daughters on her own.

She broke ground as New Zealand’s first sports journalist, then covered wartime events before completely changing careers to become a therapist specializing in the brain and nervous system.

In a statement following Dr. Trisha Stratford’s death, Channel 9 expressed their deep sadness.

I was so incredibly saddened to hear the news, and my heart truly goes out to her family and friends. It’s such a difficult time for them, and I’m sending all my support and deepest sympathies.

While on the show, Trisha became well-known for a test she used to gauge romantic attraction, and for directly asking contestants if they had been physically intimate with one another.

She appeared on the show for seven seasons and announced in 2020 that she would be leaving before the eighth season began.

Trisha announced she was leaving Married At First Sight after seven seasons to dedicate more time to her work as a writer, researcher, and neuropsychotherapist.

In early 2021, Trisha publicly criticized the reality show, saying it made her feel unwell.

She explained to Woman’s Day New Zealand that she ultimately couldn’t continue with the show because some of the other contestants didn’t meet her expectations for professional and personal conduct.

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2025-09-17 15:34