Alright, buckle up, friends! It’s time to talk about the quintessentially Aussie reality show, Farmer Wants a Wife, which has been serving up rural romances for a mammoth 13 seasons (on various networks).
Let’s be honest, who hasn’t fantasised about ditching the 9-to-5 grind for a simpler life on the land as a humble farmer’s wife? And here’s the kicker: this show actually works. While other dating shows are known for ending in heartbreak, Farmer Wants a Wife has been quietly matchmaking its way to nine marriages and 23 adorable farm babies.
Of course, it’s not all cow-milking, hayrides and watching a bunch of city women trying to wrangle cattle in a full face of glam. Each season, there’s a heap of drama on and off-screen. Whether it’s farmers quitting mid-season or a pregnancy scandal unlike anything the series has ever seen, there’s been some controversial moments.
And with the 2025 season now filming, we’re looking back at some of the most divisive farmers and contestants to check in on where they are now.
Hayley Love.
Back in 2021, the FWAW community was scandalised when Hayley Love revealed she was pregnant with a farmer’s baby. But isn’t that the name of the game? Well, it wasn’t the same farmer she dated on the show.
Hayley was originally vying for the affections of Farmer Matt Trewin, but after filming she started a relationship with Farmer Will Dwyer after Will contacted her and invited Hayley to stay with him on his farm in Regional Victoria.
This was in December 2020 and by Easter the following year, Hayley discovered that she was expecting. When she was 22 weeks along, she announced “I am 22 weeks pregnant with Farmer Will’s child”.
This is where things got extra scandalous, as Will then dared to raise suspicions over the child’s paternity, saying at the time “If this is in fact my child, I’ll be there whenever the child needs me”.
Well, this didn’t exactly pan out. According to reports, Will has never met his daughter.
Daisy was born on December 7, 2021, with Hayley announcing on Instagram: “I can’t believe you are mine, my little best friend,” she wrote.
Hayley shared photos celebrating Daisy’s first birthday in December 2021.
Hayley found the entire reality TV experience quite harrowing which meant she can’t watch the show anymore. “It’s very triggering, even the commercials, so I try not to watch the TV at the moment,” she told Woman’s Day in 2022.
She’s maintained a close friendship with Farmer Matt. “I heard from Matt quite soon after Daisy was born,” she said. But as far as any romances go, she’s focusing on her daughter for now, who turns four this December.
“I can’t imagine dating anyone anytime soon,” she said. “I’m excited to wake up and see Daisy. I’ve never experienced this kind of love before.”
Farmer Will Dwyer.
Farmer Will Dwyer chose contestant Jaimee in the finale but they split up before Will started his romance with Hayley. After initially denying he was the father of Hayley’s child, it’s unclear what the reality star currently thinks as he’s gone largely dark on social media.
Hayley did reveal in her 2022 chat with Woman’s Day that the two have a frosty relationship. “He hasn’t met Daisy,” she claimed. “I did tell him a couple of hours after she was born that she was here, just out of courtesy and so he didn’t hear it through the media.”
Hayley said that Daisy will “definitely know who her father is,” so that “if she wants to meet him down the track when she’s old enough, she’s more than welcome to. If he wanted to be in her life 100 per cent then I would allow it, but I just don’t see that happening… maybe when he’s older.”
Will has since set his Instagram profile to private which means his recent movements are being kept on the down-low.
In an October episode from 2023 of the So Dramatic! podcast, it was reported that Will married his girlfriend, Elyse Grimsey.
Farmer Paige Marsh.
Paige Marsh was one of only a handful of women cast as farmers on the reality show and became the only female farmer in the 2022 season. However, it wasn’t meant to be for Farmer Paige as she was stuck with a bunch of matches without any genuine connections.
Once she was left with contenders Dylan and Glenn, she ultimately decided neither were husband material.
“I want love. And I want that potential for love,” Paige said in her last episode.
“What I need to do is listen to myself… today I’m not actually going to be asking either of the gentlemen to come on a date with me. I made the decision to send both boys home.”
On her Instagram, Paige still posts plenty about life on the farm. Earlier this year, she attended Big Chill Festival, she’s gone on holiday to Tasmania, and is often photographed just enjoying life with friends. Huge vibes!
Farmer Bert Harris.
Farmer Bert Harris’ journey on Farmer Wants A Wife came to an unexpected and early end, with the 30-year-old pineapple farmer leaving the show single. Bert made the difficult decision to exit the show early and bid farewell to his three remaining potential partners: Brooke, Caitlin, and Karli.
The reason he cited for leaving was struggling to balance the demands of running his farm with the mentally draining filming schedule. After quitting the show, Bert was plagued by dating rumours that he was seeing Lauren, a former contestant who had already left the show, but Lauren clarified on Instagram that they were just friends.
In the meantime, Bert has been photographed hanging with his farmer pals.
Bert plans on working on himself a little more before seeking out a partner. “I’m pretty focused on getting my life in order and working on myself in a few different areas,” he told New Idea earlier this year.
“You never know what’s around the next corner. Hopefully, at some point or another, I bump into that person that’s going to change my world. It’s never definitely off the table.”
Karli Hinkley.
Karli Hinley became one of the more divisive contestants on the 2024 season of Farmer Wants a Wife, due to her chaotic antics on the show while dating Farmer Bert. In one instance, she cut off the end of Bert’s solo date with fellow contestant Brooke to take him on her own impromptu rendezvous.
Of course, Farmer Bert pulled a Honey Badger and choose no one, so where did that leave Karli?
Never fear, Karli found herself another farmer and they’re thriving. On Instagram back in May, Karlie hard-launched a relationship with potato farmer, Mitchell Gorman, who she described as the “love of my life” in the caption. Oop!
Gorman also debuted his new girlfriend on his own Instagram account, writing “So grateful I found you,” before adding a little dig at Farmer Bert with a hashtag that read ‘no pineapples here’.
As of July, they appear to still be going strong with Karli posting a cute photo of the couple together on her Instagram.