Jo Todd, a beloved participant from “Married At First Sight,” has found love once more.

The popular bride, who captivated audiences during Channel Nine’s 2021 season and was initially paired with Melbourne businessman James Susler, has announced her new relationship with singer Luke Stapleton, adding an intriguing post-show twist to her story.

During her time on Season 8 of the experimental series, Jo was matched with James Susler, known for owning a prestigious car company.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the 43-year-old opened up about her blossoming romance with Luke, her separation from former husband Joe Donaghy, and reflected on how her experience on “MAFS” has ultimately strengthened her.

This new chapter in Jo’s life brings an interesting reality TV crossover, as her new partner, Luke, has not only appeared on “Australian Idol” but also shares a connection to the “Married At First Sight” franchise.

Luke was featured in the 2025 season of “MAFS” as the best man for the controversial groom Tim Gromie, and he has been vocal about his fallout with Tim following the show’s broadcast.

For Jo, the relationship feels like a full-circle moment.

‘So, his name is Luke, and I kind of met him through social media,’ she said.

‘But the thing is, he actually applied to go on MAFS the same season as me, but he turned it away two weeks before, so I feel like it should have been him that could have been matched, not James and I.’ 

It is the kind of sliding doors twist MAFS fans would devour – especially given Luke later ended up appearing on the show in 2025 as Tim Gromie’s best man.

And according to Luke, that friendship is now well and truly over.

During the interview, Luke did not hold back as he reflected on his former bond with Tim, claiming the pair stopped speaking shortly after the show aired.

He said their friendship fell apart after he publicly backed bride Katie Johnston and gave his honest opinion about what he had witnessed.

‘A month after the show aired, he’s like, ‘You f**king liar, f**k you’,’ Luke claimed.

‘We all saw it. I was just clarifying what actually happened.’

Luke went on to accuse Tim of treating Katie poorly from the start.

‘He just completely dismissed that. Like, she was actually a really nice person. I actually thought they were really well matched. And he just treated her like a piece of s***,’ he said.

But while Luke had plenty to say about his own brush with MAFS chaos, the interview was ultimately about the happy new chapter he has found with Jo – who viewers will remember as one of the standout brides from the 2021 season.

Looking back on her time in the experiment, Jo said she has no regrets.

‘When I think about MAFS, I don’t regret it,’ she said.

‘I feel like it brought out a lot of confidence in me, because I was in a pretty dark place at the time.

‘So, I feel like my confidence came back out. Obviously James taught me a lot and brought some more strength out of me. Having to deal with him. Disaster.’

In one of the funniest moments of the interview, Jo revealed she even had an unexpected run-in with her TV ex years later – not at some glitzy Melbourne venue, but at Kmart.

‘I actually ran into him. How funny is this, right? You’ll never guess where I ran into him. Kmart,’ she laughed.

‘I just remember that he was, like, the shopper at Gucci with his cardigans and stuff, and he was like, ‘I’m up here’, and I was like, ‘The Kmart?’

Despite the rocky experience, Jo said appearing on MAFS changed her life for the better, particularly because so many women still stop her to say they connected with her journey.

‘I feel like it’s for the better, because when I run into people they still remember me, that I’m an inspiration to them,’ she said.

‘A lot of the single mums that had to go through a hard time and stuff, they could relate to my edit and situation on the show.’

After MAFS, Jo went on to marry Joe Donaghy – a relationship that began after he supported her through the show’s aftermath.

She explained that they had known each other for years before eventually becoming a couple.

‘I did end up marrying, I thought, my best friend after the show, which was good for a few years, but that obviously didn’t work out, so we recently separated, like, a year ago,’ she said.

Jo admitted the breakup was painful, but said it also forced her into a period of self-reflection and healing.

‘After we split up, I just went on a huge healing journey,’ she said.

At the time, she had no plans to date anyone.

In fact, Luke said he was in the exact same headspace when they first began talking online.

‘I just told her that I’m not interested in anything,’ he said.

‘I was also saying, I’m on my healing journey. I actually had a little app saying, I don’t want to date, I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to meet anyone for a whole year.’

Jo felt exactly the same.

‘I said a whole year,’ she added. ‘Next minute, three months later, I’m like, damn, I’ve failed at that.’

What started as one casual drink quickly turned into something much more.

Luke recalled that there were no expectations on either side when they met up for the first time.

‘It was only a drink,’ he said.

‘Nothing was expected. Nothing.’

But the chemistry was instant.

Jo revealed the pair ended up eating souvlakis, playing darts and talking late into the night – and they have barely spent a day apart since.

‘We’ve spent every single day together,’ Luke said.

‘From the moment we met, we haven’t had a day apart.’

Jo was equally smitten, revealing the romance has felt easy from the beginning.

‘The spark keeps itself alive. It’s so good, it’s so easy,’ she said.

In another detail sure to spark interest among fans, Jo revealed her new man is 10 years younger than her.

‘He’s 10 years younger than me,’ she laughed.

But if the age gap has raised eyebrows anywhere, it certainly has not affected their bond.

The pair now spend their nights curled up watching MAFS together – including the UK version.

‘We watch MAFS, we watch the UK one, it’s like our thing at night time,’ Jo said.

‘We literally sit down and just relax after dinner and throw it on.’

Jo also opened up about why she distanced herself from the franchise for years after the show, admitting much of it came down to trying to respect her former husband.

‘When I first came off the show, Joe didn’t want me to have anything to do with it, so I was just trying to respect him,’ she said.

‘I kind of regret now, because I could have used it a little bit more, with my following and stuff, because I deactivated my account, everything, because he didn’t like it.’

Now, however, Jo appears to be fully embracing this new chapter – and that includes introducing Luke to her two sons, Ryder and Cayden.

Thankfully, the transition into family life has been seamless.

‘The boys love dogs, so it was just easy to introduce through going to a market,’ Jo said, explaining that Luke’s huskies helped break the ice.

‘Ryder and Cayden just love the dogs, and he’s so good with kids, so it was easy. My boys are really understanding and accepting.’

The couple are already planning a trip to New Zealand for Jo’s birthday later this year, and while it is still early days, both appeared completely in sync throughout the interview.

There was even laughter over whether they should secretly apply for MAFS together one day as a joke and hope they end up being paired together.