MAFS Bride Rebecca Zukowski Appears to Bury Feud Rumours During Melbourne Lunch
Rebecca Zukowski, the Married At First Sight 2026 bride, seems to have firmly put speculation about a feud behind her. Photographed on Thursday in Melbourne, the 51-year-old leasing manager was seen enjoying a champagne-soaked long lunch with close friend Toni, with the pair laughing, clinking glasses, and posing for selfies in scenes suggesting any previous tension has completely dissipated.
Youthful Appearance and Carefree Atmosphere
Rebecca looked strikingly youthful as she stepped out in a lemon-yellow slip dress adorned with playful embroidered motifs. Her blonde hair was styled in loose waves as she carried two flutes of sparkling wine. At one point, she threw her head back in laughter, clutching a handbag and appearing thoroughly relaxed and carefree while soaking up the sunshine.
In another moment, Rebecca leaned across a stone table to toast with Toni, who wore a black polka-dot dress and oversized red-framed glasses, the two women giggling animatedly. The friends were later seen huddled together over Rebecca's phone, smiling broadly as they snapped selfies, with two untouched glasses of champagne sitting in front of them.
Background of Reported Tension
This friendly lunch comes months after reports emerged that Rebecca had clashed with one of her bridesmaids in the lead-up to her televised wedding to groom Steve. Back in July 2026, Daily Mail revealed a confrontation had taken place during a phone call before filming even began, with insiders claiming Rebecca had accused a bridesmaid of trying to 'upstage' her on her big day.
That bridesmaid was later identified as Toni, who also stood beside Rebecca at her first real-life wedding years earlier. Despite early speculation that the fallout would explode on screen, none of the alleged drama ever made it to air. Rebecca's wedding episode instead portrayed a warm, emotional ceremony and an instant connection with Steve.
Moving Past Pre-Wedding Drama
The latest photographs now strongly suggest the pair have moved past any pre-wedding tension, appearing close, affectionate, and very much on good terms. Speaking to Daily Mail after her wedding episode aired, Rebecca opened up about why she finally felt ready to take part in the experiment.
'It was my idea. I've wanted to do it for probably five or six years,' she said. 'I didn't want to do it when Austin was in school and embarrass him. I just wanted to wait for a time that was right for me. Once Austin moved out, I just wanted to focus on finding love and finding my person. I've always wanted a big family, and I wanted to find someone to share that with.'
Embracing Age and Personality
Despite being one of the older brides in the experiment, Rebecca was quick to poke fun at her age – something the recent photos suggest she wears lightly. 'What do you mean, older?' she joked during the interview. 'I'm 35. Far out. I think I went into it being a bit older, but I don't know. I must admit, at times I was so excited, I behaved like I was bloody 25.'
She also leaned into the larger-than-life personality that made her a standout from the moment she walked down the aisle. 'That's just who I am. I'm either laughing or crying,' she said. 'Unless I'm doing more laughing. Hopefully people find me funny, because I think I'm f**king hilarious. I like to take the piss out of myself. What you see is what you get. I bring heart, and I'm a real person. I love people, and people like me.'
Insisting on Authenticity
Rebecca insisted her wedding day unfolded exactly as viewers saw it, despite early rumours of drama behind the scenes. 'Nothing on my wedding day felt staged. Everything you saw is exactly how it played out,' she said. 'The whole thing for me was beautiful, to be honest. The only thing I wish is that my dad was there. Hearing the letter from my dad was really tough. I was trying not to cry because I'd just had my makeup done, and my mum was crying, and I was trying to keep it together. That was really hard. That was f**king tough.'
Reflections on the Reality TV Experience
She also acknowledged that watching other couples' journeys unfold hadn't always been easy. 'Some of the weddings were really hard to watch, to be honest,' Rebecca said. 'It was hard watching some of the other relationships play out. It's a reality show, there's drama, and there's mixed personality types. At the end of the day, we're human beings. Yes, we put ourselves into the experiment, but people still need to be kind.'
'People say shitty things sometimes, and people do shitty things, but you don't see everything. Just be kind in your delivery to these beautiful women. It's going to be hard to watch at times, I'll be honest. There are going to be some bombs dropping. But that's the experiment, and that's reality TV.'
