Married At First Sight bombshell: Lauren Hall and Eliot Donovan set to return as intruders in shock twist: ‘Biggest stitch-up yet’

Married At First Sight is set to drop one of the biggest twists in the show’s history. 

Controversial exes Lauren Hall and Eliot Donovan are returning as intruders – but this time they won’t be matched together.

As previously revealed by Daily Mail Australia, Hall will be paired with professional golfer Clint Rice, while Eliot will be matched with Veronica Cloherty.

Insiders have revealed that cast and crew were blindsided when Eliot suddenly reappeared on set, arriving late to a dinner party and leaving jaws on the floor.

‘It was like the ultimate plot twist,’ a source close to production said.

‘Lauren and Clint had just started to get comfortable with each other when Eliot showed up out of nowhere. The look on Lauren’s face was priceless – she was completely gobsmacked. And Clint? He was not impressed at all.’

MAFS is set to drop one of the biggest twists in the show’s history, with controversial exes Lauren Hall and Eliot Donovan returning as intruders – but they won’t be matched together 

As previously revealed by Daily Mail Australia, Lauren will be paired with professional golfer Clint Rice. Both pictured

‘Lauren’s new groom Clint let Eliot absolutely have it,’ they added.

Eliot’s dramatic return comes after his abrupt exit from the experiment just days after his wedding to Lauren, citing a lack of connection.

His departure sparked widespread backlash, with many questioning his motives for signing up in the first place.

Eliot was reportedly offered a lucrative five-figure sum to rejoin the show, with insiders claiming producers were desperate to shake things up mid-season.

‘Eliot feels like he was misunderstood,’ a well-placed source dished.

‘He’s back to clear his name, but he’s not apologetic about his behaviour. He and Lauren were a complete mismatch and he hasn’t changed his mind about wanting out of their romance.’

Behind the scenes, whispers suggest that producers orchestrated Eliot’s return as part of a major twist – blindsiding Lauren just as she was moving on with Clint.

 The two reportedly hit it off immediately, sparking hopes that Lauren’s tumultuous journey on the show may finally have a happy ending

An insider close to Lauren revealed that the 37-year-old was thrilled with her new match

According to a source close to production, the entire situation was a ‘stitch-up’ from the start.

‘Lauren was initially hesitant about returning at all,’ the insider revealed.

‘She had been promised full support – everything from her vows being written to her wedding dress being sorted. But the night before her wedding to Clint, nothing had been arranged and she was left scrambling to find a dress at the last minute.’

It’s also claimed Lauren had reservations about re-entering the experiment, but was pressured into staying by production.

‘She was running a business and only given two days’ notice – it was a lot to take on,’ the source continued.

‘She was put under relentless pressure until she said yes. The morning of the wedding she even tried to escape with friends, but producers and makeup artists turned up at her house at 5am and kept pushing her to go through with it.’

Rice, who hails from Launceston, Tasmania, recently ended a long-term relationship, which cleared the way for his participation in the hit reality series

She was absolutely delighted with Clint,’ the source shared. ‘He’s exactly her type—older, more mature, wealthy, and someone who really knows what he wants in life. Lauren felt an instant connection with him, and she’s hopeful this time around’

Despite the chaos, Lauren had started to build a promising connection with Clint, a charismatic and successful golfer known for his composed nature.

But Eliot’s return has thrown everything into turmoil.

‘Lauren and Clint were really starting to hit it off,’ the insider shared.

‘Clint’s been a rock for her, and she was finally getting a fresh start. Eliot showing up has completely thrown a wrench in the works.’

Joining Clint and Lauren as intruders to spice things up are couple Teejay Halkias and Bethy Kelly, who have already tied the knot in scenes filmed on Tuesday.

Amid the casting chaos, Daily Mail Australia recently revealed the new batch of intruders were brought in with one strict condition – to bring the drama.

Each were handpicked for their potential to cause a stir among the existing couples after six contestants abruptly quit, an insider revealed.

‘They were told from the get-go that they need to create tension and keep the drama flowing,’ they shared.

Last season, two of three intruders couples failed to last the distance, staying on the experiment for a few days before sensationally quitting.

‘Producers have made it clear they don’t want a repeat of the Ash (Galati) and Maddy (Maxwell) situation, where they quit and gave up on their romance after three days.’ 

Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine.