Relationship expert John Aiken, who featured alongside Stratford in MAFS, <\/em>announced the news on Monday via social media.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m heartbroken and devastated that my friend and dear colleague Trisha has passed away,\u201d he wrote on Instagram. We shared an amazing seven seasons of MAFS<\/em> together. She loved everything New Zealand, relationships, the All Blacks, the Black Caps, French wine and traveling the world. I\u2019ll miss you, Tish. Thank you for all the memories.\u201d He did not reveal the circumstances of her death.<\/p>\n Dr Trisha Stratford was a clinical neuropsychotherapist who featured on Married at First Sight for seven seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n Stratford, a clinical neuropsychologist who specialised in the neuroscience of relationships, featured in the Australian version of the hit marriage show \u2013 which is known for its dramatic dinner parties and scandalous affairs \u2013 for seven seasons before announcing her departure in 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cI have decided to step back from the television series to focus on my writing, research and neuropsychotherapy,\u201d she said in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n However, she told Women\u2019s Day NZ <\/em>in 2021 that part of the reason she left was because producers would not heed her advice regarding the psychological state of some of the participants before they began filming.<\/p>\n Married at First Sight\u2019s former expert line-up included Mel Schilling (left), John Aiken (centre) and Trisha Stratford (right).<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Nine<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cBy the end, I couldn\u2019t compromise my professional and personal standards because there were participants on the show who I felt shouldn\u2019t have been there,\u201d she told the magazine. \u201cThen it got supersized … The participants we got in seasons six and seven were so outrageous and outside the norm that it wasn\u2019t what I signed up for.\u201d<\/p>\n However, MAFS<\/em>\u2032 production company Endemol Shine Australia told Yahoo News <\/em>that the relationship experts were primarily present for on-air commentary. \u201cThe show\u2019s experts, although highly qualified, only have an on-air role,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Following Stratford\u2019s departure from the show, she was replaced by clinical sexologist Alessandra Rampolla, who now offers expert advice alongside Aiken and Mel Schilling.<\/p>\n Stratford was born in Wellington, New Zealand, but lived and worked in Sydney before relocating to Auckland in 2020. She had one daughter, Gina, and lived with her partner, Roger, who had three sons of his own.<\/p>\n Though largely known for her clinical work in developmental psychology, neuroscience and executive coaching, Stratford also had close ties to the media and social justice. Before MAFS<\/em>, she worked for 60 Minutes <\/em>in both New Zealand and Australia and was a war correspondent in Somalia and Bosnia. She also produced and directed over 20 prime-time television documentaries about social justice issues, and published two books, including Blood Money: The incredible true story of David Morris and the tragedy of Somalia<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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