In modern dating, it’s a common concept: a ‘high-value woman’ looking for the elusive ‘high-value man’ who can offer a challenge or something along those lines.
This season on Married At First Sight, the spotlight is on the ‘high-value’ bride, Jacqui Burfoot, a successful individual with multiple talents. Her official Nine biography highlights her as a ‘certified yoga teacher with a double degree in law and finance, achieving first-class honors in law. Additionally, she is a model and was crowned Miss New Zealand in 2012.’
Phew, that was a mouthful.
Now, while we don’t doubt she is an accomplished young woman, that last point on her résumé is a little puzzling.
The identity of Miss New Zealand 2012 is no mystery – a quick Google search reveals that the original winner of the pageant was South African Avianca Böhm. However, she was stripped of the title because she was not a citizen, and the crown was passed on to Talia Bennett.
So what exactly did Jacqui win?
We’ve looked into the claim MAFS bride Jacqui Burfoot (pictured) was ‘Miss New Zealand’
Jacqui said on the show she had been ‘Miss New Zealand’ in 2012. Except, she didn’t win the Miss Universe NZ beauty pageant, or even enter it. Instead, she participated in a contest called Miss Yachting International in Sanya, China. She is pictured second from the right
Firstly, MAFS is an entertainment program, not a court of law.
But this question mark hanging over her beauty pageant career does appear to suggest she has stretched the truth, just a little bit.
Jacqui referenced her pageant pedigree on Tuesday’s episode during the photo-ranking challenge after her ‘husband’ Ryan Donnelly inexplicably ranked her third most attractive among all the brides.
‘I have no words,’ she said through tears. ‘I used to be a model and was even Miss New Zealand. And I’ve got brains as well.’
She does indeed appear to have done some modelling, although someone who worked with her in the past says most of the jobs were of the ‘promo girl’ variety.
But the specific reference to being Miss New Zealand is rather baffling.
Even our show insiders say they were confused, after taking her at face value that she was the winner of the Miss Universe New Zealand pageant.
A deep dive of Jacqui’s Instagram account shows that she did once wear a ‘Miss New Zealand’ sash.
Jacqui referenced her pageant pedigree on Tuesday’s episode during the photo-ranking task in which ‘husband’ Ryan Donnelly ranked her third most attractive among of the brides
Jacqui is pictured in one of her modelling photos
But it was at a beauty pageant called Miss Yacht International… in Sanya, China.
In the oldest photo on her account, Jacqui poses in a purple dress alongside Miss Mexico, Miss Finland, Miss Belgium, Miss Netherlands, and Miss Tatarstan.
She did not place in the contest.
Sanya, often called the ‘Hawaii of China’, is a tropical resort city on Hainan Island. Known for its hotels, resorts and high-rises, you could compare it to Miami, Cancún or the Gold Coast.
There’s not much information available about Miss Yacht International, but it seems to be less of a pageant and more of a sideshow to an annual seaside yacht show.
How Jacqui ended up there is a mystery for which no one involved in the show can provide an adequate answer. And she’s not talking either.
I contacted Jacqui for comment regarding the apparent discrepancy and whether she believes she has been accurately represented on Married At First Sight, but did not receive a response.
Despite being a sovereign nation of 5.2 million people, there’s a sort of everyone-knows-everyone small-town culture in New Zealand that means those who try to embellish their past on Australian TV are swiftly called out.
Indeed, one Kiwi viewer, whose friend worked at the same modelling agency as Jacqui, spoke up soon after her debut on MAFS to set the record straight.
‘She was not Miss New Zealand in 2012,’ they said.
And another of Jacqui’s former colleagues told Daily Mail Australia that while she did do occasional modelling work, primarily she knew her as someone who did ‘casual work as a brand ambassador. We… did a few promo-type jobs together’.
Jacqui moved to Sydney in 2024, which seems to have led to something of a personality shift. ‘I’m a Bondi girl now,’ she captioned this post overlooking the Icebergs pool
Jacqui told Ryan she ‘won’t rest until I’ve made at least $500million’
The 29-year-old was born and raised on Auckland’s North Shore, which has a similar vibe to Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Unsurprisingly, she now lives in Manly
In one of Jacqui’s most talked-about moments on MAFS, she had viewers in stitches by presenting ‘husband’ Ryan Donnelly with a lengthy résumé of her past achievements.
‘Yes, you can one of the smartest people: A model, blonde, beauty queen, whatever, and also have a brain,’ she gushed.
‘I received first class honours in law and finance. I know how to do accounting, contracts, negotiating, presenting, pitching, social media, and business and projects.
‘When I’m dating, I usually go for highly educated men. Investment bankers, software developers, and I’m a huge asset to someone like that.
‘I need my partner to equally be an asset to my goals for life. It is important to me that my partner understands finance and investment. He must be an asset, and not a liability.
‘I won’t rest until I’ve made at least $500million.’
These days, Jacqui emphasises the importance of making money, but before she moved to Australia she wrote that the ‘best things in life are free’
Jacqui’s parents, Dougal and Michelle Burfoot, bought two acres of land in Queenstown in 2014, where they built and operate a luxury Airbnb called HawkRidge Estate
Jacqui appears to have lived with her family in Queenstown while she completed seven years of university studies
It’s a far cry from how she described her old life in New Zealand. She captioned an Instagram ‘photo dump’ from summer 2022: ‘The best things in life are free. Sunsets, fish and chips, beach walks, puppies, friends, nature…’
While fish and chips isn’t usually free, we get the idea.
The apparent shift in her personality has prompted chatter among those who knew Jacqui in New Zealand, with one source describing it as ‘odd’. The general consensus is that moving to Australia made her more money- and career-focused.
The 29-year-old was born and raised on Auckland’s North Shore, which has a similar vibe to Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Unsurprisingly, she now lives in Manly.
Additionally, her parents, Dougal and Michelle Burfoot, seem to be quite well-off, which helps if you have ambitions to become a multimillionaire.
They bought two acres of land in Queenstown in 2014, where they built and operate a luxury Airbnb called HawkRidge Estate.
