The Tuscan Retreat: Psychologist John Aiken’s Off-Market Middle Cove Buy
John Aiken, the psychologist from Channel 9's Married At First Sight, has purchased a six-bedroom, three-bathroom house with a study in Middle Cove for just over $5 million. The three-level home was bought off-market through Richardson & Wrench agents Chris Downie and Mark O'Brien in November 2024. The property was marketed as a 'Tuscan-inspired family estate'.
Property Features
- Resort-style 12m saltwater pool on an 800sqm+ block
- Adjacent covered pergola and alfresco terrace with a grape vine (cutting of Shiraz from Tyrell's Winery in Hunter Valley)
- 336-bottle wine cellar
- Last sold in 2005 for $1,766,000 (also by Mark O'Brien)
Market Context: PropTrack reports that the median house price in the Middle Harbour peninsula suburb is a record $4,005,000, up 8% annually, with only 10 sales in the past year.
Previous Property Sale
Aiken and his interior designer wife Kelly Swanson-Roe recently sold their landmark mansion Tyneside in Willoughby East through McGrath agents. The five-bedroom, two-bathroom sandstone residence on High Street had price guidance of $5.8 million. Tyneside was built in the 1880s for Robert Forsyth and was bought by Aiken for $2.93 million in 2019.
MAFS Series Update
The 2026 series of MAFS (13th season) reached over 16 million viewers nationally, up 5.9% on the previous year, generating more than 9.3 billion minutes viewed over 11 weeks.
Statement
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented to The Daily Telegraph: "Jodie loves MAFS, and I must admit I thought many of the people in it were horrible this year, but it sucks you in completely."