90 Day Fiancé is back on the 2026 TV schedule with Season 12 premiering on Sunday, May 10th. For those who haven't watched on TLC with their HBO Max subscription in a while, this may be one to tune into, becuase its delivering something it hasn't done in a long time.
For the first time since 2018, the flagship series will have an entirely new cast with no returnees. While we've seen that with other spinoffs before now, I'm eager to see which of these couples stands out and becomes the next faces of the ongoing reality series. Here's some background on who we're meeting in the new season.
Catie & Josh
Portland native Catie is engaged to UK-born Josh, and they're both eager to be married. Unfortunately, Josh is feeling worn down by Catie's OCD, which, among other things, compels her to make out with her friends and even strangers. He's now having issues as they grow closer to marriage, as Catie signaled she wants an open marriage.
Article continues belowWe saw how that worked for Gino Palazzolo and Jasmine Pineda, so we'll see how this turns out. It would be interesting if 90 Day Fiancé featured a couple in an open marriage that did work, and I'd like to see how a couple may be able to navigate that and not split after marriage.
Marissa & Edward
Marissa is a New Yorker touted to be part of an upper-class family, with lots of expectations. She's bringing Edward, a hotel concierge she met on vacation in the Dominican Republic, into her world to see if she can be the man in her life she'll spend forever with.
Marissa is roughly a decade older than Edward and has two children. It's also mentioned that her ex-husband will be featured in the storyline, as well as her parents. It sounds like Edward may be in for some uncomfortable family drama, which veteran cast members like Andrei Castravet can relate to.
Maxwell & Ashia
Ashia is revealed to be a Pentecostal prophetess-in-training, and it's said she believes that God brought Maxwell into her life for them to be together. Unfortunately, they've hit snags with the K1 Visa process, so the 38-year-old is making the trip with her mother to Nigeria to see if they can figure out a way to get her 28-year-old fiancé to the United States.
90 Day Fiancé has a long history of couples that feature an older woman traveling to Nigeria to pursue a younger man. Angela Deem and Michael Ilesanmi, who recently finalized their divorce, are the most notable example of that. We don't have too many happy stories when it comes to this, so it would be nice to see one couple who overcomes the odds and goes on to have a happy marriage.
Debby & Mido
Debby, who is 55, is bringing 41-year-old Mido over from Egypt, and is convinced she's found true love with the international actor. Her opinion soon changes, however, when it seems clear that Mido is more concerned about advancing his career and trying to break into Hollywood than he is about marriage.
Hearing that synopsis has me wondering whether it was Debby's idea to be on the show, or if it was Mido who suggested it. In any case, if they do end up together, he may get his wish of some Hollywood fame should the couple remain on 90 Day Fiancé for the long haul.
Paula & Thomas
90 Day Fiancé will show 41-year-old Paula make the trip from Brazil to see her 31-year-old fiancé Thomas in the United States. Paula is more of a free spirit who believes in the power of the universe, while 90 Day Fiancé says Thomas is more into a "Spartan" lifestyle. It sounds like these two are going to clash on the most basic of ideas, leading her family to point out the red flags in what could be a tumultuous future marriage.
Paula and Thomas sound like a couple made for their own sitcom, except it's not quite as funny when it's happening in real life. The synopsis for this couple makes it sound like they won't make it down the aisle, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens for sure.
Mallorie & Rasit
There's no age gap between 29-year-old Mallorie and her Turkish fiancé, Rasit, but it sounds like they'll hit on another popular 90 Day Fiancé trope. He'll be the latest in a long line of former 90 Day nationals who come to the United States and learn that there's a lot of open, rural land between New York City and Los Angeles. Rasit will learn all about Alabama, and the thoughts and feelings her friends have about her potentially marrying a non-American.
These are usually my favorite storylines on 90 Day Fiancé, mainly because of the culture shock the international cast members face when they realize the United States is not like all the content they've consumed growing up. Granted, there are towns smaller than Athens, Alabama, but I can imagine this will be like when Juan David Daza arrived in Wyoming, and immediately was overwhelmed by the smell of cow manure. We'll see how Rasit can adapt!
Shea & Annabelle
Shea is a 54-year-old partying realtor from Kentucky, engaged to 54-year-old Annabelle, who lives in the Philippines. The couple is head over heels in love, but his ex-wife and daughter have started trouble by bringing up Shea's past infidelities. Will they be able to overcome his past and have a happy future together?
I feel bullish about this couple, perhaps because I don't imagine an ex-wife is going to stop a new marriage. I've been wrong about things in 90 Day Fiancé before, though, so we'll see.
I'm hype to see 90 Day Fiancé Season 12, especially now that we have a fresh cast with no prior cast members to bring their baggage along. This may be a great time to get a friend in on the show, so be sure to spread the word and get ready for May 10th!
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
