He’s done it remarkably well, transitioning from the superstars sport of his homeland to establishing himself as Australia’s leading relationship expert. His journey is the story of over a decade of playing cricket. Then he abruptly changed career course and exploded into the public consciousness as a major player on the hit reality show “Married at First Sight.”
Aiken was a regular feature on the New Zealand domestic cricket circuit for Wellington from 1990 to 2001. He had a highly successful eleven-year first-class career, establishing himself as a classy left-handed opening batter. In that time, he influenced 46 first-class matches and had a brilliant 29 runs per game average. He found consistent success with an impressive four centuries in first-class cricket, and another hundred came in 39 List A matches. His last first-class game, though, ended with a whimper as he scored a pair in his final match in February 2001.
During his international cricketing career, Aiken was pitted against international powerhouses like South Africa’s Jonty Rhodes. One memorable encounter saw Aiken being run out by Rhodes during a one-day match, highlighting the competitive nature of the sport. His early cricket development saw him represent New Zealand’s Under-19 team on a tour of England in 1989.
While Aiken dealt with the realities of professional cricket, he pursued his career off the pitch as well. He then went on to pursue a master’s degree in clinical and community psychology and graduated at 25 years old. That education would later come to serve him well, as he made the leap into his post-cricket career.
After retiring from cricket, Aiken found his own path that would eventually take him to stardom in Australia. He became a relationship expert and began appearing on “Married at First Sight,” where he provides insights and advice to couples navigating the complexities of love and relationships.
“On Married at First Sight that’s all that I do. MAFS is something that just has given me such joy.” – John Aiken
Aiken’s approach to relationships is the perfect distillation of his background in cricket and psychology. He believes that getting too in your head can get in the way of execution, either on a pitch or in a work/life balance.
“Over-analysing things generally slows you down and in cricket, if you’re thinking about your technique all the time, I found that it would ultimately lead you to getting out and feeling insecure about your game.” – John Aiken
In the competitive atmosphere of reality television, Aiken finds himself more relaxed than he ever was on the cricket pitch.
“TV is about getting there and just dealing with whatever’s in front of you, call it out and just roll with it. I feel like I’m much more relaxed in the world of media than I was when I was playing cricket.” – John Aiken
That’s why his social commentary about love and friendship strikes such a chord. They illustrate his extraordinary knack for taking people on a gut level. Especially during his debut season on “Married at First Sight,” being present and engaged is paramount, according to Aiken.
“I’m not inside my head when I’m in MAFS and doing my role,” – John Aiken
Cricket is so good because Aiken can look back on cricket and think about those happy times. He’s not blind to the extreme pressure that came with the game.
“Cricket gave me some great moments, but I wasn’t able to flourish, to sit back and enjoy the ride.” – John Aiken
This sudden joy in his new small screen life reaffirms for Wong’s character that love can blossom even in the most unexpected of situations.
“And you know what? It can work. Strangers can fall in love. This year we have some love among the chaos.” – John Aiken
Aiken’s story, from the cricket pitch to courtship emotional arena. This new direction is further testament to his impressive versatility and commitment to helping people find their soulmate. As an athlete, he learned firsthand that relationships are powerful. This nuance is what makes him perhaps the most compelling character on “Married at First Sight.”
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