It’s over! FWAW’s Jason drops Poppy split bombshell – but she tells a different story

Farmer Jason Tessmann and Poppy might have presented a united front at the Farmer Wants A Wife 2026 reunion, but behind closed doors, they have officially split – and they’ve got two quite different stories.

Speaking exclusively to New Idea, the Queensland dairy farmer, 37, claims that business manager Poppy, 31, broke up with him just days after the reunion, leaving him devastated

“It was something I wasn’t expecting,” he tells us. “I don’t know, she said she wasn’t feeling it… It’s basically all she said, really.”

However, when New Idea spoke to Poppy in a separate chat, she claimed they dated for three months after the reunion, adding, “It didn’t end immediately.”

Telling a different story, Jason clarifies that while they knew each other for around three months total including production, the actual post-show relationship was over in days, with Poppy leaving “straight after the reunion”.

“I think the reunion was like on a Friday. We flew back to Brisbane on a Saturday,” he says.

“Then we stayed with her friend Saturday night in Brisbane, and I drove back home on Sunday morning. She went back to her place, and texting went pretty quiet on her end during the week, and then she called on Saturday and said, ‘It’s over’.”

Poppy “wasn’t feeling it”

For Poppy, she says she made the “difficult decision” to end things with Jason because the chemistry had faded, in a phone call she claims came three months after the reunion.

“It was just differences in – I didn’t feel that attraction as much as I thought I might have or hoped, I think,” she says.

“I didn’t want to string anybody along. I spent time getting to know him through the show and afterwards, and I just felt he wasn’t sort of my kind of person I could see long-term, despite giving it lots of time and lots of chances.”

“It was as simple as a phone call,” she adds of the break-up itself.

“I called him, and I just spoke openly to him that I wasn’t feeling the way that I wanted to feel by that time, by those few months after getting to know him, and I didn’t think it would be fair to continue when I just wasn’t feeling that way.”

Jason says they exchanged a few brief messages after their split, but it was clear that Poppy was “happy with her decision” to end things, so they went their separate ways.

The farmer says they haven’t had any real contact since March, while Poppy mentions they exchanged a message or two when FWAW started, and when the final decisions aired.

While it remains unclear exactly when the split took place, one thing is clear: The couple is no longer together.

Upset for Jason’s family

In the month they were definitely dating prior to the reunion, Jason says Poppy met his children, admitting it was upsetting to have to tell them about the separation.

Filming wrapped near the end of 2025 while the reunion was filmed in January 2026, and they spent Christmas together in between.

“She met my kids and family, and we had Christmas together. So everything seemed to be going all right at that time,” he shares.

“[My] kids obviously liked her, and she got on well with them, and they were a bit upset when she left, so, obviously, telling them wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but, yeah, she wasn’t feeling it, or whatever she said.”

While Poppy adds of meeting Jason’s children, “Not long after filming, he came my way and spent some time over summer, swimming and meeting the kids and getting to know them and just really enjoying that time together.”

“We spent a lot of time together. It was lucky we could both take that time to get to know each other in real life.”

Of course, Poppy not wanting kids herself was a huge factor in FWAW, but both Jason and Poppy insist it was never a real problem for them, as they had discussed it early on.

Poppy says many people have been weighing in online, but that she is pleased to have represented others who might not want children on the TV show.

“I was really proud to represent that because it’s more so going that way now with people not wanting children,” she says.

“Just because you don’t want children, it doesn’t necessarily mean you dislike children, or you aren’t worthy of love or finding somebody, so I was really glad I could go on there, and I stood by what I said the entire time.”

Looking ahead

So, do either of them have any regrets looking back now?

“I don’t have any regrets about doing the show or anything,” Jason insists.

“I was a bit embarrassed. Like, you go on to meet someone, and literally as soon as filming finishes, it’s over.”

“So I wasn’t expecting that outcome from doing it all. I did have strong feelings for her, and I wasn’t expecting her to leave.”

Despite that, Jason says he enjoyed filming and doesn’t regret it. In fact, he’s not ruling out doing any other dating shows in the future!

However, Poppy says her TV career is well and truly over, but has no regrets about signing on to FWAW and meeting Jason.

“I have really fond memories of being on the show. I’m so grateful for the experience,” she says.

“I’m also so grateful that I shared that experience with Jason. I think he is a beautiful man, and I was just really glad to have been able to do that experience with him.”

“[…] I wouldn’t want to change anything, even though it didn’t work out.”

Neither of them has moved on with anyone new yet, with Jason revealing that production actually told them not to date again until after the show aired.

Rumours might be swirling that Jason has reconnected with another cast member, but he insists there are no sparks currently flying.

Either way, we hope this farmer finds what he’s looking for.