Brighton soap opera: MKR stars Gianni Romano and Zana Pali split erupts into a very messy post-divorce saga

Brighton has become a stage for a very public post-divorce drama involving My Kitchen Rules alums Gianni Romano and Zana Pali. Insiders describe the split as chaotic and high-profile, with the former couple pursuing separate, ostentatious lifestyles that keep them at the center of local chatter. The pair quietly ended their marriage last year, but among friends, family and neighbors the separation has quickly evolved into a public feud marked by competing social images and the optics of new relationships.

Zana, 34, has been at the center of the glow-up narrative since the split. She has been seen flaunting a new Porsche and a high-flyer boyfriend, with observers noting a social calendar filled with lavish lunches, swanky events and designer outfits. An insider described her post-split chapter as one of reinvention, with Zana focusing on the kids and pursuing new career goals while enjoying a rapid rise in social prominence.

Gianni, 37, has also captured attention for a new romance with Gracie Stewart, a 24-year-old who is described as a glamazon and who appears to share social circles with the former MKR star. Friends say Gianni is smitten and enjoys the attention, while Gracie seems comfortable with the spotlight. The couple has reportedly known each other for some time, and their social pairing has been visible in Melbourne’s elite circuits. The two were recently photographed at a prominent charity gala, an event that brought Gianni and Gracie into close proximity with Zana at the JW Foundation Starry Night gala at the National Gallery of Victoria. They sat at a table just metres from Zana, in a moment that drew attention from onlookers and local media alike. Neither Gianni nor Gracie responded to requests for comment about the sighting.

Zana’s circle has continued to remark on the new life she is carving, with locals noting the age-gap romance has turned heads in Brighton. Some neighbors even quipped that the drama could warrant its own Reality series, joking aloud that the exes deserve a spin-off titled The Real Housewives of Brighton. While the public displays are glamorous, insiders stress that the split remains far from amicable, with custody arrangements in place and both parties keeping their distance when it comes to daily life and the children.

The Melbourne chatter around Gianni and Zana has been sustained by ongoing reporting from the Daily Mail, which has highlighted Gracie as the mystery lookalike who has captured Gianni’s attention. As the couple’s post-divorce chapters unfold, observers say the public drama is overshadowing the quiet, day-to-day realities of co-parenting and the families involved. In this environment, the neighbors’ jokes about a spin-off reflect a broader cultural fascination with reality-TV-style conflict playing out in real life.

With custody arrangements in place, both Gianni and Zana are navigating the aftershocks of the split as they cultivate separate public personas. The Brighton community continues to watch closely, noting how the exes’ choices—dating, style, social appearances—continue to shape perceptions of their relationship and their family’s future. While some view the spectacle as entertainment, others caution that the tensions and headlines could have lasting implications for the children involved and for the exes’ ongoing reputations in Melbourne’s cultural and social circles.