From TV golden boy and millionaire businessman to a life in tatters: Where it all went wrong for Sam Wood

For more than a decade, Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski were held up as the ultimate reality TV fairytale after meeting on The Bachelor in 2015. 

They became one of the show’s greatest success stories, spending a decade building a multimillion-dollar fitness empire and raising their four children, far removed from the dramas of reality TV. 

But that public image has been thrown into turmoil following Wood’s domestic violence charges against his wife, which he is defending. 

Now sitting in a cell in Brisbane Correctional Centre after being denied bail, the 46-year-old fitness entrepreneur faces both rapid commercial collapse and the devastating rupture of the very family life he spent a decade celebrating publicly. 

There’s still one question that remains unanswered - where did it all go so wrong for The Bachelor Australia’s golden boy?

Wood appeared as the main star on The Bachelor in 2015, with the nation watching his love story unfold with Perth mum Snezana, who was raising her daughter Eve, now 21, as a single mother.

Snezana frequently highlighted the importance of family during her time on the show, emphasising her desire for a partner who fully embraced her life as a mother. 

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During the finale, Wood chose Snezana as his winner and told her he’d fallen madly in love with her.

Unlike many other couples who met on the show, their relationship continued on long after the cameras left. 

Snezana and her daughter relocated from Perth to Melbourne to live with Wood, and he became her stepfather.

“It’s funny, I’ve never seen myself as a stepdad, I see myself as a dad,” Wood said in an interview with nine.com.au in 2022.

“And I hope that she sees me the same way.”

In 2015, he asked Snezana to marry him.

After welcoming their first child together – a daughter named Willow, in 2017 – the pair eventually married on November 29, 2018 in Byron Bay. 

A year later, in 2019, they welcomed their second daughter together, Charlie, and by 2022 the family had grown to six members with the arrival of baby Harper.

As their family grew alongside their public profile, Wood expanded his Brighton gym, The Woodshed, and launched his hugely popular health platform, 28 by Sam Wood, in 2016.

Snezana frequently collaborated and appeared alongside him in home workout and wellness content.

The couple also built an impressive property portfolio, including a $7 million residence they purchased last year in Brighton, Melbourne, alongside a $2.7 million retreat on the Mornington Peninsula.

After the fitness empire experienced explosive growth during the pandemic, it was acquired in 2022 by myDNA – a genomics firm backed by Melbourne healthcare mogul Dennis Bastas – for $71 million. 

Wood retained a minority stake and continued serving as the public face of the brand – that is, until this week. 

Now, years after watching their love story begin on-screen, Australians are following Wood’s story for a reason no one could have imagined.

In just a matter of days, it appears he’s lost it all. And, with more court appearances to come and details to unfold, it’s not over yet.

Wood was charged in the early hours of Sunday morning with assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence) and strangulation in a domestic setting, after police were called to a property on the Noosa beachfront about 9pm on Saturday night.

He has remained behind bars since. If convicted on those charges, he faces a maximum sentence of seven years for each.

He faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court via video link twice in four days and is potentially behind bars now until his next court date in late November, after being denied bail.

The court heard that Snezana “thought she was going to die” during incident, which resulted from an argument between the couple after returning to the holiday home after dinner.

It’s alleged that Wood pushed his wife with one hand into a wall and then to the ground, before grabbing the alleged victim around the neck “gripping tight and restricting the airway”. 

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The court heard Snezana’s daughter Eve Markoski-Wood, 21, was the one to make the Triple Zero call.

Wood’s lawyers allege Snezana was coming at him and yelling when the push happened, in self-defence, and they deny the allegations of strangulation.

They also claimed Wood is “severely depressed”.

In refusing bail, Magistrate Janelle Boegheim labelled Wood’s self-defence case as weak, but his lawyers have vowed to appeal the decision.

His lawyer, Matthew Cuskelly, said Wood should be afforded the chance to live with his father in Victoria, access mental health support and salvage his professional career which he said was “taking a hell of a beating at the moment”.

What we know

According to Thursday’s court proceedings, this wasn’t the first incident between the couple, with previous alleged domestic violence in Victoria, though no charges were laid in the matter.

The alleged assault is believed to have happened three or four years ago but fans raised concerns over Snezana’s well-being last year.

The mum and former reality TV star, who studied molecular genetics and biotechnology at university, promoted a new DNA test for ovarian cancer in a post alongside her four daughters in August 2025.

Many fans left concerned comments and questions if she was OK after noticing a white bandage-type of patch on her neck.

Snezana never addressed the concerns and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing.

She became a popular personality on social media following her appearance on the dating show, as a then-single mother, who was encouraged to apply for the show by her then-nine-year-old daughter, Eve.

“Sam and Snez” have shared their lives with fans through social media as their love story continued. 

However, so far this year, the 46-year-old mum-of-four has only shared one post with Wood on her social media, back in April.

Following the incident in Noosa, Snezana released a statement on behalf of the family, saying they were working through it together.

“This is a difficult time for all of us, we are working through this as a family and are thoroughly co-operating with the authorities,” the statement read.

Empire has fallen

Despite vowing to defend the charges, Wood’s empire is in freefall after being stood down from his roles at 28 by Sam Wood and Ollo for Women.

The telehealth and weight loss platform Ollo for Women was launched by Wood just weeks ago.

In a social media post on July 1, Wood said his newest business venture was “the biggest thing I’ve ever done”.

It was launched in partnership with 28 by Sam Wood – his former business, which Wood sold and remained the public face of the brand until this week.

DBG announced Mark Watkin would take over as 28 Group’s acting chief executive, effective immediately.

“We have zero tolerance for domestic violence,” Watkin said.

“While the matter is under investigation and before the court, Sam is on indefinite leave from his duties.”

Foxes Den, a ready-to-eat meal brand who had partnered with 28 by Sam Wood, also ended its association with the former reality TV star and entrepreneur.

“We’re aware of the serious charges that have been reported, and while this matter is before the courts, we’ve made the decision to step away from this partnership,” the brand announced in a post to social media.

Former Married at First Sight star-turned-podcaster and author, Jules Robinson, swiftly announced her partnership with 28 by Sam Wood had ended in light of the charges.

“Women are my absolute priority,” she said, after deleting her promotional posts from social media.

“My commitment to supporting, empowering and standing with women will always come first.

Actress and musician Tammin Sursok similarly deleted her promotional posts and took to social media to announce the end of her ties with the brand.

“I want to be clear I have zero tolerance for domestic and family violence,” she said.

“It’s an issue I care deeply about and one that I will always stand firmly against.”

Former The Biggest Loser Australia trainer Tiffiny Hall said her partnership with 28 by Sam Wood had ended before the charges were announced but still issued a strongly worded statement following the news.

“I have zero tolerance for domestic and family violence, or violence of any kind,” she wrote.

“It is unacceptable and entirely at odds with the standards, core values and culture I wish to cultivate.

“I am shocked and disturbed by the charges against Sam Wood reported in the media.

“Before this news, my time with 28 by Sam Wood had already come to and I had moved on to focus on other projects. I have no ongoing role or involvement with the program.”

Jules Sebastian – stylist, podcaster and wife of Guy Sebastian – is yet to formally confirm the status of her affiliation with the brand, after becoming an ambassador for 28 by Sam Wood last year.

His Woodshed Gym in Brighton, Melbourne had his name and face remaining front and centre all week but on Saturday morning, the signage had been stripped from the front of the building.

A voicemail message when people called the gym used to feature one personally recorded by Wood but, by Friday, there was an automated message instead, according to The Age.

The gym has not made any public announcements since their owner’s arrest and did not respond to a request for comment from nine.com.au.

New laws in the spotlight

Melbourne-based Wood was arrested and charged while on holiday in Queensland, meaning the state’s new laws could be used if needed.

As of January 1 this year, police were given greater powers and were able to issue on-the-spot police protection directions (PPDs) lasting up to 12 months and without needing to be considered by the court.

It is not known if Wood was issued with a PPD.

The domestic and family violence legislation in the state was reformed following the landmark 2015 Not Now, Not Ever report.

Then, following the high-profile death of Hannah Clarke and her three children in 2020 at the hands of Clarke’s former partner, her parents campaigned for tougher laws.

Hannah’s Law, criminalising coercive control, was rolled out in May 2025 as part of the overhaul.

Coercive control, which is a big factor in many domestic violence cases, occurs when an adult shows a pattern of physical and/or non-physical abuse used to hurt, humiliate, isolate, frighten or threaten a victim-survivor. It carries a maximum 14-year sentence.

There is no suggestion Wood used or has used coercive control.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). In an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000).