Married At First Sight has matched some of the most interesting couples on reality TV, but some major clout chasers have appeared on the series during its run looking for their big break. While the point of MAFS has always been to create successful marriages that were matched and arranged by the experts, the allure of reality TV fame and fortune has been too appealing for some to let go of. The experts on Married At First Sight, which currently consists of Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Pia Holec, and Pastor Cal Roberson, have worked hard to ensure that everyone they’re matching is actually interested in finding love on the quirky series. Asking its participants to trust in the process and get married sight unseen, Married At First Sight has broken down barriers in the reality TV dating space and created some successful marriages.
While there has been a level of success on Married At First Sight in the past, the last several seasons of the series have been an abysmal showing for the experts, the casts, and the general production team. From MAFS season 13 to its current season, only one couple has managed to stay together in the 30 that have been matched up by the experts. With such a low success rate in recent years, many have been curious about the process behind choosing participants, and further, matching them up for marriage. Married At First Sight’s current casting process involves a very long questionnaire about preferences, interests, and general personality questions, presumably followed by interviews with the casting team to make sure that they’re a good fit for the show, and not simply looking to chase fame.
While more goes into finding someone for Married at First Sight, the basic questions asked to vet the cast members through the first round may not be enough to keep only the series candidates in the running. Many have wondered if the casting on MAFS needs to change, or if there’s more of an issue with the couples the experts are putting together instead. Though the participants have struggled to keep themselves in healthy, happy relationships in the past, the experts tend to believe what they say about their habits, no matter how good. The participants aren’t always honest about themselves, which can lead to sour marriages. While some of the lies the MAFS cast members tell are about their feelings or preferences, others are more about their intentions on the series. Cast members who are simply chasing clout on Married At First Sight struggle to make connections, and put a huge damper on the series as a whole.
8. Chloe Brown
Married At First Sight Season 17
Chloe Brown’s time on Married At First Sight season 17 wasn’t long, but it was memorable. The 39-year-old Senior Director at the American Heart Association found herself in an interesting position after applying to be on the Denver season of the series and making it far enough to be considered a match for Michael Shiakallis during the beginning of the season, but ultimately finding herself put on the back burner when the experts decided to match him with someone else. Chloe and Michael found their way back to each other after his first MAFS bride left him at the altar, and the experts decided to pair them up for his second wedding.
Chloe appears to be a serious but gentle person who’s working hard in a non-profit space to do well for other people. She’s very upfront about the fact that she has high standards and wants to help others first and foremost, which is a great crusade.
The only issue with Chloe is that she appeared to be playing up her attraction to eccentric Michael for the cameras.
Though she claimed she was falling for her Married at First Sight husband, it was clear that they were struggling to build attraction between them, which led to some cracks in the foundation of her relationship. Often talking about her work and her hopes to find outside support for other ventures in the future, Chloe’s inability to stick to her marriage instead of speaking about her passions made her seem like a clout chaser to viewers.
7. Jasmine Secrest
Married At First Sight Season 16
Introduced during Married At First Sight season 16, Jasmine Secrest was matched with Airris Williams on their wedding day and struggled to make a connection with her MAFS husband throughout the season. Jasmine, who was from Memphis, Tennessee but lived in Murfreesboro, was looking for a deep connection with her partner. She was hopeful she would find something that modeled her parents’ loving marriage, but her connection with Airris was difficult from the beginning. While Jasmine was hopeful she’d be able to make things work with Airris, it became clear that the couple wasn’t going to be able to make it happen when he wasn’t finding himself attracted to her, while she saw red flags in his behavior.
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After the couple chose to divorce, things changed quickly for Jasmine, leading many to believe she went on Married At First Sight for exposure rather than love. Jasmine went through a career change after MAFS season 16 wrapped, going from working as a dog groomer to making a living as an Esthetician at a med spa in her hometown of Murfreesboro.
Jasmine has also been able to get sponsorships and brand deals out of her time on Married At First Sight, working as an influencer to help her make ends meet.
Though Jasmine could’ve been interested in MAFS as a way to find love, the fact that she found herself unable to connect with Airris and continued their relationship makes it seem like it could’ve been for clout.
6. Cameron Frazer
Married At First Sight Season 17
Married At First Sight season 17’s Cameron Frazer appeared on the show for the majority of the season, despite separating from his bride Clare Kerr within the first weeks of the series. Cameron and Clare’s relationship was difficult, though they seemed to be pleased with one another after their wedding on the show. Cameron, who’s originally from New Zealand and has relocated to Denver, Colorado to follow his passions, was happy about his new bride, but the pair found it tough to connect after some of the comments they made about one another landed flat. Cameron’s relationship with Clare came to a screeching halt within a few weeks, but the couple stayed on the series through MAFS season 17.
While Cameron seemed to be genuine on the series, his time on MAFS has been called into question after it came out on the Married At First Sight season 17 reunion that he was orchestrating scenes throughout the season. Cameron was accused of telling the rest of the cast what they should and shouldn’t be doing on camera, in order to make themselves look better to the audience. Though Cameron may have joined the show to actually find love, it’s possible he was simply looking for a bit of exposure for his bike shop and hoped that he would be perceived well by the MAFS audience.
5. Airris Williams
Married At First Sight Season 16
After being married to Jasmine on Married At First Sight season 16, Airris’ life changed entirely. His relationship with Jasmine wasn’t something he was interested in fostering, despite how often he said that he wanted to work things out. Admitting he’d cheated in past relationships, Airris wasn’t trustworthy in Jasmine’s eyes and did very little to prove that he could be. After allowing his family to treat Jasmine poorly, it became clear that he wasn’t going to fight for her or value her the way he should as her husband. The couple chose to separate on Decision Day, but Airris’ life continued to change after MAFS brought him some fame.
Airris, who worked as a software developer at HCA Healthcare after leaving law enforcement, has dedicated himself to a new cause. He shares online often about running, explaining that it’s saved his life countless times in his Instagram posts. After
Married At First Sight, Airris had enough of a following to start a run club, which he promotes heavily online. The majority of his presence online is dedicated to running, but pushes his followers to buy products he promotes and donate to runs he’s participating in.
While he wasn’t necessarily interested in a marriage on MAFS, he’s been able to leverage his following to help his cause.
4. Olajuwon Dickerson
Married At First Sight Season 14
Married At First Sight season 14’s Olajuwon Dickerson has been a polarizing figure in the franchise since his initial appearance on the show. Marrying his bride, Katina Goode. While Olajuwon seemed to be completely in love with Katina during the beginning of their marriage, the second that things got difficult, he seemed to bail out of the relationship entirely. Olajuwon was critical of Katina throughout the season, and the pair clashed over her role as the woman in the marriage, but their relationship was so turbulent that it got fans invested in seeing if they’d be able to make things work.
After MAFS, Katina and Olajuwon were able to keep viewers on the hook to see if their relationship would burn out. The couple were on and off throughout the year after their appearance on Married At First Sight, finally calling it quits only to spark rumors that they were getting back together. Olajuwon has posted many cryptic posts on Instagram regarding their relationship, seeming to reel in followers in order to keep them invested in their marriage. While Olajuwon hasn’t become a full-blown influencer, he does seem to enjoy being relevant online and likely went on MAFS in order to gain a following, not a marriage.
3. Taylor Dunklin
Married At First Sight Season 10
Married At First Sight season 10’s Taylor Dunklin had a disastrous marriage with Brandon Reid that ended in shambles, but her life after the show has given viewers pause about whether or not she joined the show for the right reasons. Coming into MAFS, Taylor was hopeful she’d find someone she could spend her life with, but her relationship with Brandon wasn’t the right fit for either of them. After a difficult attempt at making their marriage work, the couple ultimately split and moved on with their lives. Taylor, an activist who was outspoken about her research at Johns Hopkins University, seemed like she would return to her life unphased.
While Taylor has kept a low profile at times after MAFS, many have been surprised to see the way she’s presented herself on social media.
Taylor, who spent her time on the series talking about her serious profession, often posts content that seems fit for an influencer.
The post she makes surrounding her cooking, her lifestyle, and the parties she attends are often off-putting and make MAFS viewers wonder if she joined the series for the right reasons. Always looking for another opportunity, Taylor has become one of the biggest MAFS clout chasers.
2. Alyssa Ellman
Married At First Sight Season 14
Married At First Sight season 14’s Alyssa Ellman was hopeful she’d be able to make her marriage to Chris Collette work, but her time on the series proved that she wasn’t in it for a relationship, but instead looking for clout. Alyssa entered into the experiment hopeful, but viewers noticed that she was often making herself the victim in situations where it didn’t call for her to do so. Viewers watched as Alyssa took her own insecurities out on her husband, belittling him and making him feel like he was less than. Rather than owning her issues, Alyssa often tried to explain how she was a good person to anyone who would listen.
After Alyssa and Chris ended their relationship on MAFS, she moved on from the series quickly. Though she keeps her social media presence quiet, Alyssa spoke extensively about her dog allergies on Married At First Sight season 14 only to become a dog rescuer after her time on the series ended. Viewers came to realize that there was likely no shortage on what Alyssa would lie about, and she’d likely only come on the series to promote herself and her business.
1. Zach Justice
Married At First Sight Season 10
Zach Justice married Mindy Shiben on Married At First Sight season 10, both entering into what was one of the show’s worst relationships without realizing they were doing so. The couple’s experience on the series was volatile, as Zach was indifferent to the experience and continuously shut down communication with Mindy. He was closed off throughout the marriage, even refusing to live in the apartments that are provided for the MAFS participants with his new bride. Zach ultimately shared he wasn’t attracted to Mindy, but made things difficult before he did so in order to keep himself from looking like a bad guy on TV.
After MAFS, Zach turned a new leaf quickly and became an open, vulnerable content creator. Regularly posting on his Instagram, Zach shares about his fitness journey as he’s moved into an entirely new place in his life. Sharing content with MAFS viewers and anyone else who follows him, Zach has chosen to open up about another aspect of his life in order to make a living. It appears to Married At First Sight viewers that Zach wasn’t on the show to find love at all, but instead to promote his personal training business.
