Married At First Sight: 10 Fakest Things About The Show, According To Cast & Crew
Married At First Sight manages to toe the line between reality and drama pretty well, but just like so many other shows in its genre, some aspects of the series are fake, as revealed by the cast and crew that worked on it. MAFS is still a global franchise, with ongoing seasons currently released in the United States and international territories. It is a hugely successful competition show based on love, but even with some authentic romances, there are still far too many fake moments.
It’s natural for there to be control over what the contestants do in each episode so that producers can get the narratives they are looking for. Indeed, all the best shows, like Married At First Sight season 16, will combine their unscripted formats with a level of structure that ensures nothing unpredictable takes place, which could derail the series. Ultimately, despite the premise, MAFS probably isn’t the best place to form a genuine connection.
Married At First Sight Producers Feed Questions
Specific tactics are used within the industry to cause drama among those taking part, and leading questions is a great strategy. Information can be quickly revealed that might lead to an argument or further conflict if the right questions are asked between partners. Producers are thus known to feed queries to MAFS couples to create those moments.
While some couples will stay together regardless, it’s still incredibly damaging. Olivia Frazer confirmed this in a Daily Mail interview, saying, “You have to repeat back the questions that producers ask you, which is why it sometimes sounds scripted,” to lead a conversation in a specific direction.
There Are Allegedly Paid Actors On Married At First Sight
MAFS goes through a lot of cast members. Whether it’s those who are getting married and going through the process or even the family and friends that supposedly have particular views on the whole situation, for the producers to get the content they want, sometimes it’s best to hire actors to fill those roles.
Great reality dating shows often try to be authentic, but MAFS isn’t bothered about looking fake. One social media contestant, Telv Williams, told Now To Love, “I wonder how many paid actors they’ve hired this year? I know most were actors in our season. I can’t believe it hasn’t come out yet.” This alleged fact will undoubtedly have many viewing the show differently regarding the authenticity of each personality.
Pretenders Can Get Selected To Be On Married At First Sight
Despite the supposedly scientific process, even experts tasked with finding suitable matches on MAFS can be duped by the people signing up. Being a personality on TV is one aspect, but another is about being emotionally ready for a relationship and being a realistic option. While some pairings manage to last, irrespective of their background, relationship expert Pastor Cal said in an interview with In Touch, “I have learned that there is a difference between what someone is ‘open to’ in a relationship and what someone wants,” pressing pretenders harder in a way that wasn’t previously planned out.
MAFS Contestants Are Pushed In Certain Directions
The producers always have a specific idea of where they want a relationship to go. At the end of the day, while successful romances will make the MAFS process seem legitimate, some will have to fail for entertainment value.
One common criticism of MAFS is that contestants are too controlled. Olivia Frazer confirmed this in a Daily Mail interview, suggesting that the producers “poke and prod” those involved in the show to get the right words from them. Although it’s not scripted, it feels like those on screen are falsely and unenthusiastically pushed in specific directions.
The Married At First Sight Marriages Aren’t Real
MAFS appears to be a massive commitment since the show’s stars get married at first sight. It’s a stressful idea for anyone signing up for the show and would be daunting to add to the drama of the moment for entertainment purposes. However, that fact might be a lot faker than many would assume.
Although a legally binding document might have genuinely once been part of the process, the marriages are no longer real. A member of the Australian production team confirmed via Now To Love that the marriages are not real but said, “Each participant embarked on a commitment ceremony with a wedding celebrant with all due intention to commit fully to this union for the duration of the experiment.” A commitment ceremony doesn’t include a legally binding document.
Married At First Sight Has Unfair Edits
Editing is a cruel element of any reality TV show. Regardless of what has been filmed, an unfair edit can make a contestant look any way the producers intend. Footage can be removed, rearranged, and placed in different scenarios, and even the audio could be replaced with moments from another interaction.
Many great shows like MAFS don’t rely on the edit quite as much, but there are some exceptions. In a Daily Mail interview, contestant Olivia Frazer said she was worried about a piece of footage being misused to comment on her weight. Therefore, when reacting to that concern, she was manipulated in the edit to appear angrier about something unrelated.
Some MAFS Cast Members Don’t Apply For The Show
MAFS rides on the premise that everyone joining the show is looking for true love. Naturally, some could be more interested in boosting their profile, but at the very least, they applied for the show with some good intentions. However, that’s not always the case.
Some cast members who are signed up might just be looking for social media buzz. For example, former groom Jono Pitman revealed to Now To Love that he was headhunted, saying, “I said no, but took the producer’s card. Then they called me when I was at the pub and was convinced it was a good idea!” While it’s unknown how many MAFS cast members were hired this way, there was at least one case.
Married At First Sight Couples Are Paired Up For Entertainment
MAFS is supposed to be a scientific process where experts in their industry match the couples together. That doesn’t always come across on screen, and it could be one of the fakest elements of the show, with some couples getting put together purely for entertainment.
Some of the favorite cast members from MAFS may not be scientifically paired. Lindsey Georgoulis, for example, took to Instagram to sarcastically say, “When the new MAFS season starts, and you’re trying to figure out how they made the matches,” before implying that, like on her season, some might just be there to make good TV. However, the experts’ poor matching skills might ruin MAFS.
The Married At First Sight Filming Schedule Is Grueling
The reality TV show MAFS usually creates the illusion that couples live a regular life together, slotting into each other’s schedules. Although there are other aspects of the format to consider, the structure suggests something close to reality, but apparently, that is very fake. To get those iconic scenes from couples, in a separate interview with Who, Olivia Frazer noted, “You film from6 pm until 4 am. It’s hell. Especially if you are told to sit on the ottomans, not the couches.” This allows producers to break down contestants, forcing further drama while still faking a regular timetable on screen.
Some MAFS Couples May Be Forced To Stay Together
Producers must always look for other moments that might cause conflict among those couples involved. Thus, despite the genuine emotions of those involved, some couples are forced to stick together, even if they wish to move on to other personalities involved in the reality franchise. For example, Carolina Santos leaked some audio of a conversation with a producer, which she shared with Daily Mail. Carolina was told she was not allowed to end her marriage with Dion Giannarelli to couple up with Daniel Holmes.
MAFS might be more scripted and contrived than previously thought. However, there are MAFS couples still together in 2023, so some genuine connections come out of the show. Regardless, the production value contributes to the show’s continued popularity, even if it isn’t all real.
