A mystery source who is claiming to be a former producer for Married at First Sight has leaked some of the juiciest 'gossip' and most explosive claims of what goes on behind closed doors of the smash hit reality show.
The self-proclaimed former Channel 4 worker said producers are told to “magnify and amplify” any drama for the cameras and to encourage contestants to save the drama for the dinner parties.
It certainly would explain why the dinner parties are always explosive in many ways, from cheating scandals being aired to this year's infamous 'butt dial' being the talk of the table in the tenth Australian series that has just ended.
According to reports in the Tab, which first stumbled across the information on a lowkey Reddit forum, the anonymous person also weighed in with their opinion on the worst scenes to film, which involve the families of the reality stars.
Here's a closer look at what the anonymous MAFS producer said on Reddit and a rundown of all the juicy claims and so-called 'production' secrets.
'We magnify and amplify drama'
When pressed by fans if the scenes on the popular reality show are "fabricated" to encourage more drama, the apparent ex-producer claimed the production team often pad out storylines to fit an agenda.
They anonymous source explained: “I wouldn’t say entirely fabricated but it’s the job of post-production to take a storyline or scene that was maybe a six or seven out of 10 and make it an 11 or 10. ‘Magnify and amplify’ is a phrase that gets used in reality TV.”
The source also added that producers actively encourage those appearing on the show to hold off in venting any frustrations in a group setting at the dinner parties each week, adding: “A big example is the dinner party, you want all the big drama to happen after they sit down. So make sure that happens by telling them not to talk about certain things until they sit down.”
This part isn't really a surprise, as we all know “villains are the fuel that make reality TV go".
The 'producer' added: "If you have a problem with villains you’re in the wrong industry. Episodes where we tease that villains are going to get their comeuppance are always the highest rated.”
Contestants' families 'derail' the storyline
According to the thread, the self-proclaimed producer has said that working with the family of a contestant is like a "punishment" as they often are reluctant to get swept into any drama.
They admitted: "Anything with the families is a punishment because most of them can barely string a sentence together. They also have the tendency to either ignore or derail the main story we’re following."
'We couldn't give a s*** how many Instagram followers you have'
When speaking of what producers look for when scouting for their next batch of hopefuls finding love at the altar, the source claimed that, despite many people assuming you are in with a better shot of getting a place with a large social media following, it really doesn't matter.
They wrote: "We couldn’t give less of a s*** how many Instagram followers someone has before selecting them on the show. But the thing about people with big social media followings is that they are typically the kind of people you notice, that you want to know more about. And that’s the kind of person you want."
And when asked if the producer would put themselves forward to appear on the show, they said they would only go on MAFS if they “wanted to be famous.”
On the Reddit thread someone asked why there is a lack of diversity on MAFS in particular, we are still yet to see a Scottish contestant on the UK version! The person posing as a realty TV producer straight up said a lot of contestants end up hand-picked as they fill a diversity quota.
They said: “The issue is lack of supply due to a lot of factors. Consider Sandy from this season, for her to come on the show she had to go against her parent’s wishes. Just one example of the difficulties we face.”
The casting process is a lot like the first few dates with someone, according to the 'producer'. The contestants only show the best version of themselves and are “good at presenting a charming and attractive face".
How much do producers REALLY interfere?
According to the 'producer' on Reddit, “illegal activity” is a big concern. They said: “So genuine threats of physical violence. But it’s all about context, Dom smashes a glass last year which could be considered assault.
"But I don’t remember too many people advocating for her to be kicked off the show. I believe (and this is a prevailing attitude) that we are there to document what is happening, not directly interfere. Like a journalist in that sense."
The anonymous poster said the hardest thing is "getting people to really express their thoughts and feelings. The things they don’t want to say because they think it will make them look bad. So that’s where you get more involved and push back with the couples and not let things just play out".
Commitment ceremonies where the couples decide to stick or leave their marriage reportedly also go on all night, so it becomes impossible to include anything. The source added the hardest part is “getting everything we need before the sun comes up, that’s how much footage there is".
Married At First Sight Australia is now available to watch on catchup on E4/Channel 4.
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