Conning contestants, bankrolling splits and snubbing same-sex stars?! From prenups and
paychecks to shocker hookups, here's the scoop on the most successful match show on TV!
"This is insane."
While anyone can apply to star on "Married at First Sight," many of the reality show's
contestants are discovered in real life. When a new season is announced, the casting department
spends six months searching for potential soulmates for the show. CEO Chris Coelen explained
to People,
"I've been trying to give him a chance, but the guy's — the guy's a f—in' d—head.
I don't know."
In other words, if you're constantly asked why you're still single, there's a chance
your family and friends could secretly be submitting you to "Married at First Sight."
A same-sex couple has yet to be featured on the American version of the show. And, as
it turns out, it has nothing to do with religion or politics. Season 1 success, Jamie Otis,
told Fox News,
According to Chris Coelen, the casting process is to blame for the lack of diverse couples.
Due to the large number of applicants, men and women are separated by gender before being
chosen. He explained to The Wrap,
"Cheers to us!"
"Cheers to us, babe."
Other global versions of the series have already showcased same-sex couples. The first successful
pair appeared in the Australian version of the show in 2020. And another tied the knot
in 2022 in the U.K. As far as making it happen in the U.S., Coelen says,
Everyone deserves a chance at finding their soulmate — except if they're doing it on
reality TV. And it turns out, there are a few reasons your application could be immediately
disqualified. For starters, there are age requirements, and you have to be 25 or older
to apply. You must also already live in the designated area for that season of the show.
And casting isn't typically fond of kids or previous marriages, according to Women's Health.
"She may be a stalker and may have committed credit card fraud."
Another red flag is a career in reality TV. Casting wants hopefuls to sign up for the
right reasons, and fame isn't one of them. Show expert Sabina Read told an Australian
news outlet,
But in the States, there have been exceptions. Season 1's Jamie Otis had previously appeared
on both "The Bachelor" and "Bachelor Pad." In this case, it was clear to casting that
she was truly searching for something special. And she finally found it with her husband Doug.
It takes a lot of courage to get vulnerable on national TV. But when the American series
was on the hunt for Season 1 applicants back in 2014, production didn't want to scare anyone
off — so they held back one tiny little detail. As Chris Coelen told Reality Blurred,
Later in the process, when the truth was revealed, Coelen recalled,
"I would rather be single for the rest of my life than get married to someone who I've
never met before."
But it was all in the name of weeding out anyone who wasn't really there to fall in
love. Coelen added,
Most American couples spend an average of 16 months enjoying their engagement before
their big day, according to The Knot. But on "Married at First Sight," nobody gets that
kind of luxurious timeframe. Season 4's Sonia told Cosmo,
"You're so tall. How's the weather up there. Can you touch the ceiling or something?"
Clark, who appeared on the U.K. series in Season 2, claimed couples get just six choices
when it comes to the food, theme, and music. And then there's the guest list. He shared
with the outlet,
On the wedding day, every single guest is required to sign an NDA — no matter how
excited they are to share the news. Sonia added,
Decision Day on this show is a big deal, and a divorce can sometimes turn into a sticky
situation. In order to safeguard contestants, production requires that a prenup be signed
by anyone involved. Chris Coelen told The Wrap,
"You need money."
Fans have also watched couples discuss combining their finances shortly after tying the knot.
And as Coelen noted,
It turns out that starring on "Married at First Sight" doesn't just get you a spouse,
it also earns you a paycheck. Even if it's a small one. A really small one. One executive
producer for the American series told Reality Blurred,
But with filming lasting up to 12 hours each day, couples needed compensation. And as a
source dished to Women's Health,
Couples on the Australian series allegedly earn about $100 per day. Season 9's Nasser
told Now to Love,
"Sorry, I'm way over this stuff."
Couples on the U.K. version are paid the same exact paycheck they would otherwise receive
if they weren't busy filming the show. Bob, who starred on the series in 2021, told Grazia,
In order to keep show details private until they air, contestants have to go dark on social
media. UK Season 2 star Clark told Cosmo,
"That's pretty weird."
A source from the show even told Daily Mail Australia that production in Australia has
banned couples from using their cell phones throughout filming — forcing them to focus
on their new relationships instead.
Even so, anyone who has appeared on the show is discouraged from pursuing a career in media
for an entire year. In fact, all participants are required to sign a contract stating that
they won't apply for any other reality series. The source noted,
It's the experts' job to match up applicants to create the most compatible couples. But
everything changed on Season 6 when one of the experts fell in love with a contestant,
instead.
"My advice to them at this point is to stop faking it for the cameras."
Shortly after Jon divorced wife Molly on Decision Day, fans spotted photos of him online with
show expert Dr. Jessica Griffin. After news broke that the two were officially linked,
Dr. Griffin walked away from her role on the series.
Then, in October 2022, she and Jon tied the knot. And fellow series expert Dr. Calvin
Roberson even officiated the ceremony. Dr. Griffin posted to Instagram,
In both the American and U.K. versions of the series, couples enter into legal marriages.
The stakes are high if they decide to divorce. And that can affect their emotions as well
as their bank accounts.
"How would you feel if you ended up single tomorrow?"
"I would be sad. I didn't sign up for this to get a divorce."
But production tries to help out where they can. While the American series doesn't necessarily
set aside funds for divorces, Chris Coelen, told The Wrap,
According to U.K. star, Clark, the British version does set aside money for divorces
before the season even begins. Couples just have to let producers know if they want out.
Still, Clark told Cosmo,
In 2017, he and wife Melissa legally split.
Over the course of a whopping 15 seasons, 59 couples have been matched up after expert
analysis on "Married at First Sight" in the U.S. And of those couples, 42 of them have
gotten divorced as of 2022 — leaving the success rate of finding true love at a solid
29 percent.
While that might not sound so great, when you compare it to other matchmaking series,
"Married at First Sight" has become one of the most successful at creating lasting relationships.
Both "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" combined have a success rate of only 21.4
percent, according to Yahoo. And newer entrant "Love is Blind" has a success rate of less
than 7 percent, according to Distractify.
"Married at First Sight" experts spend countless hours creating pairings that they believe
are the most compatible, which could explain its high rate of lasting relationships. As
Chris Coelen told People,
"Ah, it's the best day of my life."
In case you're wondering, Coelen isn't just the corporate mastermind behind the brand
— he's also living proof that the process works. As he told The Wrap, he met his own
wife on a blind date, and they've been happily married ever since.