Is MAFS scripted? Everything we know about the batshit show

As the premiere of Married At First Sight 2025 (MAFS) approaches, we’re eagerly awaiting what could be the most dramatic season yet.

As much as fans can’t wait for all the wine-throwing and juicy scandals on the horizon, MAFS has always raised the question: How much of the world’s dishiest “social experiment” is real?

We’ve done some digging to uncover answers to your burning MAFS questions.

Does MAFS hire actors? 

Rumours have long persisted that MAFS producers hire a sprinkling of actors to help boost the drama.

The 2024, for example, featured a number of contestants with performing pasts, such as fan-favourite Lucinda Light and groom Collins Christian. 

And looking ahead to the upcoming 2025 season, it seems the pattern is continuing, with groom Jeff Gobbels, Ryan Donnelly, and bride Carina Mirabile all similarly sporting acting backgrounds.

Despite these claims, it seems many of the contestants are the real deal, although not all of them apply to be on the show.

Ollie Skelton from MAFS Season 10, for example, revealed on the Behind the Edit podcast that he was headhunted for the show… and his initial reaction was a hard pass!

“I actually said no and sent them this massive email essentially saying thank you for this opportunity, but I can’t really think of a reason as to why I do want to get married,” he shared.

However, it seems the producers weren’t taking no for an answer and eventually managed to change his mind.

Meanwhile, Sara Mesa (MAFS Season 11) took to TikTok to share some juicy behind-the-scenes deets on how producers really cast contestants.

“Producers reach out to everyone,” Sara said.

“I’m telling you right now, most of the people that go on these reality TV shows were scouted by producers on Instagram. There were probably one or two people on my season that actually applied, but the rest were scouted.”

She added that even after being approached, potential contestants still have to endure around ten interviews to make the final cut.

“They’re looking for one narrative for each person, and if you don’t fit that narrative, you’re most likely not going to get accepted.”

Josh White (MAFS Season 10) also jumped on TikTok in a video alongside fellow MAFS alum Janelle Han, admitting he was scouted too.

“I didn’t apply for MAFS, I was approached,” he revealed.

“I got an email and after I laughed for a solid ten minutes I then spotted… I just kind of felt, well, I’ve had enough regrets in my life and I just don’t even wanna regret something else.”

And it doesn’t stop there! As reported by Pedestrian, Lauren Dunn spilled in what seems to be a now-deleted Instagram Q&A that she’d been scouted for the show multiple times but repeatedly turned it down because of nerves about how she would come across on camera.

“I am the most wildly inappropriate human being,” she confessed.

“The things that come out of my mouth – like you guys didn’t even get to see some of the shit that came out of my mouth that didn’t make it to air,” she said.

That all being said, producers have repeatedly denied allegations that cast members are hired performers. 

Network Executive Producer John Walsh previously told 9Honey Celebrity: “We are well aware that some of the cast have done part-time modelling, appeared as extras in commercials or TV shows to supplement their income, but the suggestion that any of them were hired as performers to appear on Married At First Sight is categorically untrue.”

Is Married At First Sight real or fake?

The show is billed on Nine as a “reality series,” but how much of that reality is carefully crafted has been called into question.

For example, MAFS 2024 saw a tonne of drama, and according to Jono McCullough and Lauren, a lot of it was orchestrated by producers.

The couple called Daily Mail Australia to dish the dirt about what went down at the first Dinner Party.

Jono told the publication the MAFS cast was told by producers to amp up the drama between the couples and cast members.

“Everyone was having an awesome time and then we got a stern talking to that we needed to be real and honest,” he said.

“Soon everyone just starts unleashing, so expect some sparks to fly.”

MAFS EP denies encouraging the contestants to create drama

Although Jono and Lauren went rogue and said that the producer pushed them to create drama, the show’s executive producer said that wasn’t the cast.

During an interview with Chattr, MAFS producers said that the job of the producers is to follow the storyline lines that the couples create themselves.

“A lot of that [the stories] comes down to the cast and the casting of the show, the matches,” Endemol Shine Australia Executive Producer Alex Spurway said.

“When you’re casting 20 different people to what you cast in the last series, you’re always going to get completely different storylines, completely different reactions, dinner parties, weddings and relationships,” he said.

“We never truly know what will happen between each of these couples, and without a doubt, you’re always going to have something different.”

“We’ve got to follow those stories that come,” Nine’s MAFS EP John Walsh added. “That’s the big job. Then, it’s about telling those stories because these people all have something to share. Something engaging about them.”

A past contestant backed Lauren and Jono’s claims

Former MAFS groom Michael Brunelli, who is engaged and has a baby with bride Martha K, revealed that producers do play puppet master to a degree.

“If they know you have a problem with someone [and] they know you’re feeling a little bit emotional, they might put you at a dinner party sitting across from them, knowing that after a few hours, something is going to brew,” he said on TikTok.

@mbrunelli Reply to @a.neke #MAFS #MAFSA ♬ original sound – Michael Brunelli

However, Michael denied that the drama on MAFS is fake.

“The emotions are real, the issues are real,” he added.

So, do producers create the drama?

The jury’s still out, however, it appears that a lot of the issues form organically between the cast members. That being said, it definitely sounds as though the producers don’t mind giving the drama an extra little push.

Are the people on MAFS legally married? 

No, the marriages on MAFS are not legally binding. Despite the illusion of a real wedding, the ceremonies are purely symbolic. Under the Australian Marriage Act, couples must notify the court one month and one day before legally tying the knot.

“They are not,” a Nine spokesperson confirmed to Now to Love when asked if the MAFS weddings were genuine.

“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.” 

“At the end of the experiment, they are given the option to continue with the relationship or go their separate ways.”

This policy was clarified back in 2015 when the show first aired. As a network representative explained to the publication:

“In order to comply with the Australian Marriage Act (1961), which requires one month and one day notification, a marriage in law was not conducted.”

What is the failure rate on MAFS?

It’s safe to say MAFS doesn’t have a stellar track record when it comes to long-lasting matches. Out of over 100 matches matched by the experts, only a handful are still together eight are still together and considering there are anywhere form 10-to-12 couples getting paired a year, that’s pretty bleak.

Among these success stories are Kerry Knight and Johnny Balbuziente from Season 8, who legally married after meeting on the show. The couple even welcomed their first child, Chloe, in 2024.

From the 2024 season, two couples (Jade Pywell and Ridge Barredo and Jack Dunkley and Tori Adams) are still going strong, with engagement rumours even circling both pairs.

Despite these highlights, most MAFS marriages don’t seem to last longer than a few months, leading some fans to question the integrity of the experts’ matches.

On Reddit, one fan weighed in: “The experts are great at giving advice. I don’t think they do much in the way of matchmaking. They did away with the theatrics where they pretend to find pairs.”

Another added, “If the experts were good, this show would be on at about 1pm so the oldies could enjoy it and not prime time where everyone can enjoy the drama of the deplorable entitled cast members. So no they’re absolutely terrible at their jobs and they’re meant to be,” another added.

So there you have it! Love it or hate it, while MAFS may blur the lines between what’s real and what’s a bit ahem produced, one thing is for sure: the couples, the emotions, and of course, the drama keeps us hooked season after season.

Married At First Sight Season 12 will premiere on January 27 on Channel 9 and 9Now.