We all know Married at First Sight (MAFS) can be the launchpad for social media stardom, but how much money do contestants have to fork out during the experiment, and what are they actually paid for their time on one of Australia’s most-watched reality TV shows?
From pay cheques to clothing allowances, we’ve done the digging and here’s the scoop on what it really costs to find your one true love on TV.
Do the couples on MAFS get money?
Yes, but it’s not exactly life-changing money.
According to Women’s Day and the Daily Telegraph, contestants receive $150 a day with a $125 grocery allowance. For those filming seven days a week, this works out to around $1,925 per week.
Former groom Nasser Sultan, who appeared on the 2018 season, told Now to Love: “You get $150 for the day, that’s it… It’s not $150 clear. You still have to pay rent if you’re renting, you’ve gotta pay your rego, and it’s 12-hour filming days.”
An anonymous MAFS contestant shared similar feelings with The Daily Telegraph about the money. “I am broke after being on the show,” they revealed to the publication.
“I couldn’t even make my rent payments with what we were being paid… We would film late, so I’d be ordering takeaway most nights.”
Season 7’s Mikey Pembroke discussed his earnings on the I’ve Got News For You podcast, explaining he “pocketed about $1,000 bucks” during his MAFS stint.
He added: “The show makes an incredible amount of money,” but MAFS contestants are left with just enough to scrape by.
Pay details appear inconsistent across seasons, with some suggesting pay cheques have grown slightly.
In a Q&A on Instagram, 2023 groom Jesse Burford claimed contestants were paid $1,175 per week.
According to News.com.au “villain” of MAFS 2022, Olivia Frazer, said she earned “around $1,100 a week,” while her co-star Al Perkins told Daily Mail: “MAFS will pay you just over like a grand a week… But it’s not until the endorsements afterwards, that’s where you make your money.”
Olivia’s rival, Domenica Calarco, admitted her pay was far from glamorous during an interview on The Kyle & Jackie O Show, saying it was “about minimum wage.”
For reference, Australia’s weekly minimum wage is currently $915.90 per week, per the latest figures from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Do MAFS contestants get a clothing allowance?
Sort of.
Nasser told Now to Love that while the show doesn’t officially cover wardrobes, contestants often hustle to score free clothing.
“The girls would message companies on Instagram and ask for free clothes to be sent to them, and so we’d be sitting there and these deliveries would show up,” he said.
Meanwhile, 2019 groom Liam Cooper revealed on episode 169 of the So Dramatic! podcast that contestants had to dig into their own pockets: “They only gave us [a] $150 budget and then the rest we had to put in and that’s all we were given as a reimbursement.”
But, things do appear to have improved slightly over the years on the money-front.
On episode 170 of the So Dramatic! podcast, 2021 bride Beck Zemek revealed producers offered $500 for her wedding look and $200 for Final Vows.
However, she added, “Most people [gave] out dresses for free or for just $500 because they knew it was going to be on TV. Mine was a $3,000 dress.”
Jaimie Gardner, another 2021 bride, told the publication that each contestant received $1,500 for their MAFS wedding attire, plus $500 for bridesmaids and groomsmen.
But overall? A lot of costs come out of pocket.
During an Instagram Q&A, 2022 bride Olivia said, “you get paid $1100 weekly… Out of that you have to pay for your rent, bills, food, hair, make-up, outfits (so many outfits because producers need to approve).”
The anonymous Daily Telegraph source echoed this: “I spent a bomb on outfits, hair and makeup, and to top it off, they didn’t even let us wear what we wanted.”
And for those wondering, MAFS producers even have the final say on what contestants wear. Season 10 bride Janelle Han revealed to Refinery29 Australia that cast members often pull pieces from their own wardrobes, only for producers to step in with approval.
“For commitment ceremonies and any of those sorts of events, we submit three photos and then they finalise the final one… That’s because they don’t want any outfit clashing,” she explained.
Plus, Han noted that contestants are also responsible for doing their own hair and makeup on the show.
Does Married at First Sight pay for the honeymoon?
While details are a little scarce, a look at the US version of MAFS offers some clues.
According to Women’s Health, each couple’s honeymoon is all-inclusive, though they don’t get to choose the destination.
There’s also a popular theory suggesting couples who are likely to stir up the most drama and become Main Characters are treated to the most glamorous MAFS honeymoon spots by producers.
Take the 2024 season of MAFS Australia, for example. While Eden Harper and Jayden Eynaud‘s honeymoon stayed local in Airlie Beach, never even leaving their home state of Queensland, Sydney’s Tim Calwell and Sara Mesa were whisked away to the tropical paradise of Fiji.
Does Married at First Sight pay for the wedding?
Yes… but with a catch.
Over in the US, ScreenRant noted that producers typically cover the money for weddings, rings, and bachelor/bachelorette parties, but hinted that participants don’t necessarily have free reign over their budgets.
From what we gather, the show covers some costs, but anything beyond that comes out of the contestant’s pocket.
Bride Jaimie told So Dramatic! that producers “recommend you go to cheap wedding places,” although she rejected this suggestion.
Similarly, Daily Mail reports that MAFS Australia Season 7 groom Ivan Sarakula forked out his own money to fund a more elaborate big day, despite the producers providing a budget.
Co-star Martha Kalifatidis told the publication: “Apparently, Ivan actually got money out of his own pocket to pay for part of his wedding because he wanted it to be so elaborate, and the show gives you a budget.”
How much money do MAFS experts get paid?
Alessandra Rampolla, John Aiken, and Mel Schilling may be an important part of the MAFS experiment, but their reported pay cheques don’t exactly match the show’s soaring ratings.
A New Idea insider revealed in 2020: “The experts are on $50,000 each for the whole series and they feel they are being underpaid.”
Well, it’s not like the experts are exactly struggling for cash. According to The Tab, Alessandra and John are worth £1.8 million (AUD $3.61 million) each, while Mel sits at £1 million (AUD $2 million). Not too shabby!
Well, there you have it! MAFS contestants don’t exactly walk away loaded (at least not initially), and much of the love story comes with a hefty personal price tag.
So, is it worth it? That depends on how you define happily ever after.
Married At First Sight Season 12 will air on Channel 9 and 9Now in 2025.
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