Are you watching the new series of Married at First Sight UK? The reality show returned last month and we have been hooked ever since.
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The programme, which sees a group of singletons meet their potential future spouses for the first time of their "wedding days", provides plenty of ups and downs as well as dramatic showdowns as the newlywed couples attempt to navigate their new life with a stranger! But did you know there are plenty of secrets about the show? Here's just a few that will definitely change the way you watch Married at First Sight…
WATCH: Are you a fan of Married at First Sight's Australian version?
The contestants get paid their regular salary
Speculation about whether participants get paid to appear on reality TV shows has always been a topic of interest to fans, and it seems like we have an answer when it comes to MAFS. Chatting to Grazia in 2021, former contestant Bob Voysey said: "We just basically got paid our wages, you know, like what we'd get if we're doing our normal jobs. We sent over our payslips before the show."
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© Photo: Channel 4Are you a fan of Married at First Sight UK?
It's not scripted!
It's safe to say there are a few cynics out there who often question the "reality" in reality TV. And while we can't help but love the drama, we wonder if lines are given to contestants. Answer: no!
According to Luke Dawson, there are no scripts involved, however, producers are on hand to perhaps steer certain conversations and topics in a particular direction, to give us the entertainment we all want and love from the show. "Producers just remind you the stories," he told Grazia. "So when you're on camera, they remind you what's going on."
© Photo: Channel 4Filming for the dinner parties is intense
The dinner parties take hours to film
The dinner party scenes are often pretty intense for viewers, and it seems it's no different for the cast and crew and it's been said they can take "hour to film". Chatting on the Secure the Insecure podcast, Amy Christophers explained: "When you arrive you are interviewed about the dinner party ahead and the drama that you are facing that evening.
"Then when you head into the mixer for drinks beforehand you can feel the tension and know it's going to kick off later. So you get in a slump while you wait two hours in the mixer for them to finish filming and set up the dinner party." We're exhausted just thinking about it.
MORE: Married at First Sight babies! All the couples who have welcomed children since the show
© Photo: Channel 4The marriages are not legally binding
Producers take away phones and access to social media
This might be an obvious one since it happens a lot on reality TV shows. On MAFS, they allow contestants to have their phones up until they begin filming for the up-to-date episodes.
"We were told that we'd have our phones until the morning of our wedding, but I think someone was in the car and had found out who one of the husbands were, so production were worried that it would be leaked," said Alexis Economou to Grazia. She then stated that the contestants are giving a production phone to communicate with each other.
© Photo: Channel 4The show is not scripted, according to previous contestants
The marriages aren't legally binding
Despite previous series, the more recent series of Married at First Sight UK have not included legally binding marriages. This is in line with the Australian format of the show after its huge growth in popularity here in the UK. This means that if the couples separate, they don't have to divorce.
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