What it’s like to go on MAFS, according to someone who’s been on it
Hall monitors check the rooms in case people are secretly talking to one another
Being a contestant on Married at First Sight looks stressful. You’re thrown into an experiment with someone you’ve never met before – who is now your husband or wife – and have to spend every waking minute with them to see if you fall in love. So it must be really stressful when the MAFS relationship experts match you with someone who is completely opposite to you, to the point where you think they’ve made a mistake.
Introducing Mel, one of contestants on Season 6 of MAFS who was matched up with Dino. Both gave it a good shot, but it all fell apart when Dino secretly filmed Mel talking to her sister about their relationship.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, Melissa Lucarelli has spilt the beans on what it was really like to be part of the Season 6 cast and some juicy MAFS production secrets:
Everyone’s social media is controlled during the show
Mel told Cosmopolitan UK contestants’ social media is controlled by producers and that when the show airs they are only allowed to post pre-approved pictures and their comments are disabled, meaning contestants can’t discuss the episodes with their fans live.
“It’s a much better experience now the show is airing in the UK than when it first aired in Australia, because now I’ve got my social media and I can speak to people about it”, Mel said.
This claim is backed up by another Married at First Sight contestant from a previous series, who told WHO that producers control their social medias, and that they’re only allowed to go on their phones once the filming for that day is finished up.
Mel claims producers made her feel like she was late to her wedding
The day of Mel and Dino’s MAFS wedding looked chaotic. Mel woke up late, she made the taxi pull over because she couldn’t remember if she’d packed her dress, and when she finally did show up to the wedding Dino was no where to be found. Mel’s persona was made to look irrational and wild, compared to spiritual yogi Dino.
Mel says she was told 08.30 was her call time, but then allegedly producers told her the wedding was at 08.30, causing Mel to look panicked during filming.
“I mean, who gets married at 8.30am?” Mel told Cosmopolitan UK. “They kept at me and told me my new husband and all his family are sitting there waiting, that all the crew and production staff are there and claimed I’d ruined everyone’s day, and asked how that made me feel. They wanted to get a reaction, which they got. I was getting so upset, the poor makeup lady couldn’t put my eyelashes on.”
Contestants could only talk to one another at the dinner parties and commitment ceremonies
This is because the film crew don’t want to miss any juicy conversations between contestants. Mel claims MAFS contestants could only chat to one another when they had their mics on.
Not all contestants apply to be on the show
Previous MAFS production secrets have suggested some of the cast members are approached by recruiters, rather than everyone applying to be on the show – which isn’t that unusual in reality TV. Mel said she applied and went through several interview stages.
She believes her at Dino were set up ‘for entertainment’
It’s unlikely anyone watching Dino and Mel thought it would work out. Although they say opposites attract, the pair were clearly on different wavelengths. Mel though it was “clearly a joke” that they had been matched.
“They can use the idea that we’re opposites to place us together, but I specifically said to them that I want to be matched with someone that loves me, for me, and vice versa, that we weren’t there to change each other”, Mel said. “But that’s what their whole reasoning was for matching us. Honestly, I still don’t know why having high energy and being a bit extra gets such a bad rep. I like that about me, I don’t want to change. I think it’s my best quality.”
Hall monitors check the rooms in case people are secretly talking to one another
Obviously contestants would try sneaky tactics to try and communicate with each other – especially if you weren’t getting on with your partner a la Dino and Mel.
“My room used to get searched for people all the time, because they’d come over”, Mel told Cosmopolitan UK. “We had hall monitors though, which is why it wouldn’t last long as they’d come and check the room.”
Dinner parties went on from 10am – 4am
It’s kind of impressive no one fell asleep on those big comfy-looking sofas in the room next to the dining room. Contestants have to start getting ready in the morning, and are directed on what to talk about with their partner.
MAFS’ Mel said: “At 10am the camera crew would come and film you getting ready for the dinner party and chatting to your partner. They’ll get you to speak about specific people who might have drama going on.
“Then you’re taken to the warehouse where it’s filmed, and you have to wait in a tent. After that you get taken in a car kitted out with GoPros and you drive around for ages, talking about the night.”
There’s a 9pm curfew
What is this, school??
Married at First Sight Australia Season 6 is available to watch on All 4 now.
Related Married at First Sight Australia stories:
• MAFS relationship expert quit after some of the dinner party scenes made her feel ‘sick’
• All the Married at First Sight Australia Season 6 gossip that went down after the show
• Married at First Sight Australia Season 6: Where are they now?
• The MAFS web: The Season 6 cast members who stayed in touch after the show
• Here are all the Instagrams for the Married at First Sight Australia Season 6 cast
• Which Married at First Sight Australia girl are you? Take this quiz to find out