Married at First Sight is starting to feel like a free-for-all, with people signing up for their big TV moment and some new social media followers.
However, the series does have a standard for applicants before they are cast and some rules to abide by during the process.
Chris Coelen, MAFS executive producer and the CEO at Kinetic Content — the production company behind MAFS — spilled some juicy tidbits about the show.
Season 18, filmed in the Windy City, Chicago, with a fresh crop of hopefuls, is currently airing on Lifetime.
Over the years, viewers have expressed frustration at the marital experiment’s low success rate, with some threatening to boycott the show after a disastrous Season 17.
But people are still tuning in so here are some fun facts you probably didn’t know.
MAFS couples sign prenups at their wedding
If you’re a hardcore MAFS fan, you’re already aware that the marriages on the show are legally binding.
However, did you know the newlyweds sign prenups on the wedding day?
It makes a lot of sense since they’re marrying strangers and the prenup gives the participants a way to protect their assets, as Chris noted during a 2015 interview with The Wrap.
“There is a prenup that is built in,” he revealed. “It’s a very short, brief prenup. It basically says what they walk into [the marriage with] is what they walk out of the marriage with.”
Who pays for the divorce when the couples split?
Chris Coelen confessed that the MAFS couples are paid “almost nothing” for filming the show.
If they decide to part ways at the end of the eight-week experiment, MAFS covers the cost of their divorce, right? Wrong.
“There is not any money specifically built in for divorce costs,” Chris confessed.
He reasoned that depending on the time the divorce is initiated, they’ll help pay for an attorney.
Extensive background checks are done on the participants
Believe it or not, the show does extensive background checks on the participants before they are cast, although clearly, some have fallen through the cracks.
Former MAFS expert Dr. Jessica Griffin told The New York Post during her time on the show, “We do extensive background checks” to filter out persons with criminal histories, significant debts, substance abuse problems, and other warning signs.
MAFS participants must undergo psychological testing
The MAFS contestants get a little crazy sometimes, but that’s no fault of the experts.
During the vetting process, applicants must undergo a mental evaluation to ensure that they can endure the stress of marrying a stranger plus having millions of people tune in to their story.
Pastor Calvin Roberson stressed this during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in Season 4.
“We’re looking at things like their psychological testing, their core values,” he told the media outlet.
Participants must be childfree
Have you ever wondered why you’ve never seen any MAFS participants with kids? Well, that’s because it’s now allowed.
If you are a parent, don’t try signing up for the marital experiment, because you’ll be immediately rejected.
Another fun fact? There’s an age limit requirement starting at 25, and we’ve noticed it’s usually capped at mid-thirties.
After many complaints and failed marriages, we’ve seen a shift this season with contestants in their late 30s and early 40s.
Meanwhile, in more exciting news, there’s a new spin-off coming for singles 55 and over, so that should make for an interesting watch.
Are you surprised by any of these juicy details?
Married at First Sight airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Lifetime.