The masterminds behind Married At First Sight have insisted there is no such thing as a ‘bad edit’ in TV and participants receive the ‘edit they deserve’.
Executive producers Alex Spurway and John Walsh, who have both helped transform the experiment into the ratings juggernaut it is today, insisted that any negative storyline is a result of ‘bad choices’.
Despite the season only being three weeks in, several contestants have already revealed their post-show relationship statuses.
While some have been spotted on dates, other have been caught flirting in public or have outright announced their intentions on social media.
As a result, only three couples have successfully kept their fate in the experiment under wraps: Jamie Marinos and Dave Thomas, Carina Mirabile and Paul Antoine, and Rhi Disljenkovic and Jeff Gobbels.
But as tensions rise both on-screen and off, executive producer Alex Spurway has delivered a scathing response to contestants blaming the show’s editing for their negative portrayals.
The masterminds behind Married At First Sight have insisted there is no such thing as a ‘bad edit’ in TV and participants receive the ‘edit they deserve’
Executive producers Alex Spurway and John Walsh, who have both helped into transforming the experiment into the ratings juggernaut it is today, insisted that any negative storyline is a result of ‘bad choices’
Speaking out against accusations of unfair treatment, Spurway made it clear that participants were responsible for how they were depicted.
‘I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad edit, just bad behaviour,’ Spurway stated.
‘People come into MAFS flawed—we’re all flawed as human beings. And we’re never going to shy away from those flaws.
‘We show the good, the bad, and the ugly.’
Spurway added: ‘If you come in and you have certain beliefs, or you’re not happy with something and then you watch it back, you need to be thinking about what beliefs you hold, what values you hold, or your behaviour – before you come for the edit.’
Fellow executive producer John Walsh echoed these sentiments.
‘I don’t think many people would be happy if we filmed them for 10 weeks, 8 or 10 hours a day, and then showed highlights – some of the good and some of the bad,’ Walsh explained.
‘Very few people would be happy with what they saw on film after that.’
‘I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad edit, just bad behaviour,’ Spurway stated. ‘People come into MAFS flawed—we’re all flawed as human beings. And we’re never going to shy away from those flaws. We show the good, the bad, and the ugly.’ (Pictured: Jacqui Burfoot)
Walsh also dismissed complaints from contestants claiming they were misrepresented, pointing out that every participant willingly signed up for the show with full knowledge of how it operates.
‘The people that come on our experiment have been able to watch 10, 11 seasons of it.
‘They’re fully aware of what they’re getting into,’ he said.
‘They make choices on the show about what they want to say and do, and then we put it to air.
‘And some are prepared to put their hand up and say, “Yep, that’s me, and I’ll take accountability.” And others don’t.’
Despite producers’ insistence that contestants are fully accountable for their behaviour, several cast members have already broken their contracts by revealing their post-show relationship status.
Fans of the hit reality series have spotted multiple participants on dates with people outside of the experiment.
Meanwhile, others have posted telling clues on social media about their relationship outcomes.
Taking a swipe at cast members who have criticised their portrayal on the show. Spurway added: ‘If you come in and you have certain beliefs, or you’re not happy with something and then you watch it back, you need to be thinking about what beliefs you hold, what values you hold, or your behaviour – before you come for the edit’
At this stage, only three couples remain completely tight-lipped about their fate—fueling speculation that they may be the season’s most successful matches.
But as past seasons have proven, not everyone is willing to take responsibility for their actions once the cameras stop rolling.
With more cast members seemingly set to air their grievances, this season’s off-screen drama could end up being just as explosive as what plays out on-screen.
Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine.
