Former MAFS producer reveals explosive secrets from the show: 'Edited'

With the current season of Married At First Sight approaching its end, a former producer of the reality show has taken to Reddit to spill some explosive behind-the-scenes secrets.

The anonymous user did an 'Ask Me Anything' and answered questions viewers have always wanted to know about editing, casting and what it’s really like working on MAFS.

What’s the best way to become famous on the show?

While the producer said they wouldn’t go on MAFS themselves, they shared advice for how future participants can become famous from the show.

“If you want the best possible chance of getting famous after the show your best bet is to make your own relationship as boring as possible but throw yourself headfirst into other people’s drama,” they shared.

They added that Martha Kalifatidis, who was paired with Michael Brunelli on season six, “did this perfectly”.

RELATED:

• MAFS' Al Perkins reveals surprising details about show's dinner parties

• MAFS' Jack Millar spills major filming secrets from the show

• MAFS' Selina Chhaur shares how she tricked her parents to be on camera

Which scenes are the worst to film?

After one person questioned if they have a favourite ‘week’ or ‘event’ as a producer, such as the honeymoon, confessions box or Intimacy Week, they replied that they only have a “least favourite”.

“Anything with the families are a punish because most of them can barely string a sentence together,” they said. “They also have a tendency to either ignore or derail the main story we’re following.”

What’s the casting process like?

When asked about how much research they do on the participants before they are officially cast, the producer confirmed the casting process is thorough.

“We do a series of interviews with them and independent psychologists do a full and confidential evaluation,” they detailed. “You want people who have strong opinions and who can articulate them in engaging ways.

“All contestants on shows like this go through a rigorous psych evaluation. If it's determined someone will have a really tough time on the show they won't get selected.”

They went on to compare the casting process to “the first few dates with someone”, so the participants won't always show their true personality before filming commences.

“They’re showing you the best version of themselves. And pathological people are very good at presenting a charming and attractive face. We don’t know how people will react in stressful situations until it actually happens.”

What's the matchmaking process like?

The producer shared that the cast members shouldn’t be too surprised if they are matched with someone purely for the drama.

“I think if you go into MAFS now without being aware you might be matched with the wrong person that is a you problem, not a me problem,” they said. “But you might meet the love of your life, it's a roll of the dice. Just like life.

“Couples are matched by the executive producers. You want a few that will go the distance and have a genuine shot of lasting and you want the rest to give you good content. The biggest thing when matching drama couples is to make sure you match two people who won’t immediately leave. No one, producers or viewers, wants those couples to go home too early.”

They also admitted that producers give “less than zero” consideration to how far away the participants live during the matchmaking process.

“If anything, it can be a good source of tension for couples that are really connecting,” they wrote.

How much of what the participants say is edited?

Like most reality TV shows nowadays, the producer confirmed that some of the voice-overs on MAFS are edited together - commonly known as ‘frankenbiting’.

“Yes that does happen, but I've never seen someone's words be completely twisted to make them say something they didn’t mean or feel,” they shared. “What post-production normally does is try to make people more direct and succinct.

“You can clearly hear edited voice-overs. As a rule of thumb, if you can't see their mouth moving it is edited. Listen for slight changes in tone and inflection word to word.”

How much are cheating scandals encouraged for drama?

In response to a question about cheating scandals, the producer said “they’re certainly not not encouraged”.

“Ultimately people are there to find love. And if that happens to be not with the person they were matched with, who are we to stand in their way?” they remarked.

They also answered a question about whether scandals on the show, such as Rupert Bugden's 'butt dial', are ever “entirely fabricated”.

“I wouldn't say entirely fabricated but it's the job of post-production to take a storyline or scene that was maybe a 6 or 7 out of 10 and make it an 11 out of 10. 'Magnify and Amplify' is a phrase that gets used a lot in all reality TV.”

What’s the hardest part about being a producer?

The producer said the biggest difficulty in their job is “getting people to really express their thoughts and feelings”.

“The things they don’t want to say because they think it will make them look bad,” they added. “So that’s where you get more involved and push back with the couples and not let things just play out.”

Speaking about the production’s ‘duty of care’ on the show, they said “a lot of it is just common sense”.

“We’re not there to manipulate people or do them harm, just help them tell their story. They can leave at any time.”

Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyle’s daily newsletter.

Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com.