MAFS 2024 cast former reality star 'to save new season' after BTS chaos

Married At First Sight producers have implemented a surprising strategy to “save” the upcoming 11th season following weeks of mayhem behind the scenes.

Yahoo Lifestyle reported earlier this week that filming for the reality show has been thrown into chaos after several cast members either “walked out” or abruptly “quit the show”.

In an attempt to salvage the new season, it appears producers have reversed their decision to feature less influencers or people with existing public profiles on the show and cast a familiar face as one of the intruders.

Yahoo Lifestyle can reveal that First Dates contestant Ridge Barredo has entered the experiment after being spotted filming his wedding in Sydney last week.

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The 27-year-old former reality star is already well connected to the influencer scene and is friends with The Bachelorette’s Nick Chamberlain.

Ridge is also a professional weightlifter and competed at the Commonwealth Games in both 2018 on the Gold Coast and 2022 in Birmingham where he finished in fifth place.

Who else is in the cast?

Ridge will be joining the likes of influencers Cassandra Allen, Lauren Dunn and Sara Mesa on this year’s season of the reality show.

Professional kickboxer Jayden Eynaud, whose brother Mitch was a participant on season nine in 2022, is also among the cast.

Meanwhile, the new season will also feature the series’ oldest-ever groom, 62-year-old brand consultant and motivational speaker Richard Sauerman.

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Experts John Aiken and Alessandra Rampolla recently spoke with Yahoo Lifestyle about what fans can expect when the show returns to screens, with John saying “diversity” is the word he’d use to describe the 2024 cast.

“Well we always like to make a splash,” he said, with Alessandra agreeing.

“For me, I think my experience of doing this experiment is that I am as surprised as everybody as to how things progress along the way, so I'm just expectant,” she added.

“I've spoken to some very interesting people that I have very high hopes for, but we all have to wait and see.”

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