MAFS 2024 to star 'older influencers' as surprising trend takes off

With reality TV fans getting tired of dating shows giving primetime to young influencers instead of focusing on the love stories we used to see unfold on shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Married At First Sight is looking to shift things by putting older influencers into the limelight.

As previously reported by Yahoo Lifestyle, the eleventh season of MAFS is set to focus on the love stories as well as the drama the show is renowned for, with producers bringing in the experiment's "oldest ever" participants with Richard Sauerman, 62, and bridge Andrea Thompson, aged in her 50s.

Yahoo Lifestyle has now been told that producers plan on “heroing” the couple and “reversing stereotypes” of what viewers would expect to see from older participants.

An insider said: “Richard arrives at his wedding on a motorbike and his relationship with Andrea is anything but a walk in the park.”

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A look at the pair's social media pages also shows they're anything but reserved and are influencers in the making – just like their younger co-stars. Andrea is no stranger to sharing a stunning selfie, and Richard has previously posted pictures posing with cigarettes and motorbikes.

MAFS 2024 is expected to hit TV screens in late January, or early February 2024.

Meanwhile, Channel 10 also looks set to be prioritising older contestants with their dating shows in 2024.

Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Australia, who produce The Bachelor, put out a casting call for “fun, active, and outgoing male seniors aged 60 or over who are divorced / widowed and open to meeting the next love of their life in our ground-breaking new series.”

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It is believed the casting call was for an Australian season of The Golden Bachelor, which was a hit in America recently with retired restaurateur Gerry Turner, 72, looking for love, with the series touted to inspire many spin-offs all over the world.

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