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MAFS EXCLUSIVE: Carolina reveals insight into 'cheating' on the show
The season nine bride compares her cheating scandal to Claire and Adam's this season.
Since season five of Married At First Sight, there’s been at least one cheating scandal each year that has completely rocked the experiment.
This year's season was no different, with Claire Nomarhas and Adam Seed sharing a kiss during a night out and subsequently lying about it to their partners Jesse Burford and Janelle Han in an attempt to keep it secret.
While viewers are consistently left outraged by the participants’ infidelity when a cheating scandal emerges, season nine bride Carolina Santos has shared an interesting insight into what it’s actually like being a part of one.
Carolina, who pursued a relationship with Daniel Holmes in the experiment while she was still ‘married’ to Dion Giannarelli, tells Yahoo Lifestyle it’s “impossible to feel committed” to someone on the show because of the reality TV environment.
“What people don’t understand is that it’s not a real marriage, nothing about it is real,” she explains. “It’s really hard to feel committed to the person as if you’re married because you're not.
“Unless you see the person and you have that instant connection, maybe it’s a different story and it’s a bit easier to feel committed. But if you don't have that, it's pretty hard to feel like I'm in a relationship or I’m in a marriage so I'm committed to this person.”
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Carolina says she believes cheating scandals “play more with people’s egos rather than feelings” because, in her situation with Dion, she doesn’t think they ever had a chance at falling in love.
“Imagine if you go out to a bar and meet someone and you’re getting to know that person and you’re messaging and catching up through that week,” she details. “If you go out a week later and meet someone else, is that cheating? No, you’re not committed to that person yet.
“So, even though it’s a ‘marriage’, it’s hard to actually feel committed to a person that you’ve only known for seven days.”
Carolina compares her cheating scandal to Claire and Adam's
Speaking about Claire and Adam’s kiss this season, Carolina says she “can’t really blame them for getting a bit drunk and hooking up” because they had only been with their matches for a few days.
“I can understand how neither one of them felt committed to their partners,” she remarks.
“In saying that, I think it's surprising how Adam took all the blame and Claire was the hero when they’re both just as guilty in what they did - and that comes down to editing.
“Every time Adam tried to apologise they would put this dramatic music in the background, and every time Claire tried to apologise there was soft music. The music triggers emotions in the viewers. It's so funny how just by adding background music, it changes how the viewers will see what actually happened.”
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Carolina adds that it’s “very interesting” how differently she was treated on her season compared to this year’s participants, especially because both Claire and Adam had a pre-existing connection with their partner when they kissed.
“In my season, neither Daniel nor I had any connection, no kissing or holding hands, with our matched person, and both Adam and Claire did,” she shares.
“So it's kind of confusing why in my season we copped all that hate, and now Adam is copping all that hate alone and Claire is somehow the hero of the season.”
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