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MAFS expert Mel Schilling shuts down rumours of celebrity season: ‘Not a fan’
She’s been a staple on Married at First Sight for the past seven seasons, but expert Mel Schilling isn’t all that keen on switching things up too much in the future.
The confidence coach has shut down rumours that the upcoming season of the reality series will feature celebrities walking down the aisle and explained why she’s “not a fan of the idea”.
“The magic of MAFS is that we're bringing two people together who don't know anything about each other’s background,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“If you come face to face with a celebrity, you’re already going to have all these preconceived ideas about who they are, how they’re played out in the press and it’s not going to be an organic process.
“And also, it would be an unfair match because one person would know loads about this one, while they’d know nothing about them. I don’t think it would work. It would be a different show.”
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A format that Mel does appreciate, however, is bringing back past contestants for another try at love, as viewers have seen with John Robertson in season five and Elizabeth Sobinoff in season seven.
“That certainly was a positive experience for those guys so I’m quite a fan of that idea, I love the idea of second chances,” she added.
Speaking about the 2022 season of MAFS - which Channel Nine recently released a brief teaser for - Mel said she is “really excited” for Australia to meet the new couples.
“We have such interesting, diverse stories coming through this year, and I can’t say too much but I’m just really excited for everyone to see it, it’s gonna be amazing,” she detailed.
While production only recently began on the new series, fans in need of a MAFS fix can currently watch Mel serve as an expert on Married At First Sight UK.
This year saw the British version of the franchise adopt Australia’s format for the very first time, implementing dinner parties and matching a larger number of couples, yet Mel says there was a major difference between the cast members.
“I found the Brits probably took a little bit of time to open up whereas Aussies are just, ‘Here I am!’,” she laughed.
“The Brits definitely got there, they just were a little bit reserved to start with but then once they felt comfortable with the process they were just as open and transparent as our Aussies are.”
It’s understandable why MAFS UK aimed to emulate the success of the Australian series, which has been a ratings juggernaut year after year, gained a strong fanbase worldwide and produced plenty of iconic moments.
After appearing on the show for over six years and meeting 68 couples, there’s one incident in particular that Mel says is her most memorable.
“Dino and Melissa [from season six] had been on their little trip,” she recalled. “They must have gone somewhere to Central Australia, I can’t remember where they’d been, and they came back and they bought me a, I think it was a key ring but it was made of kangaroo scrotum.
“I think I screamed and threw it and I don’t know where it ended up! That really took me by surprise. That was a very funny moment for sure.”
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