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MAFS show returns after axing

Nine will bring back Talking Married, with a twist. Photo: Nine
Nine will bring back Talking Married, with a twist. Photo: Nine

As we inch closer to MAFS 2020 die-hard fans will be thrilled to learn an audience favourite is set to return after being cut.

Nine has reversed its decision to cut MAFS follow up show Talking Married, announcing the show will return in 2020.

The original announcement came after season six’s on-screen antics unravelled into contentious and damaging interviews on the live follow-up program.

TV Blackbox broke the news that the network has backpedalled, and will bring the fan-favourite back in time for season seven, though it won’t look exactly the same.

Host Jane Azzopardi (left) will not return, leaving Shelly Horton (right) to anchor solo. Photo: Nine
Host Jane Azzopardi (left) will not return, leaving Shelly Horton (right) to anchor solo. Photo: Nine

Host Shelley Horton will return to anchor the program, but she will be flying solo this year, with former co-host Jayne Azzopardi on maternity leave.

The show will apparently consist of four shorter episodes released across the week on 9now, rather than airing live on free to air directly following the episode broadcast.

A messy program to handle

Dan and Jess infamously broke up on-air as part of the live show. Photo: Nine
Dan and Jess infamously broke up on-air as part of the live show. Photo: Nine

The decision to ditch the live program directly after the episode in favour of more produced tidbits later on is something of an obvious one.

The original decision to ditch the program came amid concerns for contestant’s mental health, the live environment the perfect ground for outbursts, breakdowns, and even break ups on a few occasions.

Given MAFS is filmed months before the show actually airs, the Talking Married series was a glimpse into the contestants’ reactions in real-time, a volatile concept that may have boosted the talk show’s popularity, but also saw some of the most controversial moments in the entire series unfold.

The infamous moment that may have hammered the final nail in the coffin was Dan and Jess’ uncomfortable fight and apparent breakup live on the show, that was followed by the news that Jess had cheated on Dan as told to Yahoo Lifestyle.

With the show coming back, it looks like theories the seventh season would dial down the drama after a volatile season six are unfounded.

There will have to be a whole lot of drama to unpack over four weekly episodes.

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