MAFS expert John Aiken finally sets the record straight on rumours the show is ‘scripted’ and ‘staged’ – as he says the villains only have themselves to blame for their bad edits
One of the relationship experts from Married At First Sight has revealed the most common question he is asked by fans of the social experiment.
Psychologist and marriage counselor John Aiken told the TV Reload podcast he is constantly asked whether the Nine show is ‘staged’ or ‘scripted’.
While the program is heavily edited and post-production has a major role in crafting storylines, no aspect of MAFS is scripted or set up in any way.
Married At First Sight expert John Aiken (pictured) has revealed the most common questions fan ask him
‘”Is this show scripted? Is it staged, John?” That is the most common question I get,’ he told presenter Benjamin Norris.
‘The answer is very clear: no it’s not. The people on this experiment are very real and they do these things. It’s a good representation of what they are like, even when the camera is not on them.’
He continued: ‘That’s one of the reasons why it’s so compelling.
The 51-year-old revealed on the TV Reload podcast, he if often asked whether the show is scripted. Pictured MAFS experts Alessandra Rampolla, John and Mel Schilling
‘People don’t come across reality participants in their day-to-day world, so they see it and are confused by it and think maybe this isn’t real, but it is.’
It comes after former MAFS star Olivia Frazer previously set the record straight on long-standing rumours the reality show is scripted.
The former teaching student, 28, said during an Instagram Q&A in May that while the show does sound ‘scripted’ at times, this isn’t because the stars are being fed lines.
She explained the dialogue occasionally sounds unnatural because the participants are told to repeat and rephrase sentences to make them clearer.
It comes after former MAFS star Olivia Frazer previously set the record straight on long-standing rumours the reality show is scripted
For example, MAFS stars are frequently told to repeat a question a producer has asked them off camera before giving an answer so it sounds unprompted.
‘You have to repeat back the questions that producers ask you, which is why it sometimes sounds scripted,’ Olivia explained.
She added that producers often ‘poke and prod’ during filming in order to get the contestants to say something, but there is never a physical ‘script’ on set.
The former teaching student, 28, said during an Instagram Q&A in May that while the show does sound ‘scripted’ at times, this isn’t because the stars are being fed lines
Advertisement