Married At First Sight UK Experts Hit Back At Critics Who Say Contestants 'Just There For Fame'

Married At First Sight UK is all anybody can talk about at the moment, and it's not hard to see why: there's been tears, there's been boot-offs and there has even been a full-blown affair in just over a fortnight.

With all that dramz, it will come as no surprise to anyone that so far the show has smashed E4 viewing figures.

But this has naturally caused some to question the integrity of some of the contestants, and whether they want romance or simply fame...

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Eyebrows have been raised for several reasons so far this season. For one, people were dubious about Megan Wolfe's decision to stay in the experiment despite cheating on Bob Voysey; they were also unsure about Ant Poole and Alexis Economou's decision to return to the show rather than just dating on the outside world; plus, they were left questioning the fact that several of the contestants had been on telly before.

But speaking about doubts people might hold about the show and its new format ahead of the current season airing, dating expert Paul C Brunson exclusively told Tyla that he firmly believes that the majority of contestants were on the show for the right reasons.

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"I found more people were applying [this year] because of the success of the last series," Paul said, referencing the fact that three of the four matched couples are still together after the UK's season five.

"So a lot most people that I talked to cited, 'oh my gosh, there was a 75 per cent success rate. That's the reason why I want to come on.'

"That was the drive, at least from what I saw," he responded, rubbishing claims that fame was luring contestants in.

Meanwhile, Mel Schilling gave another rebuttal to the criticism of fame hungry contestants faking their feelings, adding that the show's rather intense format left very little scope for people to imitate their emotions.

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"Our couples are in such a unique situation that if they're really genuine about being in the process - and I do believe most people are - then that drama comes out naturally," she said.

Discussing the raw emotions the contestants display on the show, she added: "You have to be a really phenomenal actor or actress to be able to imitate that".

Of course, both experts understand why some might doubt the concept of marrying a stranger at the altar, and question the motives of those who might opt to do so.

But Paul adds that, when you think about it, the idea isn't really as far fetched as we all think...

"A lot of people debate on the origin of marriage, but one thing that you can't really debate is that it all started through arrangements," he said. "And when you look at the couples who stayed together, those who were arranged, always had a much higher level.

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"So, when you look at what we're doing today, Married At First Sight is a throwback to what we did as humans at the beginning of time, and it's the only concept that does this on television, which makes it an incredibly special format."

Are the contestants really looking for fame or a fairytale when they sign up? The jury is still out, but there's no denying whatever their motivations, a huge amount of people walk away with love.

Married At First Sight continues Monday to Thursdays at 9pm on E4.

Topics: TV And Film, Married At First Sight

Joanna Freedman

Joanna has worked at Tyla for the last two years, and has a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman