MAFS expert John Aiken clarifies rumors that the show is “scripted” and “directed” – as he says the villains only blame themselves for their poor edits
One of Married At First Sight’s relationship experts has revealed the most common question he gets asked by fans of the social experiment.
Psychologist and marriage counselor John Aiken told the TV Reload podcast he’s constantly asked if the Nine Show is “staged” or “scripted.”
While the program is heavily edited and post-production plays an important role in creating storylines, no aspect of MAFS is scripted or set up in any way.
John Aiken (pictured), one of Married At First Sight’s relationship experts, has revealed the most common question he’s asked by fans of the social experiment
“Is this show written? Is she staged, John?” That’s the most common question I get,” he told host Benjamin Norris.
“The answer is very clear: No, it is not. The people in this experiment are very real and they are doing these things. It’s a good representation of who they are, even when the camera isn’t on them.”
He continued, “That’s one of the reasons it’s so compelling.
Psychologist and marriage counselor John Aiken (center, with experts Alessandra Rampolla, left, and Mel Schilling, right) told the TV Reload podcast he’s constantly asked if the Nine Show is “staged” or “scripted.”
“People don’t encounter reality participants in their everyday world, so they see it and get confused and think maybe it’s not real, but it is.”
It comes after former MAFS star Olivia Frazer previously set the record straight on longstanding rumors that the reality show is scripted.
The former student teacher, 28, said during an Instagram Q&A in May that while the show sounds “scripted” at times, it’s not because the stars are fed lines.
She explained that the dialogue occasionally sounds unnatural because participants are asked to repeat and rephrase sentences to make them clearer.
It comes after former MAFS star Olivia Frazer previously set the record straight on longstanding rumors that the reality show is scripted
For example, MAFS stars are often told to repeat a question a producer has asked them off-camera before giving an answer so it sounds unsolicited.
“You have to repeat the questions the producers ask you, which is why sometimes it sounds scripted,” Olivia explained.
She added that producers often “poke and shove” during filming to get contestants to say something, but there’s never a physical “script” on set.
The former student teacher, 28, said during an Instagram Q&A in May that while the show sounds “scripted” at times, it’s not because the stars are fed lines