I have an issue with how Married at First Sight selects its cast members, as I don’t think their method should be the norm. Married at First Sight season 18 ended in March 2025, and it was the most dramatic season yet due to scandals, divorces, and post-season show-downs. The season was set apart due to a cheating and couples swap situation that happened between Madison Myers and David Trimble, who left their original spouses, Allen Slovick and Michelle Tomblin, to pursue a relationship with one another. The couple were then rewarded with air time.
Regardless of the pitfalls of season 18, I am noticing that 2025 is proving to be a big year for the Married at First Sight franchise. MAFS has always been a Lifetime Network show, but it has been taken over by Peacock, and MAFS season 19 is being produced and delivered on the new network. While I see this change as positive, it doesn’t detract me from the notion that MAFS has its casting strategy all wrong, leading to several core issues happening in the show. I also don’t think their casting approach should be the norm going forward.
MAFS Production Has Notoriously Made Poor Casting Choices
Clout Chasers, Unavailable People
I see MAFS‘ poor casting strategy coming across in the caliber of people they ultimately showcase during the seasons. MAFS premiered in 2014, and it originally highlighted the marrying a stranger journeys of three couples. In seasons 8 and 9, four couples were followed, and since season 10, five couples get married on the show. Now that MAFS casts ten people per season, I believe the quality of participants has gone downhill.
In MAFS season 12, Chris Williams’ rude and dubious behavior towards his wife, Paige Banks, solidified him as a top historical villain, as his personality red flags should have been noticed before his casting. In MAFS season 14 in Boston, Alyssa Ellman thought the experts were going to find her exactly who she asked for, and had no intention of compromising on anything, leading her to slander the show and experts, as she claimed to be “robbed” of the experience.
Season 15’s Alexis Williams was vocal about being a “track star,” who ran from an engagement and relationships before. Season 16’s 25-year-old Domynique Kloss attested that she was an “old soul” ready for marriage, but her behavior and early divorce calling led me to believe otherwise. Season 17 in Denver’s whole cast shocked me the most, as not only was there was the first-ever runaway bride, but the victim groom, Michael Shiakallis, was rematched to Chloe Brown only to tell her he wasn’t ready for marriage come decision day.
Season 17 also had an attempted group dupe in which the original couples colluded together to portray themselves positively on camera to get good edits at the expense of authenticity and the sanctity of their new marriages. All of these poor casting examples have solidified to me that there is an inherent problem with MAFS‘ casting approach. Aside from emotionally unavailable and unintelligent cast members making it into the seasons, participants with clout chasing intentions have also been a pitfall.
MAFS Production Recruits People
Through Dating Apps & Instagram
Where I’m finding the major flaw in Married at First Sight‘s casting tactics, is that their number one method for choosing participants seems to lie with their penchant for scouting and recruiting people. Married at First Sight production scours dating apps and Instagram pages for single people in the cities they visit each season, with the intention of co-opting them for the show. Once potential people are identified, production tries to convince them to apply for the show. If they bite, they are asked to do the lengthy online application.
If they make it past that, then they are interviewed by production and the experts both in a neutral setting and at their homes. I don’t see recruiting people from online resources as a positive strategy for finding people for the show. I understand that production can get a sense of someone’s telegenic quality through their online presence, but I think it’s a problematic way of securing cast members.
Not only could these people be hiding their current relationships from their pages, but there is also not enough personal information given to determine whether the person is emotionally ready for marriage.
By scouting people, the element of ensuring people are marriage-quality and serious about the process is murky. I think it leaves room for the person scouted to jump at the opportunity to potentially appear on TV and for them to tailor their personas, since they know production wants to cast them.
Reality TV Cast Recruitment Hasn’t Worked On Other Shows
Love Is Blind, Too Hot To Handle Are Examples
I recognize that recruiting people from social media and dating apps is a normal practice in the reality TV world, but it’s not working for Married at First Sight, and it hasn’t worked for other shows. Love Is Blind notoriously casts clout chasers and people who have no business being in serious relationships due to their personality and maturity flaws, and it’s led to mistrust from viewers about who is appearing on the show. Too Hot To Handle also has a poor success rate at making matches, and that’s underscored by the way they get people for the show.
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There Are Better Ways For MAFS Production To Cast People
Nominations & Applications
It’s not lost on me that viable organic applicants are hard to come by in each city that Married at First Sight visits. However, I don’t think production is trying hard enough in that aspect. But with the platform switch, Peacock should be able to capture a wider applicant pool since it’s a major network. Moreover, Married at First Sight should start introducing nominations, much like ABC’s Golden franchise, where family, friends, and co-workers can nominate their loved one. I believe recruiting should be a last resort for the show, as there are better methods to getting solid cast members.
