A Married At First Sight participant has revealed the reality of looking camera ready while grappling with financial woes behind-the-scenes.
The groom, who preferred to stay anonymous, said Channel Nine gave the cast members a $150 daily allowance and a $125 food stipend, and no extra funds allocated for wardrobe, hair or makeup.
He revealed that two Shark Tank Australia stars came to the rescue at the eleventh hour, providing much-needed assistance when the grooms struggled to afford new attire for each dinner party.
‘The show’s budget for us was laughably minimal. It’s tough when you’re expected to showcase a different suit each week and the money just doesn’t stretch that far,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘You see us smiling and all suited up on television, but off-camera it’s a whole different reality. The stress of not being able to pay for basic expenses was constantly hanging over our heads.’
Luke Kyriazis and Daniel Reid, founders of rental suit company Suitor and stars of Shark Tank, thankfully saved the day.
‘We’ve had the privilege of suiting up three of the dashing grooms for some unforgettable moments on the show!’ the Suitor team said.
This is not the first time a Married At First Sight star has complained about the show’s budget.
2020 participant Mikey Pembroke previously said the stars didn’t earn a dime while filming MAFS, and the only money they received was to ‘live off’ during production.
‘You don’t get paid at all – this is a thing that needs to change,’ he said on the I’ve Got News for You podcast.
‘But the show makes an incredible amount of money. And, say, you were on, you know, a TV show that does really well, the actors get paid more and more because it’s doing so well.’