I'm Convinced The Entire Casting Strategy For Married At First Sight Needs To Change (& There Are Signs This Is Happening) -

It’s becoming clear to me that the entire Married at First Sight casting strategy needs to change, and there are signs this is happening. Married at First Sight debuted on Lifetime in 2014, and showcased a panel of three experts matchmaking and counseling three couples who got married to strangers. Over the years, the format and style of the show have changed, and the franchise now has 18 complete seasons behind it. Since season 10, five couples have been matched by the experts, but the experiment’s eight-week-long length hasn’t changed. The MAFS experts have also changed.

Dr. Pepper Schwartz has been with the show since season 1, while Pastor Cal Roberson joined in season 4, and Dr. Pia Holec was added in season 15. The other big format change has come through the amount the couples interact. In the earlier seasons, the couples didn’t comingle, whereas now, the five pairs all go on the honeymoon together, live in the same building, and do different group get-togethers, making the drama elevated. Moreover, there have been many failures over the years, especially with casting, but I am feeling positive about the upcoming changes being made in that regard.

How Does MAFS Cast People?

Scouting

Married at First Sight has been a pioneering show in the reality TV industry, and I see that it’s continuing to get its legs. In 2025, it was announced that MAFS would be moving from its long-time home on Lifetime, over to Peacock, a streaming giant whose largest competitor is Netflix. While with Lifetime, I’ve learned that the franchise casting strategy has not given way to many charismatic, telegenic, emotionally available and intelligent cast members, as the experiment calls for.

MAFS‘ casting strategy involves a mix of tactics. Married at First Sight travels to different cities each season to host the experiment. Some cities, like Chicago, Boston, and New York, have had several seasons hosting the show. As the show targets a city, the application admissions become open, and singles from the city are invited to apply online. However, I’ve come to find out that the number of applicants has dwindled over the years, leaving not a large enough pool of viable applicants to proceed.

The second and final strategy that MAFS employs to find cast members, is that production scouts people on dating apps or Instagram within the cities the show will be hosted in. Once production identifies people who they think would be good for the show, production approaches them with the prompt to apply.

I am convinced this is not the best practice, as it leaves a lot of room for scouted people to have clout-chasing intentions, be unfit for marriage at whatever stage they are in, or be unfamiliar with the show and what it’s trying to achieve.

On a bigger platform like Peacock, I believe more organic casting will become easier, as the route to apply is more accessible simply because it’s more well-known. I see that this will give way to more applications without the need for heavy scouting. MAFS scouting casting tactic rubs me the wrong way, as several notable co-opted cast have contributed to the show’s poor success rate of only 19% of the total couples matched still being together.

MAFS Has Cast Many Problematic Participants

Too Many Clout Chasers & Emotionally Unintelligent Cast

Since I’ve outlined the MAFS casting strategy, I feel it important to showcase the problematic nature of some of the cast who were scouted. MAFS season 14 in Boston cast member, Alyssa Ellman, said she never applied, but was scouted. I watched her believe that the experiment was curated for her, as she thought the experts were going to deliver her her perfect, ideal man, without any compromise. When she married Chris Collette, she ended her wedding in tears, unwilling to be in the same room with him, as he wasn’t what she asked for physically.

Alyssa even remarked that she was “robbed” of the experience, which I feel underscores her immature attitude misunderstanding of the process. In MAFS season 18, both David Trimble and Madison Myers were recruited by production, and they were involved with the biggest scandal in MAFS history. They carried on an affair from the honeymoon, and only ditched their original spouses in favor of dating one another when the season was nearly over. I think these examples highlight the pitfalls of recruitment, as these types of cast were never appropriate choices for the show and marriage.

MAFS Could Cast People Like The Golden Bachelor & Bachelorette Franchise

Friends & Family Nominations

the golden bachelorette cast, with men gathered around in casual clothes

I’m certain that Married at First Sight needs to overhaul their casting strategy to avoid casting the wrong people. And I feel they should take a page from The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette‘s book, which is to have people nominate their friend, family member, or co-worker for the show. This is an interesting casting angle that has proved positive in terms of casting quality for both ABC shows, and MAFS could benefit from opening up their casting strategy to a structure like that.

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MAFS Is Casting An Older Demographic

Which Is The Biggest Change

Married at First Sight has also always cast a certain younger demographic of people. In season 16, 25-year-old Domynique Kloss was cast, and she proclaimed that she was an old soul with maturity beyond her years, and that proved to be completely wrong. She asked for a divorce from Mackinley Gilbert upon returning from the honeymoon, after believing he wasn’t as adventurous as she was. She didn’t give him or the process a chance, showcasing her unfit nature for the show.

Most cast members have been in their mid-to late twenties, with only a handful being in their mid-late thirties.

Season 18 turned a page, however, with Thomas McDonald being 42, and Ikechi Ojoré being 41. I think this move towards an older demographic is positive, as more seasoned adults could make better partners. I am excited that this trend towards less ageism and more inclusion will become a new staple of Married at First Sight (via @mafsfan), as season 19 will have a couple in their late-forties/early fifties, and one in their late fifties/early sixties. I see these casting choices as firm proof the show’s casting is headed in a new direction, and I’m here for the change.

Source: @mafsfan/Instagram