‘The Stakes Are Higher’: The MAFS UK Experts Explain How The Revamped Series Will Be The Most Dramatic Yet

Lockdown three was terrible for everyone - but there was one saving grace: Married At First Sight Australia. Through word of mouth and commentary on social media, eventually the nation became obsessed with the series, originally filmed in 2018, with thousands watching every night on E4, or later bingeing the series on All4. (Even my parents, who as a rule hate reality TV, were hooked.)

There was OTT weddings, cheating,wine throwing{ =nofollow}, plenty of fights - and the kind of reality characters TV producers can only dream of. In fact, it was such a hit, E4 have now decided to revamp the format of the far tamer UK version, hoping to replicate some of the Australian success.

There's going to be eight couples - and they’re even bringing over MAFS Aus relationship expert, Melanie Schilling, who will be joined by Celeb Go Dating’s resident matchmaker Paul C Brunson and sex expert Charlene Douglas to guide the singletons down the aisle.

So, if you’re looking for another show to take Love Island’s place, MAFS UK will arrive on screens this Monday, running nightly from Mondays to Thursdays. That means there’s going to be a lot of episodes - and Mel has already given her thoughts about why she thinks the new version is going to be even better than Love Island{ =nofollow}.

Paul, however, won’t compare the shows. But he says MAFS UK has the most drama of any TV production he’s ever been involved in. ‘The stakes are higher for the singles, the stakes are higher for us as the experts - and the stakes are higher for you, as the viewer,’ Paul tells us over Zoom. ‘You’ll be rooting for some couples, but let's keep it real. A lot of humans are evil, right? So a lot of people are going to be rooting for the demise of certain couples. The stakes are the highest in just about any show I've ever done. And that's the reason why everyone will love it.’

‘There’s going to be lots of highs and lows, lots of drama, lots of excitement,’ Charlene adds. She also confirms there’s going to be dinner parties (hopefully more wine throwing) and commitment ceremonies, to really up the drama. ‘It’s the classic format that you saw with the Australian version, there’s going to be commitment ceremonies, dinner parties and home stays. So it’s going to have that similarity, but with the British energy.’ Charlene is going to be discussing intimacy between the couples at these commitment ceremonies too. So you can guarantee it’s going to get more than a little awkward. ‘There’s some parts where you might not want your mum next to you,’ she laughs.

Covid obviously threw a spanner in the works for the weddings, so they won’t be as big as the Australian affair. (For those wondering how the dresses worked, the brides attended virtual wedding and bridesmaid dress fittings prior to the big day.) ‘With restrictions, it was a completely different ballgame in terms of the weddings,’ says Mel. ‘Everybody's in a bubble and we had all the testing constantly going on. So it changed part of the structure of the experiment.' It didn't deter anyone on production, though, as she adds: 'We love a curveball.’

From the Australian sixth series we were all hooked with, there was one big success story: Cam and Jules. The pair decided to get remarried, and they now have a baby, too. Ally and Paul, from a previous version of MAFS UK, have also had a child. So, is there going to be any long-lasting love stories from the revamped UK version? ‘My favourite part of the show was knowing that we played a small part in changing the lives of these people who came on to the show,’ Paul says. ‘Ally and Paul just had a baby, right? So it's the first MAFS UK baby. And she recently posted she said, “Wow, to think a year ago, I was single, hopeless. And now I'm married with a child.” That one year can change your life. It's very powerful.’

While we'd like at least one or two love stories during the new series, somehow we're expecting - and hoping for - quite a few divorces. Bring on the wedding bells.

Married At First Sight UK starts Monday at 9pm on E4.

READ MORE: Married At First Sight UK: Meet The Cast

READ MORE: Married At First Sight's Melanie Schilling Says Show Will be 'More Successful Than Love Island'