Married At First Sight star Morag Crichton opens up about what it's like filming for the series, behind-the-scenes secrets as well as her verdict on the new couples...
Lara and Richie
So many people thought Lara and Richie were going to work & were a good match. But I just didn’t see it. I knew it was going to crash and burn quicker than it took for Lara to reach the end of the aisle.
And here’s why…. I thought I put on a pretty good poker face when walking down the aisle. But on watching it back my eyes said it all.
My eyes complete gave it away. And I could see is myself in Lara’s eyes. Her eyes gave it away and I knew instantly she was disappointed. I’m just gutted we don’t get to see more of Lara because she was just brilliant.
Pjay & Jess
The only thing they had in common is a love for Harry Potter. And I’m not sure there was a spell strong enough to make the relationship work.
Poor Jess went through something traumatic in a previous relationship finding her previous boyfriend with her dad's wife. So coming into the experiment she’s clearly going to have trust issues to work on.
So the experts thought why not throw her in the deep end and think it’s a good idea to partner her with a stripper. Talk about throwing her in the deep end.
However, I’m proud of both couples for realising sooner rather than later that the relationship just isn’t going to work.
Behind The Scenes
Living in the apartments is, I guess, the same as sharing a prison cell with an inmate that you may or may not get on with! It can be daunting for some and feel completely natural to others. For myself, I felt at ease. I’m used to house sharing and travelling in hostels with up to 12 people in a room. But for some, they love their own space and may not have ever lived with a partner.
When you’re in the apartments you are not allowed to leave. Unless chaperoned! You have to set a scheduled time and have to be watched 24/7 if you leave the apartment. If I wanted to go to the gym I had to agree on a time. Be escorted to the gym where someone has to wait outside the door the whole time until I was finished then escorted back to my room. Yep. Like I said. PRISON!!
This was all because they never wanted anything to happen off camera.
Me and Luke argued after our homestays. And this was the first time we were separated and Luke stayed in another apartment.
The next day we wanted to hash it out and makeup. But the producers never allowed us to because they didn’t have a camera crew available which was really frustrating as a fully grown adult not being able to make up with your partner when you wanted to.
We had to be apart for two nights until they could schedule a crew! I kicked off so badly that they even said they would man someone at my door! Until I reached a bargain with them to get my wedding photos early to keep me occupied scrapbooking.
As the weeks go on we all began to become restless….. a couple of us managed to sneak out and they managed to track us down by locating the phones we were given. I was caught red-handed in the middle of H&M with a mountain of clothes. It felt like an episode of the hunted!
How much access do you have to the coaches?
We had zero access to the coaches. Because we have our phones taken off us and given other phones with zero activity or social media on them. You are however able to request a chat with them but only under extreme circumstances!
How much access do you have to the producers?
Each couple has its own producer. They sort of become a third wheel in your relationship as you spend up to 12 hours with them a day. I really loved the producer.
They become your friend & therapist however they still have a job to do and that’s making good telly!
Are you able to speak to friends and family outside the experiment?
No. Because they take all devices and electronics you own, you're unable to communicate with the outside world. Unless you're sneaky and hide an iPad in a shoe box.
Can you pop in and see the other couples whenever?
Absolutely not. Which I think is really a big mistake. The producers do not want anything happening they can’t capture. However, how do they expect to make storylines if they keep us all apart? We did however have many sneaky gatherings.
I would always get caught cause my laugh travels down corridors! Towards the end of filming, they did become a little bit more relaxed. But that’s only because we were so fed up by this point we just didn’t care if we got caught and basically told them to f**k off!
It's quite a challenging experience with a stranger – what stops you from walking away?
It’s an extremely challenging experience but one I’m so happy to have been a part off. I look back and think wow only a small community of people have ever done this.
It’s certainly not easy but it makes you stronger. There were so many times I thought I should really walk away. But you being in the MAFS bubble you almost forget what the real world is actually like.
You feel stronger in your MAFS bubble. You listen to the other couples and experts and ignore your gut instinct that you would normally listen to in the outside world.
This is why homestays are actually a vital part of the experiment.
How long did it take to film dinner parties? How is the menu decided? Is the drink rationed?
The dinner parties were always my favourite nights. A night we finally all get to come together. Even with the drama.
The dinner party was an extremely long day. But you're just glad to get out of the apartments. However, the drive to the location took over 2 hours there and 2 hours back.
When you arrive, you’re whisked away to a private room with your partner and are not allowed to mingle with the other couples until we enter the dinner party.
But we always used to sneak around the rooms to see everyone. You have no say in what you are given to eat.
But they are aware of any dietary requirements. The food was always so delicious though. And at the end of filming, they would always order a mountain of pizza. Dinner parties are 12-16 hour days to film. You have unlimited alcohol and are always kept topped up! They know how to start the drama let’s put it that way.
Any dramatic moments from your series that weren't aired?
So so many moments from all couples that were not aired. They basically find a narrative on your honeymoon and run with that.
In my case, Luke was the sweet and innocent one and I was the loud opinionated one! So if I ever said or done anything nice it wouldn’t be aired because it didn’t fit their narrative.
Are the verdicts on late-coming couples fair? Do you think they will shake up the series at all?
It was extremely exciting that they introduced new couples. We were always in limbo on our series wondering if any new couples would enter.
Some even hoped. But I absolutely LOVE Gemma! I think she is just amazing. I love any women that have absolutely no problem expressing their sexuality.
I actually believe she and Matt Physically look like a good match. Let’s just hope Gemma can bring out Matt's wild side! I have a saying: "Men say they have a high sex drive until they meet a woman with a high sex drive!"
Sophie and Jonathan again look absolutely stunning together. Sophie certainly made a stunning bride. Again I think Sophie has fallen early into the producer's narrative. Painting her out to be high maintenance and Jonathon a sweet normal guy. So I certainly need to see more of these two before I can say if they are going to make it as a couple.
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Honeymoon behind-the-scenes secrets
When do you find out where you are going? We found out where we were going on our honeymoon the day after the wedding.
Via a little gold envelope. I was certainly shocked. I believe the quote was ‘are you having a giraffe’ at the fact I packed for tropical and got subtropical in Switzerland. It was however absolutely stunning.
But it just meant I didn’t exactly get to see much of my new husband under all those layers. I always look back and think if we had gone to a hot country and peeled back some layers would Luke have been more relaxed?
How much off-camera time do you spend with your new partner from the wedding to the honeymoon?
Luke and I had one day to ourselves. Luke had confided in me how he hadn’t looked after himself or treated himself kindly in a long time and asked if I could help him with some retail therapy.
Which the public took as me ‘changing’ him which wasn’t the case. It was in fact the best day we had together. We had so much fun. And Luke really came out of his shell.
He deserved to treat himself and feel good about it. I didn’t deserve to feel bad about it. Plus, he looked great. He went from geography teacher to Mr Steal Your Girl!
What are the journeys like (Do you travel with the crew or with your partner)?
To dinner parties and commitment ceremonies, you travel in your couple. And with other couples too. Except for the ones you’re having drama with. Because they wouldn’t wanna miss capturing that.
What was the verdict on last year's honeymoons?
I loved watching last year's honeymoons. It’s amazing watching something you only hear about then eventually get to see. And see the truth. Some of it is shocking. But again so many activities are cut out and never shown.
And this was the same for all couples. Luke and I had an amazing wine tasting day that was so much fun and we got on so well and had the most amazing chat. But like I said, they don’t want to show the good side. We even zip-lined on top of a mountain.
What about compared to this year?
I mean they really do go all out on the honeymoons. They had some amazing locations this year.
I was glad to see Lara and Richie got a subtropical trip and it wasn’t just me! But could have been worse. Could have been the UK!
How often are cameras with you on your honeymoon?
Let’s just put it this way. The only alone time you get is on the toilet.
How does it feel once you're married and the experiment begins?
I'll be honest. I was so nervous but also so excited. I got on well living with Luke. So I wasn’t worried at all. It was nice having our own little space.
And the apartments were lovely, I could have moved in forever.
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