Married At First Sight Australia is drawing to a close for UK viewers, but former cast members have been lifting the lid on how much contestants really get paid. The show, which has been filled with drama, sees participants receiving a weekly allowance and payment for their time on the series.
How Much Do MAFS Australia Contestants Get Paid?
Previous brides and grooms have addressed this topic, as it tends to be the first thing viewers want to know. On TikTok, this year's MAFS Australia participant Mel was questioned about whether cast members cover their own shopping bills, responding in a clip: "Yes we do."
"So basically every week you get an allowance of $175 and that money goes towards your groceries, your cleaning products, because you're living in the apartments so you have to make your own meals. You have to clean your own apartment," she explained.
She continued: "However, every day, not every day, Monday to Friday, you do get one meal that MAFS caters for you which is usually lunch. Everything else you pay for yourself."
"On top of the $175, you get paid $1,000 per week but that's technically like payment from your employer and your employer is MAFS. But then you get a weekly allowance for $175 for food. That's how it works and there's like a Woolworths downstairs and that's where you do your shopping." In the comments section, Mel clarified that these payments were per person, not per couple.
Minimum Wage Claims
MAFS participant Gia previously spoke out on social media about the show's financial arrangements, describing the pay as minimum wage. She revealed they received roughly $150 daily plus a weekly food budget of $125.
In a video, she explained: "It was like $1,150ish for the whole week which obviously isn't that much." When questioned about whether MAFS producers covered rent or mortgage costs while filming, Gia responded: "No they do not, so think about whether you can afford that. I think most of us had to have savings."
UK Version Payment Structure
The UK version operates similarly, with former participants revealing their payment structure. Series 9's Erica Roberts previously disclosed they received loss of earnings compensation of up to £3,000 monthly. This came alongside £120 weekly for groceries.
Speaking on TikTok, she explained: "So we don't actually get paid for being on the show but they do give us our loss of earnings." She continued: "If you earn three grand a month you get three grand a month back. Like they will compensate you for that. If you earn anything more than three grand a month, they don't cover it. I'm not entirely sure if it was three grand, I think it might have been a little bit more. But anyway, there was a cap."
Turning her attention to payments for reunion episodes, Erica went on to say: "When it comes to reunions, we do get paid to go to the reunion. Not everyone's invited to the reunions and you're also not contracted to anything, to be honest."
Married At First Sight can be streamed on Channel 4.
