MAFS 2026: Behind the Scenes Chaos as Cast Feuds Force Nine to Cancel Events
Channel Nine may be promoting Married At First Sight 2026 as 'the greatest season of them all', but behind the scenes, executives are grappling with a severe problem that no amount of marketing hype can resolve. According to insiders, the cast members harbour genuine hatred for one another, leading to a toxic environment that has forced the network to take drastic measures.
Extreme Hostility Disrupts Filming and Post-Production
The Daily Mail has revealed that the fallout from the upcoming season has become so poisonous that Channel Nine has already called off multiple planned group gatherings. This decision stems from serious concerns about placing cast members in the same room, as relationships between brides, grooms, and even former allies have completely disintegrated.
Insiders report mass blocking sprees on social media, fractured friendships, and couples refusing to be near each other, both during filming and long after the cameras stopped rolling. 'It's that bad,' one well-placed source stated. 'Most of them have blocked each other. Exes, former friends, even people who were close during filming. Nobody wants to be in the same space.'
Social Media Restrictions and Contractual Obligations
The hostility was so intense that it influenced how the cast were instructed to behave on social media after filming wrapped. Contestants were actively discouraged from liking or engaging with each other's Instagram posts, with some warned it would make them 'look stupid' or 'silly' if they appeared friendly online.
'There was a real effort to stop them publicly supporting each other,' the source explained. 'They were basically told, 'Don't like posts, don't comment, don't look united - because you'll look ridiculous once this airs.' The message was clear: any alliances formed after filming were not to be reinforced online.
After Nine took control of their social media accounts, the first task was to unblock one another, simply to meet contractual obligations for interviews and promotional appearances. 'They literally cannot stand each other,' the insider added. 'Nine is worried about getting them together at all. If you think the show was explosive, you should see what it's like now the cameras are off.'
Chaotic Filming and Post-Production Fallout
This off-camera animosity explains why several post-filming gatherings have been shut down by publicity teams. 'I wouldn't put them in the same room if you paid me,' another source admitted. 'Good luck to anyone who tries.'
The 2026 season spiralled into chaos during filming, with record walkouts, a runaway bride, couples quitting, strict curfews, weekly drug testing, and producers repeatedly intervening to keep the experiment on track. That chaos did not cease when filming ended.
Dinner parties during the season reportedly wrapped in record time, not because the cast bonded, but because tensions were so volatile that producers were forced to shut scenes down early. 'This cast is next level,' one insider remarked. 'Next level loud. Next level toxic. Next level fun to watch - but absolutely impossible to manage.'
'They literally got what they needed from the cast from dinner parties in a record two hours,' the spy noted.
Network Concerns and Future Challenges
While Channel Nine continues to promote the season as the franchise's biggest yet, executives are said to be privately nervous about how the cast will behave in unscripted group settings. This includes interviews, promotional appearances, and any reunion-style tapings.
'They're unpredictable,' a source explained. 'There's too much bad blood. You don't know who's going to explode, who's going to walk out, or who refuses to sit next to who.'
Several couples are said to be completely estranged, while friendships that appeared solid on screen have crumbled under the weight of off-camera arguments, accusations, and betrayals. 'There are people who genuinely don't want to see each other ever again,' the insider said. 'This isn't fake drama. It's real.'
Compelling Chaos for Viewers
Despite the dysfunction, producers privately admit that the chaos is also what makes the season so compelling. 'This isn't PR spin,' the source added. 'When Nine says it's the greatest season ever, they mean it. It's chaos from start to finish.'
Whether Channel Nine can successfully corral the cast into the same room again remains to be seen. Married At First Sight returns Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine.
