There are several reasons why Five couples were matched by the of three experts, but only two of those couples made it to decision day after the eight-week-long experiment. Camille Parsons and Thomas McDonald said yes to staying married, while Karla Juarez and Juan Franco both asked for a divorce. Ikechi and Ojoré and Emem Obot split around their one-month anniversary.

One of the biggest shockers in Married at First Sight history happened in season 18, as an unprecedented cheating scandal and couples swap took place. Michelle Tomblin's husband, David Trimble, and Allen Slovick's wife, Madison Myers, carried on a secret relationship. David got caught in a lie after he missent a scandalous text to Michelle that was meant for Madison, which prompted Michelle to surmise that it was meant for Madison. At the couples retreat, after initially lying, Madison and David came clean and decided to pursue one another, leaving the show in a chaotic place.

MAFS Is Switching From Lifetime To Peacock

MAFS Season 19 Will Be On Peacock

Married At First Sight Season 18 Cast montage of them on their wedding days
Custom Image By César García

Married at First Sight has always been a reality TV product of the Lifetime network, which is owned by A&E Networks, which is tly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. An announcement was made in early 2025 that Peacock would be taking over Married at First Sight in 2025 with the premiere of MAFS season 19. It's unclear what led up to the exchange or what the business deal was behind it. In any case, Peacock is a streaming giant known for producing quality reality franchises like Below Deck and Real Housewives.

With the switch, there could come a shakeup in how the show is produced. Moreover, with a new platform could come bigger changes regarding how the show is formatted and how the experiment is conducted. However, since little information other than the headline is available, fans will have to wait and see what particular differences arise on the new network. Either way, it's a clear sign the show is headed in a new direction.

MAFS Has Producer Interference

The Last Two Seasons Have Changed MAFS

Married at First Sight has been evolving over the years in what the show is trying to achieve. At its core early on, only three to four couples were highlighted each season, and more time was spent on the matches building their connections and getting expert guidance from the therapists. In newer seasons, there's been a bigger emphasis on production being the catalyst to poignant situations and outcomes.

In MAFS season 17 in Denver, Becca Haley and Austin Reed said yes to staying married on decision day, but they were in a very delicate place. When Austin went out with a female producer the night of decision day, he lied about it, and was caught immediately, by Becca the following day in front of the season 17 group. This led Becca to end her relationship with Austin. Had the producer not involved themselves with the cast in an inappropriate way, Becca and Austin may have had a different outcome.

In season 18, neither Madison nor David were going to it the truth about their illicit affair. But when Madison was confronted by a producer, who broke the fourth wall, she was prompted to talk to David and then address the group.

Producer interference used to not be a tactic employed in MAFS, but it is seemingly becoming the trend, leading to a new directive for the show.

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The MAFS Couples Comingle More

Which Will Likely Be An Upheld Theme

Again, in the earlier seasons, the couples focused less on getting together as a group and more on spending quality time with their partners. The honeymoons, where David and Michelle established their connection, have had a stronger group comingling initiative, which has served to produce more drama. With Married at First Sight getting a new streaming platform and putting more weight in the group interactions and producer-led aspects, the show is heading in a new direction.

Married At First Sight airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.

Married at First Sight Season 17 poster

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Married At First Sight
Release Date
July 8, 2014
Network
Lifetime
Showrunner
Sam Dean
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Pepper Schwartz
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Calvin Roberson

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Directors
Charlie Mysak, Michael Fitzpatrick Lawrence Jr., Nick Petrie
Writers
Lotte Offenberg Bergqvist, Razor Rizzotti