From the pressure cooker that is Married at First Sight to mayhem on MasterChef,
Britain has fallen in love with unscripted Aussie TV – controversial conflicts and all
In a very crowded field, Married at First Sight (MAFS) is surely the most ridiculous reality TV show on our screens. The concept is simple: total strangers agree to tie the knot, without so much as seeing a photograph of their future spouse. The sixth series of the
UK version has been a hit – it was E4’s highest-rated original series launch yet.
A ratings peak in season six might seem unusual, but there is an explanation: Australia. During the winter lockdown, the
Australian version of MAFS became a guilty pleasure for Britain’s binge-watchers, with an average of 1.57 million viewers tuning in for its 33 hour-long, scandal-filled episodes. Channel 4 then confirmed that the UK show would be relaunched, ditching its more staid documentary feel for the drama-focused format of its far-flung cousin.