MAFS expert John Aiken has given some insight into why the popular reality show decided to implement a “couple swap” task this year.
Last night’s episode saw the current participants switch partners with others in the experiment. Evelyn was paired with Duncan, Lyndall was paired with Ollie, Melinda was paired with Harrison, Alyssa was paired with Cam and Tahnee was paired with Rupert.
John Aiken, who makes up one of the three ‘relationship experts’ on this year’s season of MAFS, told 9Entertainment that they wanted to “up the ante” this year.
“What we wanted to do this year, being Season 10, is really try and up the ante with the couples,” he explained. “They’ve watched the series, so they tend to know what’s coming. We wanted to take them out of their comfort zone, and so we created Feedback Week.”
He continued, “It’s essentially a very intense form of getting a critique from people outside of your relationship. We re-pair the couples, so that they can get up, close and personal with someone who is going to give them feedback about their marriage.”
Aiken said that while some people may think the new task is malicious, he believes that it helps the participants understand their relationships better.
“It’s more like, we’re going to put you with someone who is going to give you a different perspective on relationships, and they’re going to challenge you and give you feedback on things you may not want to hear. How are you going to handle it, and how are you going to move forward with your own relationship?” He said.
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Aiken added, “I think everything we’ve done on Married At First Sight over the last 10 years is controversial.
“What we’re wanting to do is really try and get people thinking about their own relationships if they’re sitting at home – what would happen if you’re confronted with someone who is very open, honest and opinionated and giving fresh information about what is going on in your relationship?”
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