With there being so much drama on this season of Married At First Sight UK, it’s hard to believe that there could be even more happening off-camera. Since MAFS UK is pre-recorded, more and more of this season’s cast are now coming forward with their issues - we’re looking at you Nathanial Valentino and Ella Morgan.
It turns out, the producers had a trick for ensuring that arguments remained on-screen, and this news was broken by Erica Roberts herself, who is no stranger to an on-camera fight. She previously came to blows with the girls and accused Tasha Jay of having ‘mean girl energy’, but this new revelation may explain why those fights seem to get fierce so quickly.
When asked what shocked her about the experiment, Erica told heat magazine that cast mates were separated by the producers to prevent them from discussing their issues without the cameras present.
“Say Jordan [Gayle] and I had had a bit of a tiff at the mixer, we then wouldn't be allowed to see each other until the dinner party," she explained.
"We wouldn't be allowed to talk… We'd get split up and told we're not allowed to speak to each other. And we'd have people around to make sure that we didn't speak to each other.”
She went on to explain, “It was frustrating, because obviously, when you want to say something and you're in the moment, and you're like, ‘I need to say what I want to say’… But I think that's the whole point.”
Although this does make for better TV, Erica admitted that it added to the intensity of the argument, so small issues often became unnecessarily bigger.
“It does bubble and fester and when you say it, it then becomes explosive. But I think Jordan probably struggled with that more than me.
"If he wants to say something, he has to say it, just get it out. So, I think for him, he would try to come into my holding room and talk to me.”
Do we thank these producers for creating an amazing show, or does inflating the arguments make them less genuine? Either way, we’re hooked, so we’ll have to keep watching for more.