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MAFS producers threatened to fire the entire cast and scrap the show altogether

Ahhh, what could've been.
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This year’s crop of contestants has been slamming Nine Network and Married At First Sight producers every chance they get. 

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WATCH: MAFS’ Ivan says Josh was manipulated during explosive dinner party

No doubt the most controversial cast we’ve seen to date, the majority have breached their contracts to complain about how the show has negatively affected their mental health or the sneaky ways they were manipulated into causing drama.

mafshayley
(Credit: Nine Network)

As a result, I think it’s safe to assume those associated with the series are still reeling at the blatant disrespect the contestants have shown, and deeply regret not following through with their plan to sack all of the participants.

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Yep, after being forced to halt production because everyone had gone rogue, the network seriously considered scrapping the series altogether. 

“Producers were considering starting from scratch because they had lost so many couples, missed capturing so much drama and the storylines didn’t make sense anymore,” an on-set spy told New Idea.

An unnamed contestant added: “The executive producer Tara held meetings with all of the contestants. She was crying and saying how the show is now beyond saving. She told us she was casting for new contestants and scrapping the show completely because we were too boring.”

thy
(Credit: Nine Network)
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This season’s group of reality stars have been more vocal than ever about the nasty feuds and bickering that goes on behind the scenes, with former contestant Poppy Jennings even threatening to sue the network. As we know, she walked out after a “deeply traumatic” event left her devastated and has since revealed Nine tried to cover the entire scandal up.

When asked whether her co-stars were aware of the “terrifying” incident which directly involved her husband Luke, Poppy said she “spilled her guts” while filming one of the girls’ nights. However, after becoming emotional and sharing what MAFS showrunners deemed to be damaging information, she was “dragged out” of the room. 

“The times I had said what he did on camera was never going to be shown,” she began. “The girls started asking me questions about why I left and I started to get upset on camera. Then I got dragged out, told off, and wasn’t allowed to talk about what happened with Luke because it was too controversial. I could never say my truth.”

poppyluke
(Credit: Nine Network)
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More recently, Josh Philak slammed the show for unfairly editing their homestays to make Cathy look like the victim while his seemingly nasty mother continued to berate her. 

“We are not meant to be using our social media and we’re meant to keep it hush-hush, but sometimes it is better to speak out. I knew going into this that it’d be highly edited, I was sweet with that. But watching back last night, what transpired and what actually happened is an absolute joke,” Josh said in a brutal takedown video on Instagram. 

The Newcastle tradie continued: “I have always put my hand up when I have done something wrong but what really transpired at that lunch yesterday was a crock of sh*t. My main concern is the hate to my mum and little brother… It’s absolutely ridiculous.

joshcathy
(Credit: Nine Network)
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“I will cop the slack but it’s not fair that my mum is copping it when it’s not true. I was happy with getting a bad edit, but when it gets personal like that and everyone’s receiving death threats, it’s a joke.” 

Josh went on to urge fans of the dating series or those desperate to seek fame on a reality show to “seriously think” about the repercussions that come inevitably with appearing on our screens. 

“I just can’t stress enough to people who are thinking about trying out for this show… have a good hard think because when you sign that contract, any footage and audio can be spliced and cut up however they choose. It says in the fine print, ‘you may or may not be received in a positive light’ and me being naive, I thought, why not? It is so disappointing to see how they made that come across and how much they left out.” 

cathyjos
(Credit: Nine Network)
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In spite of this, Nine confirms they take adequate care of the cast and provide constant support. 

Their official statement reads: 

“Nine takes its obligations in respect to the health and wellbeing of the participants of this program extremely seriously. All participants have access to the show psychologist during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended. Nine has arranged an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support. This service gives participants access to psychologists who have been specifically engaged to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences. This service is a dedicated helpline from which participants can also arrange face to face sessions and is an ongoing service available to them all after the series has ended.”

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