Former Married At First Sight bride Mishel Karen has confessed she’s “devastated” to learn that the show is picking up for another season.
The 49-year-old spoke out on an Instagram Live video and encouraged those thinking of applying to speak to her or the other former contestants.
In her Instagram Live, Mishel spoke candidly as she applied makeup for a dinner out with some of her former co-stars Poppy Jennings, Cathy Evans, KC Osborne and Natasha Spencer, but opened up about the 2021 season of Married At First Sight that will reportedly be filmed this year.
“I thought it wasn’t going to go ahead but they’re saying MAFS is going to go ahead this year,” she told the camera.
“I’m devastated, I’m so devastated. I just feel so bad for anyone who’s going on and if you’re going to be on there or you know someone’s who’s going to be on there and they need to speak to any of us who have previous experience, send them our way.”
Mishel went on to say that contestants will soon be blocked from contacting any of the former brides and grooms but urged her followers to let anyone they know applying to get in touch in order to get a “clear picture of what happens” during the show.
“The last thing I want is somebody to actually hurt themselves,” she added.
The former MAFS bride then revealed that she hasn’t really talked to her on-screen ex-husband Steve Burley.
“Got the s***s with him after that whole thing where he told me to watch his live with Lizzie,” she added.
Mishel famously slammed Steve during the final vows, explaining that he strung her along for the experiment and that he made her lose confidence in herself.
“During this experiment my growth was not from your words, and by you had a lot to say. What made me stronger was your rejection. I have felt the least attractive, least sensual I’ve ever felt in my whole life spending the time with you, and listening to you remind me that you have no attraction,” she declared at the time.
“As I always say, a person comes into your life for a reason or a season and Steve, our season together is over. We are done. Steve you have wasted my time.”
Mishel isn’t the only cast member to speak out about the unseen truth of Married At First Sight.
Former bride Vanessa Romito shared a poignant post about the reality of reality TV and how her mental health suffered during filming.
“The harsh truth about reality TV and social media is that there will always be eyes watching you just waiting for you to fail, suck you in with their lies, or hated with their narcissistic ways but the truth is you’re just trying to keep your head above water and hold on to your truth, your reality!” Vanessa wrote in her caption.
“Don’t ever let the people around you tell you how you’re feeling, never say “I’M FINE” when you’re really not, and don’t ever feel too scared to speak out. It takes a long time to recover from something that you weren’t fine with at all.”
“There’s nothing real about reality TV!” she finished.
Mishel is putting MAFS behind her in more ways than one.
Like many of the former brides, the mum-of-two is auctioning off her wedding dress that she wore for her on-screen big day and donating the profits to charity.
Since June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and Mishel’s dad passed away from bowel cancer at 61, Mishel is donating the profits of her dress and a wedding photo to Bowel Cancer Australia.
She also revealed she’s giving away her original MAFS wedding ring to one person that donates to her Bowel Cancer Awareness fundraiser page.
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