Contrary to popular belief, John Aiken, Mel Schilling and Trisha Stratford aren't responsible for mismatching couples, with the source claiming they have "minimum input", no say on what goes on behind the scenes and are ordered to follow "lines fed by producers".
"They meet with producers to discuss their line of attack and the different scenarios to deliver the headlines, the promos and controversy, which ultimately turns into ratings."
While their status on the series now remains up in the air, John is said to be the driving force behind the experts' push for change because he's desperate for more airtime.
"If there’s an opportunity for John to be on camera, he will jump at the chance. Trish and Mel are … more than happy to just rock up to set and do what they have to do."
His changing attitude towards the experiment is said to have upset Nine bosses and MAFS producers, with rumours swirling the Network won't hesitate to shift the lineup.
"It could be time for some fresh faces. Unlike MasterChef, which will no longer feature Matt [Preston], Gary [Mehigan] and George [Calombaris], MAFS viewers won’t care too much if John, Trish and Mel don’t return. It won’t affect ratings."
So who could be taking the reigns? According to the outlet's insider, here are their top picks:
1. Clinical psychologist Jo Lamble was a mentor on Channel Seven’s Seven Year Switch.
2. Michelle Battersby launched dating app Bumble in Australia in 2016.
3. Dr Nikki Goldstein is a sexologist and relationships expert.
4. Psychologist Peter Charleston appeared on Channel Seven’s Seven Year Switch.
5. Samantha Jayne is a relationships expert and advisor on The Bachelor
