Nine bosses admit we ‘don’t always get it right’ when it comes to protecting MAFS stars

An executive at Channel Nine admitted that the network doesn’t always get it “right” when it comes to protecting the health and well-being of Married At First Sight stars.

Nine’s content manager, Adrian Swift, said that while their duty to take care of reality TV attendees is a priority, mistakes will inevitably be made.

Mr. Swift explained that although programs like MAFS have a “framework for dealing with participants”, they sometimes do it “fundamentally wrong”.

‘Due diligence is a big deal and we won’t always do it right. I know we don’t always get it right, and people often think we’re fundamentally wrong,” he said at Screen Forever’s industry conference in Gold Coast. TV tonight †

“But we are trying to fix it. We really believe we have processes for dealing with the participants of our shows. And very often, very different in different shows”.

Speaking about the problem of excessive alcohol consumption on reality shows, Mr. Swift said that having a “drunken contestant” on one of his shows was “always a problem”.

Sincere: Nine’s chief content officer, Adrian Swift, said that while due diligence for reality TV attendees is a priority, mistakes will inevitably be made. Pictured: Selina Chhaur

“We have to cut them or around them. We don’t want drunk people at our shows. We don’t want people to lose control of our demonstrations,” he continued.

“So we try to ensure that this does not happen as much as possible. At times, participants preload is to use an expression over which we have no authority whatsoever.

Mr. Swift said Nine always tries to be “transparent” with incoming attendees about what they’re signing up for, but “No one believes that.”

Mistakes: Mr. Swift explained that although shows like MAFS have a “framework for dealing with attendees”, they sometimes get it “fundamentally wrong”.

In an interview with Daily Mail Australia in April 2020, former MAFS contestant Chris Nicholls admitted that the show was “definitely not what I expected”.

“That’s why the drama is so successful because it’s about drama. I don’t think they want the best for you,” he said.

And 2018 MAFS star Dean Wells said he felt “stuck” during filming.

Responsibility: ‘Due diligence is a big deal and we won’t always do it right. I know we don’t always get this right, and people often think we’re fundamentally wrong, Swift told the Screen Forever conference, according to TV Tonight. Pictured: Ella Ding

“The producers will encourage you to say or do certain things, and… things will change if you don’t do what they want. You feel trapped, ”said the Daily Telegraph †

Wells added: “You feel cornered and have no power. You feel obligated to do everything they say or you’ll be in trouble.’

Another 2018 contestant, Tracey Jewel, also said she received strict guidance from the show’s producers.

Duped: In an April 2020 interview with Daily Mail Australia, former MAFS contestant Chris Nicholls (pictured with Vanessa Romito) said the show was “definitely not what I expected”.

“We were regularly told that if we didn’t do what they wanted we would work to look bad,” she said.

2018 MAFS star Nasser Sultan said in an open letter to potential contributors that he was altered to look like a “bad guy.”

“The producers have the final say on how you end up and you can’t help it,” she wrote on Women’s Day in January 2019.

Trapped: Dean Wells (pictured) said he felt “stuck” when appearing at MAFS in 2018.

“They’re clever… You’ve probably been manipulated right now and have no idea.”

In an interview with 2016 contestant Clare Verrall on Sunday evening in 2019, she predicted that someone would die after appearing on the show.

‘Someone is dying. Someone was very close to me,” he said.

That’s right: Mr. Swift said that Nine has always tried to be “transparent” to his opponents about what they’re signing up for, but “no one believes that.” In the photo: Brent Vitiello and Tamara Djordjevic