It may be one of the most watched reality shows on Australian TV, but the Married At First Sight cast has, traditionally, been paid low wages.
But, according to one of this year’s cast members, it appears the MAFS cohort received a slight pay bump for 2023.
Perth wedding celebrant Jesse Burford, who was paired with “cheater” Claire Normahas on the Channel 9 series earlier this year, revealed during a Q&A on his Instagram stories exactly what he pocketed during filming – which takes around three months if they participate in the entire experiment.
“$1175 each week,” Burford confirmed to his followers.
That’s well above minimum wage, which is around $812 per week according to the latest figures from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Of course, the cast had to abandon their day jobs to be involved in MAFS, but some likely received annual or personal leave entitlements on top of their TV salary.
And it seems the pay cheques for those featuring on MAFS are on the rise each year, with 2022 “villain” Olivia Frazer previously claiming she made around $1100 per week.
Domenica Calarco, who also starred on last year’s season, said on TikTok she made $150 per day.
“[It was] f**k all,” she said at the time
“I still had bills, had to pay my rent, and I had to pay, you know, whatever.”
However, Domenica swiftly reaped the rewards of her new-found fame – joining OnlyFans after her stint on TV where she “made enough for a house deposit”.
Season 5 star Melissa Lucarelli said the cast was almost always on the clock.
“You were filmed about 16 hours a day; it was crazy,” she said on the Reality TV & Mepodcast.
“If you weren’t filming then you had to be in your apartment with your husband or wife by 8 o’clock, then there were hall monitors, there were people watching.”