Married At First Sight expert reveals how matches are made

WHEN the Married At First Sight experts are choosing which couples to match, compatability isn’t their only consideration. One of the show’s psychologists has revealed what really goes on before the cameras roll.

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WEEDING out fame-seekers, finding interesting backstories, vigorous testing and disagreements over couples: a Married At First Sight expert has revealed the matchmaking “chess game” behind the hit show.

As controversial groom Dean dished out the most brutal rejection in the show’s history during last night’s episode – ditching bride Tracey one week into the experiment – clinical psychotherapist Dr Trisha Stratford has lifted the lid on how the matchmaking process really works.

Dean left bride Tracey gobsmacked when he tried to get out of the experiment in Sunday’s episode.

Dr Stratford, John Aiken and Mel Schilling spent close to three months – from July to September – testing the 5000 applicants before debating over couples with the show’s producers.

“I do emotional brain resilience, optimism, emotional intelligence, and commitment, and then I do pheromone testing in the lab and attractiveness testing. John does personality and attachment, and Mel does values,” she said.

“It is full on; it is tough. You really get to know these couples. We do that independently and come up with a list, and then we all get together and discussions happen.

“There are some couples I would like to have seen with different partners – the same with John and same with Mel.

“In the end, we all have to agree and then we have a meeting with the production company and Channel 9. It’s a bit of a chess game.”

Dr Trisha Stratford and Ashley Irvin from Married at First Sight on the top Flight Centre HQ in Brisbane. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

On whether they look out for fame-hungry applicants, Dr Stratford said: “A lot of people don’t make the cut because of that.

“We look for genuine people, and then of course, we have to look for genuine people who have an interesting story. It is a television show, so we have to work with the program makers around that.”

Bride Tracey was left shocked when Dean chose to leave the experiment, despite being “intimate” with her that morning.

Sean also chose to leave, saying his relationship with Jo would never amount to anything but friendship. But because Jo and Tracey elected to stay, their partners will be forced to continue with the experiment.

“We test theories, but theories are only theories, and that’s the beauty of the show – we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Dr Stratford said.