Producers of Married At First Sight have been inundated with interest in the next series

MARRIED At First Sight producers are being inundated with more than 5000 requests to be in the next series, as Nine launches a new casting call.

MARRIED at First Sight producers have been inundated with over 5000 expressions of interest to be a part of the next series — even though an official casting call won’t go out until Monday.

Based on these estimates, the Nine Network expects to have in excess of 10,000 applications when casting closes for Series Five.

The interest in the rebooted reality format has been unprecedented - the current season only attracted 4000 applications in total - and reflects the public’s fascination with the re-energised show.

This year producers changed things up, having the ‘married’ couples live together in a communal apartment block, socialise at weekly dinner party and assess their relationships with the show’s resident experts at weekly ‘commitment ceremonies.’

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Married at First Sight producers have been inundated with over 5000 expressions of interest to be a part of the next series. Picture: Channel 9

Nine said they are happy with how audiences have reacted.

“[We’re] hugely pleased,” Nine’s Head of Content and Development, Adrian Swift, said.

“You never quite know - we took a risk, taking it from a small, observational documentary into a much bigger thing.

“We wondered: ‘Are people used to the small show, and that’s what people like? The show worked really well in the past - how will that change?’”

It’s a gamble that has paid off.

Last week saw the best ratings of the series to date, based on weekly average 5-City overnight audiences, with the show winning across Total People and All Demographics on Sunday and Tuesday.

On Monday night it was the number one show for people aged 25-54.

And while Seven’s ratings juggernaut My Kitchen Rules continues to dominate, Married is nipping at its heels.

The women from Married at First Sight. Picture: Channel 9

“We took a risk. But weirdly, what has happened is, all the questions [viewers] asked in the first three series, like, ‘How are [the couples] matched? What are they matched on?

“Can the psychs [psychologists] sit in front of them and explain why they’re matched?’ - all those things we didn’t do in the first three series, and have done [in this one] - and it’s worked really well.”

Swift said the show’s success has happened “organically”.

“People reckon TV producers are a Machiavellian bunch, sitting around in the dark, like Mr Burns, [laughing evilly] and making them do things,” he said.

“On this occasion - everything that has happened has been a reflection of young people out looking for love.

“There is not a second of manufactured controversy in this. We literally can’t move fast enough to keep up with what’s going on with those guys - it’s been immensely rewarding.”

The show has been criticised for pairing potential husbands and wives with a match from interstate.

But Swift maintained this was not done purely for ratings - a happy byproduct of the drama.

“People keep saying to us, ‘Why do you keep matching people from interstate, because it makes it harder for everyone?’ he said.’

“And we say, ‘Yeah, it does, except that it leads to the best matches ...We ask everyone [who takes part], ‘If we find the right person, will you move for love?’

“And if they say no, we will match them with someone who says yes. If they both say no, then we won’t match them [at all]”

Anthony Manton from Married At First Sight.

*Series Five of Married at First Sight will air early next year.

* APPLICATIONS OPEN MONDAY AT 9now.com.au/married

Originally published as Producers of Married At First Sight have been inundated with interest in the next series