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Married at First Sight’s Owen and Michelle reveal filming secrets - including ‘intense’ audition and ban on photos
18 November 2020, 14:53
Michelle and Owen from Married at First Sight have revealed what it was really like taking part in the show.
Married at First Sight couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins melted the hearts of the nation earlier this year when they fell in love on the Channel 4 show.
Primary school teacher Michelle and IT manager Owen instantly felt a connection after meeting for the first time on their wedding day, and are still together eight months later.
And now the pair have revealed some behind-the-scenes secrets about filming, including the very thorough audition process and ban on wedding photos.
Speaking to us exclusively at Heart.co.uk, Michelle revealed contestants had to go to a ‘single’s day’ after applying.
Married At First Sight couple Owen and Michelle declare their love
“You started off by sending in an application video online,” she told us, continuing: "And then you have a couple of phone calls with a producer from the show, where they get to know you a bit better.
Read More: How to apply for Married at First Sight UK
“After that you get invited to the ‘single’s day’, where you meet the experts. Then if they think they have a good match for you, the experts do some more digging, they spoke to my family and friends (they even called Owen’s ex-girlfriend)!”
Owen went on to say he ‘didn’t expect’ the amount of detail the process involved, as he explained he was quizzed 'for hours', while his friends and family were also interviewed.
After being chosen to appear on the series, the pandemic meant that Owen and Michelle were forced to move in together at Owen’s parent’s house in Sheffield.
When asked whether they found it strange having cameras follow them around all day, Michelle said it ‘became normal’, with Owen adding: “It is filmed as a documentary rather than any sort of ‘scripted reality’ which means if you just sit on the sofa and watch TV, that’s all they’ll film.”
Behind the scenes, contestants also get an off-screen psychologist, while the same filming team stick with the couples throughout the whole programme.
Almost eight months later, Michelle and Owen have become MAFS UK’s only success story and are still going strong.
The pair are even in the process of buying a house together, saying they ‘feel like any other married couple.’
But Owen has since confessed he has one regret about his time on the reality show, saying he didn’t get enough photos at the wedding.
“I think the only thing I wish I had of been more on top of was getting photos and memories at the wedding,” he said.
“No one was allowed to take their phones or cameras so we have the TV show, which only shows a small amount of our actual wedding and the wedding photos.”
He added: “If I had advice for anyone going through this process it would be to pay more attention to the wedding photographer to make sure you capture every part of the day.”
Married at First Sight UK is back and looking for new singletons to take part in the show. Their team of experts is ready to find the perfect matches for a dream wedding and luxury honeymoon.
You can apply now at www.shortaudition.com/MAFS6 or email marriedatfirstsight@cplproductions.co.uk.
Now read: Married at First Sight UK season 6: What happened after the show?
