MAFS stars claims show salary leaves singletons struggling to survive

01 February 2024 , 13:00

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Nasser Sultan says the payment on MAFS needs to completely change (Image: official_nassersultan/Instagram)

Married At First Sight stars are paid each week by the show – but the salary might not be what you expect.

The show which airs in both Australia and the United Kingdom sees a whole host of singletons meet their future husband or wife at the alter, much more dramatic than a blind date. But while the show is being filmed, the cast are forced to take time away from their everyday jobs.

With this often comes unpaid leave, meaning the production company shell out thousands to cover the singleton's cost of living while they're out of work – but some claim they struggle to make ends meet.

Mikey (left) said that you don't make a single penny during the time on the show (Nine)

Dominica Calarco who appeared on the show last year claimed she received a weekly wage of $1,050 (domenica.calarco/Instagram)

Al Perkins who appeared on the Australian version of the programme in 2022 told the Daily Mail Australia: "MAFS will pay you just over like a grand a week... But it's not until the endorsements afterwards, that's where you make your money." $1,000 Australian dollars is roughly converted to around £515.

Meanwhile, Naseer Sultan who was on the show in 2018 previously said the payments were not enough to cover his living expenses, saying: "You get $150 for the day, that's it. But on top of that, you have to pay expenses - your living expenses with the woman that you marry. It's not $150 clear. You still have to pay rent if you're renting, you've got to pay your rego and it's 12-hour filming days." He later claimed that the couples still had to pay for their own grocery shopping while on the show.

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Elsewhere, Mikey Pembroke who was on the show in 2020 claimed that singletons didn't receive a penny and the only cash they saw was to "live off" while filming. Speaking on the I've Got News For You podcast, he said: "You don't get paid at all – this is a thing that needs to change.

"But the show makes an incredible amount of money. And, say, you were on, you know, a TV show that does really well, the actors get paid more and more because it's doing so well." Currently, the cost for a one-bedroom flat in Sydney, where the show is filmed is around £3,000 Aus dollars per month, while a pint of beer is around $15.

The average monthly net salary in the city is around $5.7k, while the cost to buy an apartment in the city centre, per square meter is $26k.

Daniel Bird