How Shark Tank stars helped ‘rescue’ broke Married At First Sight grooms after one cast member ‘struggled to pay their rent’ during filming due to Nine’s tight budget

A Married At First Sight contestant has revealed the reality of looking camera-ready while struggling with financial problems behind the scenes.

The groom, who preferred to remain anonymous, said Channel Nine gave the cast members a daily allowance of $150 and a food allowance of $125, and no additional money was allocated for clothing, hair or makeup.

He revealed that two Shark Tank Australia stars came to the rescue at the eleventh hour and provided much-needed assistance when the grooms struggled to afford new clothes for each dinner party.

‘The budget for the show was laughably minimal for us. It’s hard when you’re expected to present a different suit every week and the money just doesn’t stretch that far,” he told Ny Breaking Australia.

‘You see us smiling and all dressed up on television, but off camera it’s a very different reality. The stress of not being able to pay basic costs hung over our heads all the time.”

Luckily, Luke Kyriazis and Daniel Reid, founders of rental company Suitor and stars of Shark Tank, saved the day.

‘We were privileged to invite three of the dashing grooms for some unforgettable moments during the show!’ said the Suitor team.

This isn’t the first time a Married At First Sight star has complained about the show’s budget.

2020 contestant Mikey Pembroke previously said that the stars didn’t make a dime while filming MAFS, and that the only money they received was to “live on” during production.

“You’re not getting paid at all – this is something that needs to change,” he said on the I’ve Got News for You podcast.

‘But the show makes an incredible amount of money. And if, for example, you were in a TV show that is doing very well, the actors get paid more and more because it is doing so well.’