Reality AF: The 10 Worst Couples in Married at First Sight History
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The 17th season of Married at First Sight, which is set in Denver, is finally putting viewers out of its misery as it completes its two-part reunion this week.
This series has always had needlessly long episodes, but making this season especially cumbersome has been the Denver cast, which is (said in a Charles Barkley voice)… TERRIBLE. It also doesn’t help that the MAFs matchmaking process is broken, although I do have several ideas on how to fix it. But I digress.
While the series has had some successes, Married at First Sight fans have long been accustomed to painfully bad pairings. With Season 17 drawing to a close, here’s a look back at the 10 worst couples in Married at First Sight history.
10. Derek and Heather (Season 4, Miami)
These two were the definition of an oil and water relationship, and started arguing as soon as the honeymoon began. The bickering commenced over Derek’s recreational pot use—which didn’t seem all that “recreational”—then boiled over into every other part of their relationship. They divorced after 10 days.
9. Tristan and Mia (Season 7, Dallas)
Red flags started flying right away for Tristan when his wife was arrested at the airport on the way to their honeymoon. Mia was charged with credit card fraud and stalking her ex. Their marriage was never able to recover after that.
8. Jamie and Beth (Season 9, Charlotte)
This highly volatile couple were constantly at odds and always fighting, which made their decision to stay together on Decision Day shocking. When you hear a wife accuse her husband in a heated argument of being only able to perform “basic, caucasian sex,” you don’t expect them to stay together. Amazingly the pair were married for four years before divorcing in 2023.
7. Matt and Amber (Season 9, Charlotte)
Matt and Amber seemed to have chemistry, but their relationship quickly fell apart. Matt would frequently disappear, go out with his friends, and basically acted like he wasn’t even married, which left Amber confused, isolated, and certain he was cheating. Making matters worse was Matt’s bizarre reluctance to finalize their divorce long after the show had ended.
6. Brandon and Taylor (Season 10, Washington, D.C.)
If there was a MAFS cast member made to be on reality TV, it’s Taylor, who was always camera ready and social media savvy to a fault. Posting on Instagram that you’re single when you’re married is a bad look. Conversely, if there was a MAFS cast member who was not meant to be on reality TV, it’s Brandon. He repeatedly announced that he hated being filmed, ignored his wife, and cursed at the production crew. Brandon and Taylor would eventually go on to take out restraining orders against each other.
5. Mindy and Zach (Season 10, Washington, D.C.)
Zach sucked, plain and simple. Not only did he wear a douchey hat, was overly concerned about his appearance, and didn’t seem interested in his wife at all, but he was also a sleaze. Zach flirted with one of Mindy’s friends through texts and phone calls while they were married. And at the Season 10 reunion, it was revealed that Zach also went on a date with another cast member from his season after filming had wrapped.
4. Luke and Kate (Season 8, Philadelphia)
If not for Season 12’s Chris (don’t worry, he’s coming), Luke would go down as the biggest villain in MAFS history. He constantly gaslit Kate, told her he “felt dead inside” when he kissed her and was “repulsed” by her, despite being intimate multiple times. Luke even accused Kate of having a drinking problem, only for it to be revealed that he was the one over imbibing.
3. Alyssa and Chris (Season 14, Boston)
Alyssa was clearly not attracted to Chris at the wedding and things deteriorated from there. Alyssa wouldn’t sit next to her new husband on the plane to their honeymoon, spent as little time with him as possible, and only continued to be in the marriage to stay on the show and hang out with the other wives. A hidden camera clip where she was seen saying, “I’m a good person, and if I don’t come across that way on this show, I’m going to be f&%ing pissed” revealed her true intentions. Thankfully Chris didn’t give Alyssa her way, ending the marriage right after the honeymoon.
2. Chris and Paige (Season 12, Atlanta)
I’m happy for Paige, who fans recently learned is in a relationship and expecting her first child. Why? She was totally screwed over by getting paired with Chris, a complete narcissist. Chris slept with Paige, despite telling her he wasn’t attracted to her. He constantly toyed with her emotions, was manipulative, and never took accountability for his actions. Amazingly, Chris telling Paige that his ex-fiancee was pregnant with his child on their honeymoon was probably the least shocking thing he did all season.
1. The Entire Denver Cast (Season 17, Denver)
Yeah, yeah, I know. This is five couples, not one, but everyone in this entire group is so unlikable that the whole group should suffer as much as viewers did. Everyone on this cast had an agenda, was untrustworthy and selfish. I’ve never seen a cast on this series argue this much or have polar opposite perspectives of the same events. And the grandstanding is intolerable. There’s been so much moral high horse riding I thought I was watching scenes from the Kentucky Derby.
Last week, we learned in Part 1 of the reunion show that the whole cast agreed to try to manipulate what was filmed on camera so no one would look bad. Turns out, they gamed the MAFS system so hard everyone ended up looking like morons. None of them know the meaning of the word “optics” either, despite it being a woefully abused term over the course of the season. The only likable character was Chloe, but considering she wants to live on a goat farm and foster a school full of kids, I don’t know if she’ll ever find her person. Denver had the worst cast of MAFS, ever.
Terry Terrones is a Television Critics Association and Critics Choice Association member, licensed drone pilot, and aspiring hand model. When he’s not wondering why the MAFS after shows are so much better than the regular show, you can find him hiking in the mountains of Colorado. You can follow him on Twitter @terryterrones.
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