A former contestant from Channel 9’s Married At First Sight has spoken out against producers of the popular reality show for the damaging effects the programme has on participants’ mental health.
Clare Verrall, who appeared on season two of MAFS in 2016, has been candid about her struggle with depression and anxiety since her stint in the spotlight.
Speaking on Channel 7’s Sunday Night, Ms Verrall accused producers of “bullying, manipulation and selective editing” and blasted executives for failing to provide adequate after care for contestants.
Watch this video to see Clare’s interview:
Ms Verrall called the process “torture” and revealed the bullying she faced whilst on MAFS left her suicidal after her life was “ripped to shreds” with panic attacks after the show aired.
She also said she received graphic death threats which led to two attempts to take her own life.
The reality star admitted to being “naive” when she applied for the programme, and acknowledged it might be difficult for people to understand her distress after she willingly signed up for fame, News.com.au reports.
But Ms Verrall insisted she auditioned for MAFS in a genuine bid to find love and was left disappointed when the show was not what it seemed.
Ms Verrall revealed she was matched with her on-screen husband Jono Pitman before she met with MAFS psychologists, meaning the entire premise of the show is false.
Married At First Sight experts allegedly analyse the character and behaviour of contestants to find their ideal love match before filming begins.
“They can create you into whatever character they want you to be by cobbling things together,” she said of the show’s producers.
“They can make you say anything. You get to the point where you’re so tired and so broken and you just want to stop, that you will say whatever they feed you.
“They set us up into a situation to fail.”
Ms Verrall explained her decision to speak out in an Instagram post yesterday evening.
The star thanked Sunday Night for their support and praised Channel 7 for giving former contestants the platform to speak honestly about the darker side of reality TV.
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