Channel Nine has revealed the Married At First Sight spin-off program, Talking Married, will return in 2020 – despite previous reports suggesting the show had been axed.
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According to TV Blackbox, the network pulled the plug on the program last September, “out of concern for the mental health of those involved,” after a series of on-air incidents occurred.
Unlike other reality TV programs, where producers are able to help contestants answer difficult questions, the live nature of Talking Married meant there was no time to prep.
As a result, many of the show’s contestants were forced to answer challenging questions about their relationships, which resulted in some couples having intense standoffs live on air.
Alarm bells first sounded when Dan Webb and Jessika Power seemingly broke up during one of the show’s episodes, as they were probed by Shelly Horton and her co-hosts Jayne Azzopardi and Ben Fordham.
Channel Nine reportedly told the publication on Monday that it has since reconsidered its decision and confirmed the show will go ahead – but with a twist to prevent any on-air mishaps.
Moving forwards, the show will no longer be aired live after each episode, but rather it will be prerecorded to overcome problems associated with not coaching contestants.
What’s more, the show will be broken up into four shorter segments, which will be made available on the 9Now website four times a week.
Other changes to the program include a streamlined host lineup, with Shelly Horton being the only host this time round, while Jayne Azzopardi is on maternity leave.
The recent news must be a welcomed relief for Shelly, who shared her disappointment with fans on social media, after the “axing” was announced last September.
At the time, Shelly took to Twitter to confirm the news, writing that the decision was “sad”.
“I’m sad to see Talking Married axed but so glad I got to co-host two seasons… Live TV can be brutal for all involved,” Shelly wrote.
“Oh well, you don’t go into the media for stability. Not my first rodeo,” she added.
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