MAFS stars ‘threatened’ as ‘intruder’ rumours spread on set: ‘Lots of drama’
Their appearance in the jaw-dropping Married At First Sight trailer back in December certainly turned heads — but not for the reason you might think.
Much to the surprise of viewers, the blonde bride and dark-haired groom who share a passionate kiss at the climax of the cinematic clip weren't contestants at all but a happily married couple from Sydney.
In an exclusive chat with Yahoo Lifestyle, Jess and Matt Price open up about recreating their 2018 nuptials on screen as well as why they left the real MAFS contestants feeling 'threatened'.
The couple, who met at music college in 2010, explains they were hand-picked by MAFS producers who were keen to make a 'sexy' promo for season nine.
But, due to Covid restrictions and the risk of spoilers, it wasn't possible to have any of the existing participants get up close and personal.
"Obviously [the producers] didn't want to give away who was with who because they were in the middle of shooting, and they actually couldn't touch legally because of Covid [restrictions] because they were all from different households," Jess explained.
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Real-life husband-and-wife duo Jess and Matt were the perfect solution — not that they said yes right away.
"We thought, 'People are gonna think we're going on Married at First Sight. They're gonna think we're swingers or there's trouble in paradise. Or, what won't these guys do for a bit of publicity?' And we just went, 'It's actually so weird, let's just do it. It's gonna freak people out!'" Matt laughs.
It did, in fact, freak a few people out despite their efforts to clear up any misunderstanding on social media right after the promo was released back on Christmas Eve.
"Some people, of course, never read the comments and they just saw the footage and they were like, 'Are you on the show? What's going on?'" Matt recalls.
MAFS stars 'threatened'
There was a bit of confusion — and a hefty dose of jealousy — on set, too, with some of the participants mistaking the Prices for intruders.
Jess recalls the intense glares she received from the contestants while shooting her first scene at Sydney city's historic Queen Victoria Building.
"I rocked up to the QVB and there were some contestants there, some of the girls and some of the guys and the daggers I got!" she laughs.
Matt had a similar experience when he was on set to film the couple's big rooftop kiss — which he says was inspired in part by one of their stunning wedding snaps.
"Everyone was giving us eyes, going, 'These are the intruders coming in to break up the couples,'" he says.
There were a few tense moments between Jess and her fellow brides during hair and makeup but Jess says she did her best to put them at ease by explaining who she was and why she was there.
"I really tried to make an effort because obviously, it seemed like they were pretty threatened by my presence," she says.
While it took a little while to warm them up, Matt understood why the brides and grooms were on their guard.
"[Jess and I] came in at a really interesting time because [the contestants] haven't really formed friendships yet so they're trying to find their groove.
"Everyone's also trying to fight to get their time in front of the camera and come across nicely. It was a really awkward time that we came into."
Once the word got out that Jess and Matt weren't intruders come to cause chaos, the atmosphere on set relaxed.
"There were sighs of relief because I think there's a lot of drama in that show to start with before you throw in intruders [...] they were all lovely after that, which was great. But I'm sure it's gonna be another drama-filled season," Matt reveals.
While the 16 singles gear up to tie the knot on TV, Matt and Jess are just as busy juggling their music career with an influx of modelling and acting job offers.
The pair, who came third on X-Factor in 2015, released their fourth album, Wildflowers, in the middle of lockdown and can't wait to perform their new music on tour in Sydney and Melbourne in February.
Married At First Sight premieres 7.30pm Monday, January 31 on Channel Nine and 9NOW.
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