Married At First Sight: The 10 Worst Couples From The Franchise

Summary

Married At First Sighthas struggled to create lasting relationships on the series, and in the process of trying to make genuine matches, has paired up some of the worst couples in reality TV history. Throughout the run ofMAFS, which began in 2014, there have been several couples per season that aren’t up to par for the experts of the viewers. Though some couples do wind up in a lasting, loving relationship, others struggle to find chemistry or connection in their match.

For theMarried At First Sightcoupleswho find themselves in a working relationship, keeping their lines of communication open tends to be the most difficult part of the series. Thoughcouples are speaking as openly as they want on camera, they often struggle with miscommunication that make them uncomfortable on the show. Even with the ability to sit down with theMAFSexperts, who currently include Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Pia Holec, and Pastor Cal Roberson, the couples face challenges that push them apart.

jasmine alan cumming

Even without communication problems, the couples featured onMarried At First Sightoften struggle to find a connection that makes sense between them. Despite being matched up based on the qualities that the experts felt would be compatible,many of the couples onMarried At First Sightlack a sense of chemistrythat feels necessary for a romantic relationship, let alone a marriage. The couples often have to seek out their chemistry or physical connection with help from the experts, who advise them as best they can, but don’t always have a helpful fix.

For couples who struggle to find a spark, things can get tough onMarried At First Sight. Their relationships tend to be more of a struggle, making it harder to find success in their marriages. This has led toa lower success rate onMAFS, especially in the last few seasons of the show.Married At First Sightcouples have notoriously high divorce rates, and many believe it’s because of lackluster initial matchmaking. Instead of factoring in the physical, theMAFSexperts and producers tend to focus on where the emotional connection will come from, which can make things tough.

Married at First Sight Season 17 poster

WithMarried At First Sightseason 18on the horizon, many have been wondering about what the matches will look like in the upcoming season. Though there were no lasting relationships onMAFSseason 17 and only one onMAFSseason 16, viewers hope to see successful relationships in the next season of the series. Even so, revisiting some of the worstMAFSmatches of all timecan help ensure new relationships are more successful.

20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now

Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.

10Matt & Amber

Married At First Sight Season 9

Married At First Sightseason 9’s Matt Gwynne and Amber Bowles had a promising wedding, but their relationship changed quickly and turned sour after seeming like it could be sweet. Amber, who was excited to be handing control over to the experts onMarried At First Sight, was happy to be sharing her life with someone other than her twin sister, butMatt wasn’t ready for a mature relationship that required him to be attentive. Throughout his marriage with Amber, he insisted she was too needy.

WhileAmber did have some specific requirements for Mattas her husband, nothing was out of the ordinary for a healthy marriage. Matt’s consistent poor treatment of Amber was a struggle for their relationship, pushing the couple to split up on Decision Day. WhileMatt and Amber may not have worked out, they were a key example of how miscommunication can develop into a genuinely poor relationship.

9Mindy & Zach

Married At First Sight Season 10

Married At First Sightseason 10’s Mindy Shiben and Zach Justice appeared that they’d be a good fit on paper, but their relationship was far more harmful than positive. Mindy was excited about the prospect of meeting someone onMAFS, buther relationship with Zach never quite launched in the way it should’ve. Though Zach had applied for the process, he ultimately didn’t find himself attracted to Mindy, which kept him from trying to pursue their marriage in the way he would’ve otherwise.

ThroughoutMindy and Zach’s marriage, he was disconnected and emotionally distant. While Mindy tried to connect with herMarried At First Sighthusband, Zach’s attitude made it impossible for the couple to even try to resolve their issues. As Mindy began to realize thatMarried At First Sightwasn’t working out, Zach pushed away further and effectively ended their relationship.

8Emily & Brennan

Married At First Sight Season 17

While Brennan was trying to find physical attraction to Emily, he knew early on that he wasn’t going to be able to build anything more with hisMAFSwife. Rather than being honest, Brennan kept his feelings to himself and bottled them up,makingEmily believe there could be a chance for them in the futurewhen he knew there wasn’t. Despite going through some tough times,Brennan and Emily’s relationshipbecame hostile by the end.

7Alyssa & Chris

Married At First Sight Season 14

Married At First Sightseason 14introduced Alyssa Ellman to Chris Colette, and though they were both hopeful about their relationship, things weren’t easy for the couple. Alyssa and Chris had very different outlooks on what they wanted in a marriage, and while they were both looking for commitment, it didn’t appear to be something they’d find within each other. WhileChris did his best to bond with Alyssaand try to build up their relationship, they weren’t able to make anything work.

Alyssa’s attitude toward Christhroughout the season was difficult, as theMarried At First Sightstar wasn’t willing to compromise to meet any of Chris’ desires. AlthoughChris knew that the relationship was going to be a struggle, he was willing to put in the effort to try and make it work. Unfortunately, Alyssa wasn’t as willing to try with herMAFShusband.

6Clare & Cameron

AnotherMarried At First Sightseason 17 couple,Clare Kerr and Cameron Frazer, seemed like they were happy to find each other during their wedding ceremony, but they quickly realized their connection wasn’t something they were interested in maintaining. Cameron, who is originally from New Zealand, tried to make a connection with Clare, but she was struggling due to some comments he’d made flippantly about her looks after their wedding. With very little connection between them, Clare shared she felt likeshe was in a platonic marriage.

Clare and Cameron’s relationshipdevolve quickly after the pair returned from their honeymoon. Their marriage wasn’t something that either were interested in putting work into, and so rather than stick it out all the way to Decision Day, Clare chose to step away from the relationship entirely. Though they stayed connected throughout the experiment,Cameron and Clare’s relationship grew hostileafter their marriage ended.

5Ryan & Jessica

Married At First Sight Season 2

Ryan De Nino and Jessica Castrowere married duringMarried At First Sightseason 2, and while the couple made it through Decision Day successfully, their relationship was nothing short of a nightmare during their time together.Ryan and Jess were happy during their weddingand shortly thereafter, but he was often angry with her for simple mistakes or miscommunications. The couple both wanted to make their marriage work, but Ryan’s frequent outbursts weren’t easy for Jess to handle.

After the couple chose to stay together on Decision Day, many were concerned about the relationship being safe for Jessica after hearing the way that Ryan spoke to her. During theMarried At First Sightseason 2reunion,Ryan was heard offstage threatening Jessica’s life, which made things even more difficult. This dangerous pair thankfully divorced afterMarried At First Sightseason 2 ended.

4Katie & Derek

Married At First Sightseason 10’sKatie Conrad and Derek Shermanwere a couple who actively tried to make their relationship work, but ultimately found that they didn’t have the connection needed to succeed in a marriage. Katie, who had been in a long-term relationship prior toMarried At First Sight, was excited at the prospect of meeting someone completely fresh and new. Derek, who wasequally excited but perhaps a bit more realistic about his expectations, was ready to put in the work for their relationship.

AfterDerek and Katie spent some time together,he began to feel odd about the way she talked about her long-term ex. Katie spoke about him as though she still had feelings for him, but she denied that they were still there. After the pair chose to stay married on Decision Day, they revealed they were in the middle of a divorce months later, andDerek has alluded to Katie cheating on him.

3Michael & Chloe

Married At First Sightseason 17’sMichael Shiakallis and Chloe Brownwere an interesting pair, but their marriage ultimately left audiences surprised when he chose to divorce on Decision Day. Michael was the first everMarried At First Sightparticipant to have a second wedding, as his firstMAFSbride chose to walk away, leaving him at the altar alone.The experts offered to re-match Michael, who accepted and chose to try again with Chloe.

Though both were open and honest about their feelings onMarried At First Sightseason 17,Michael and Chloe still had strugglesin their relationship. They were able to build a connection, but they didn’t know if they’d have enough time to commit to their relationship since their wedding was later in the season. Ultimately, whileChloe chose to stay married on Decision Day, Michael chose to split up.

2Chris & Paige

Married At First Sight Season 12

Married At First Sightseason 12’s Chris Williams and Paige Banks had a tough time from early on in their relationship, and the couple’s difficulties were continually getting worse throughout the season. While Paige was happy to work on their marriage throughout any troubles, Chris was often the one to consider throwing in the towel, even though he was the one presenting issues in their marriage. Shortly after the couple were married, Chris’s ex shared that she was pregnant with his baby, and though he wanted to be involved, he didn’t want to include Paige.

She was happy to let Chris handle his own problems, but Paige felt snubbed that he wouldn’t let her support him. As their marriage continued,Chris treated Paige poorly, belittling her and talking down about her looks. Though the couple seemed to have some attraction towards each other,their relationship was too troubled to succeed.

1Lauren & Orion

The most troubledMarried At First Sightseason 17 couple wasLauren Goodger and Orion Martzloff, whose marriage imploded after a severe miscommunication. Lauren and Orion seemed to be succeeding in their marriage early on inMAFSseason 17, but things came to a halt when there was some hesitation on Orion’s part.Lauren tried to connect with herMAFShusband, but it appeared that he didn’t want to discuss what was going on with her.

During a therapy session,Orion revealed that he wanted to end his marriage to Lauren, which he hadn’t discussed with her prior to the meeting. Instead of giving Lauren the opportunity to talk to him about the decision,Orion continually shut her downand left the relationship entirely. He continually tried to reach out to her throughout the season end, but Lauren had no interest in her formerMarried At First Sighthusband after he ended their relationship without her consent.