‘Married at First Sight’: Dr. Pepper Says This Is a Red Flag Someone Isn’t a Good Fit for the Show
A new batch of hopeful singles is taking the plunge on Married at First Sight. Season 16 of the Lifetime reality show premieres Jan. 4, when 10 Nashville residents say “I do” to a person they’ve just met. The MAFS experts – Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Pastor Cal Roberson – believe these 10 people have the chance to find true love with their new spouses. But how do the experts know that someone is the right fit for the show? Dr. Pepper has said that there are certain qualities she’s looking for when casting for Married at First Sight, including one big warning sign that someone isn’t the right fit for the show.
The ‘Married at First Sight’ expert says being fame-hungry is a red flag when she’s interviewing potential cast members
Dr. Pepper has interviewed plenty of Married at First Sight hopefuls since the show launched in 2014. She and her fellow experts don’t always get things right when it comes to picking people to be on the show. (For evidence, check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s list of some of the worst husbands in MAFS history). But over the years, she’s learned to be on the lookout for potential red flags.
One of the biggest warning signs is someone who is “looking for some fame of some sort,” she told E! News in 2018. “For somebody who really thinks this is a way to some kind of career path, I think there are easier and less risky ways!”
Inconsistent stories are another warning sign, the Yale-trained sociologist added. So are “people who have a lot of anger” or are “obsessive on some issue.” The latter could be a sign that someone needs “much more therapeutic intervention than we’re able to do even in this hyper-analyzed process. I interviewed somebody once where I never got time to ask a question because they never took a breath!”
Dr. Pepper says she’s looking for ‘Married at First Sight’ cast members who are coachable
So, what stands out for Dr. Pepper when she’s chatting with potential Married at First Sight cast members? If a person indicates that they’re willing to be coached, that’s a good sign.
“Somebody who’s willing to take advice,” she said of what she’s looking for in the casting process. “I’m looking for heart, for warmth, for the ability to empathize with someone else.”
“It’s also about trying to pick people who are earnest and kind,” she said. “You don’t have to be honest and kind and you still might have a terrific match, we really want people who are authentic about their reasons for doing this and are full of heart in terms of the rationale for doing it.”
‘Married at First Sight’ alum Doug Hehner says honesty is key when applying to be on the show
Doug Hehner married Bachelor alum Jamie Otis on the first season of Married at First Sight. Today, the couple is the rare MAFS success story. Despite some early difficulties, they’re still married and have two children. Doug has since said that a willingness to be honest with the experts about what he wanted from a partner during the casting process was key to helping them find him the perfect match.
“I was really brutally honest with the assessment,” he recently told the New York Post. “So there was really no doubts as to who they were gonna match me up with.”
Married at First Sight Season 16 premieres Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
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