‘Married at First Sight’ Expert Says Even Couples Who Get Divorced Benefit From Doing the Show
TL;DR:
- Married at First Sight expert Dr. Pepper Schwartz recently weighed in on whether the show can benefit people even if they end up divorced.
- She says that even if a marriage doesn’t work out, people walk away with a better understanding of what they want out of a relationship.
- The majority of Married at First Sight couples eventually split up.
Married at First Sight promises to match singles with their ideal partner. But fans of the show know that a marriage that looks perfect on paper can blow up in a big way in real life. While some couples do stay together for the long haul, many decide to get divorced, either on Decision Day or shortly after. But even though the show has a less-than-stellar success rate, the experience can still benefit people if they end up getting divorced, Dr. Pepper Schwartz says.
‘Married at First Sight’ pays off even if someone gets divorced, Dr. Pepper Schwartz says
Dr. Pepper is a Married at First Sight expert who has helped match couples on all 15 seasons of the show. Not all of the people she’s paired up have developed lasting relationships. Just 24% of couples from seasons 1-14 are still married. However, even those who aren’t matched with their “forever person” get something from the experience, Dr. Pepper said in a video she recently posted on Instagram.
“Do people profit in other ways from Married at First Sight, even if the marriage doesn’t go on forever?” she asked. “Probably 90% of couples say they’re a better man or woman for the experience and they’re more likely to be able to be a better husband or wife.”
Over the course of the eight-week experiment, people learn more about themselves and what they want – and need – from a marriage, Dr. Pepper went on to say.
“The vast majority of people feel like they have more insight into themselves,” she shared.
‘Married at First Sight’ teaches people lessons about relationships
Spending eight weeks married to a total stranger allows Married at First Sight participants to see “where their triggers are in ways that they didn’t know,” Dr. Pepper said.
“They’ve seen new ways of coping that we’ve given them,” she added. “They understand some of the fantasies they had that really are not working for them. They understand that some of the things they used to pick people on really aren’t what they need. They’ve learned that they need to understand what their priorities really are and what brings out the best in them and what doesn’t.”
Take it from Alyssa, one of season 14’s most-hated cast members. She and her husband Chris split up weeks before Decision Day after she refused to move into their shared apartment together. But even though her marriage was a trainwreck, she insists she got something out of her time on the show.
“I wanted to find my person more than anything,” she said during the season 14 reunion special. “When it didn’t work out for me, I panicked, and I didn’t handle myself the way I would have liked. And I’m sorry for that.”
“Looking back now, I’m grateful for the things that I’ve learned,” she added.
Some people do wish they’d never gone on the show
While many cast members can find a silver lining in their MAFS experience, that’s not the case for everybody. Dr. Pepper admits.
“Ten percent wish they’d never done it,” she said. “It’s been a painful situation. They’re not capable of insight or they didn’t get any or we didn’t provide any. Whatever it is, they would have rather not done it.”
New episodes of Married at First Sight air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
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