‘Married at First Sight’: How Often Do Couples Stay Together?

Married at First Sight has had more than its fair share of nightmare matchups. The most recent season saw the debacle that was Chris Williams and Paige Banks. Thankfully, Banks came to her senses and left Williams for good. However, this toxic pairing, combined with similar ones in the past, such as Amber Bowles and Matt Gwynne, or Mindy Shiben and Zach Justice, has some fans scratching their heads. Just how often does Married at First Sight actually succeed?

‘Married at First Sight’: Chris Williams and Paige Banks raise questions about matchmaking

Married at First Sight couple Chris Wiliams and Paige Banks had plenty of viewers questioning the experts. Chris Williams came in hot with some seriously outdated perspectives on what he’s looking for in a woman that raised some immediate red flags. 

“I want a woman that is not after me for my money. She is intelligent, submissive, sexy, good in bed, and a freak. And that seems like finding a needle in a haystack,” Williams told Married at First Sight producers. 

The night they were married, Chris and Paige had sex after Chris pressured Paige. The next morning, he told her he didn’t find her attractive. Later, Chris upped the mind games. He revealed to Paige that his ex was pregnant with his child. 

Chris Williams went on to tell Paige Banks that he wanted to raise his child, and that he still loves his ex. He even said he wanted to get back together with her. All of his manipulation culminated in an eventual rejection during and after the finale. 

Chris told Paige and the experts that his ex miscarried, and that Paige was everything he wanted and the “best thing I never cherished.” Paige eventually turned him down, attended counseling with him, and turned him down again.

Mindy Shiben and Zach Justice had a similar experience

Married at First Sight couple Chris and Paige are far from the only mismatched couple resulting in a toxic relationship on the show. Mindy Shiben and Zach Justice come to mind. 

In fact, similarly to Chris Williams, Zach Justice went out of his way to tell Mindy Shiben that he did not find her attractive. Later, Mindy Shiben discovered that Justice was having an emotional affair with one of her close friends. 

Following that, Justice seemed to draw out the divorce process, prompting Shiben to call him out about it on social media. 

‘Married at First Sight’: How many couples stay together?

Married at First Sight couples like Chris and Paige or Zach and Mindy have some fans questioning the experts and the matchmaking process. What’s more, it begs the question — how often does Married at First Sight actually succeed? The percentage of couples that stay together may be lower than you’d expect. 

Screen Rant reports that only 12 couples out of 39 are still together from seasons one 1 through 11. Three of the five couples on Season 12 stayed together, putting the current count at 15 out of 44 couples total. 

That would put the Married at First Sight success rate at approximately 35% — 30% prior to Season 12.