‘MAFS’ Season 20 Is a Ratings Smash, But Some Fans Are Done Being Let Down By Poor Casting and Manufactured Drama
Married at First Sight is bigger than ever following its move from Lifetime to Peacock.
In 2025, the long-running reality series moved to the streamer after years as a cable TV staple. The move involved more changes than just where the show airs. Season 19 shook things up by featuring multiple 40+ couples and a mother-daughter duo who both got married to a stranger. Season 20 brought additional shifts, including two new relationship experts, an expanded, seven-couple cast, and group therapy sessions that amped up the drama.
‘Married at First Sight’ streaming up 94% for season 20
The new MAFS formula has struck a chord with viewers. In the month after season 20 premiered on July 12 (on the heels of the Love Island USA Season 8 finale), it racked up 1.2 billion viewing minutes, Deadline reported. And that was before the show’s finale and reunion episodes dropped on August 27.
Married at First Sight Season 20 is now the third highest-reaching original reality season ever on the streamer. Total streaming is up 94% from season 19, Peacock said. Nielsen data confirms the show’s popularity. It was a top 3 reality show for four consecutive weeks beginning July 13.
Plenty of people seem to be discovering MAFS for the first time and liking what they see. But some fans, particularly longtime viewers, are less impressed, especially after season 20 ended with just one of the seven couples says “yes” on Decision Day.
Michelle and Cameron were the only couple who opted to stay together on Decision Day. They were still married at the reunion. The other six couples all flamed out, sometimes in dramatic fashion. Courtney and Nick split up during a heated group therapy session. Felipe confessed to Tori that he thought “constantly” about cheating on her. And Adam’s pickleball obsession basically torpedoed any chance of his marriage to Marissa working out.
Some ‘MAFS’ fans ‘hate’ the new format
Those moments might make for excellent TV. But the dismal MAFS success rate (which was also a problem with Lifetime’s later seasons) is a bummer for viewers who want to see couples who are committed to the show’s experiment. In season 20, it was hard not to suspect that some people, like Felipe, had been cast specifically because they’d rile up audiences and that some couples were deliberately mismatched in order to amp up the drama. Some fans also felt the season 20 cast – which included reality show regular Nick Uhlenhuth – were in it to boost their follower count, not find a lasting partner.
“This season just doesn’t feel right. Many of them seem to be performing for an audience. Like [Love Is Blind], MAFS has become a vehicle for internet fame,” one person complained on Reddit.
“I hate it. I want the old experts and producers back, because the new ones clearly care nothing about the actual outcomes, and only about drama,” another person wrote.
“The format change seem to focus more on drama and mess and not on actually trying to get them to connect,” someone else argued.
Other viewers begged producers to cast people who were actually ready for a relationship.
“Great producing but next season will you all chose healed and compatible people for the experts to choose from? Thanks in advance!!” one person wrote on Instagram.
However, not all viewers were disappointed by the changes in the MAFS format. Some praised the tighter pacing with fewer episodes overall, while others liked the new experts.
“I think it was time for the show to be refreshed,” one Redditor said, “…It’s wonderful to see people make it, but the cringe binge is also delicious as a viewer.”
Married at First Sight Season 20 is streaming on Peacock.
For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.
