married at first sight michael

Michael Reckons Almost All Of The 2020 Contestants Were Banned From The ‘MAFS’ Reunion

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We’re halfway through the two-part Married at First Sight grand reunion, and after being reintroduced to some of the past contestants last night, fans noted that most of the past brides and grooms were from Season 5 and 6.

It made sense. These were arguably two of the best seasons, but one would think that a few of the cast members from last year’s season would be invited — as these contestants would be fresh in the minds of viewers. However, aside from Season 7 intruders Seb Guilhaus and Elizabeth Sobinoff (who was also a bride in Season 6), there wasn’t a single 2020 contestant present at the reunion.

This was a little odd, as there’s no doubt that contestants like Stacey Hampton, Hayley Vernon, and Michael Goonan would have stirred up some drama. Along with not having most of the 2020 cast at the reunion, the show also neglected to air any highlights from the year, practically erasing a whole season of television from its archives.

So why have the 2020 contestants been essentially blacklisted? Michael Brunelli, who appeared on the last night’s reunion with MAFS partner Martha Kalifatidis, shared a convincing theory.

Michael posted to his Instagram stories, answering questions from fans, and had this to say about the 2020 cast:

He makes some valid points. Many of the season’s contestants did, indeed, go rogue. People like Josh Pihlak spoke out about how the editing was manipulated, while several other contestants made it clear they were no longer with their matched partner, even before the season has ended. This came as quite a shock to fans, who were used to MAFS contestants only sharing limited information while the show aired.

Michael also addressed some other burning questions from last night’s reunion.

Like how according to Ines Basic, he and Martha can’t afford their clothes:

On whether the reunion is scripted:

And on why Lizzie and Seb were barely featured in the reunion at all:

I mean, Lizzie and Seb didn’t even get an introduction package, so methinks their post-reunion breakup played a part in how little they were included in last night’s episode — especially compared to Martha and Michael.

Hopefully, we see a bit more of them during tonight’s reunion ep. But one thing is for sure, don’t expect to hear much about Season 7. It’s practically the Voldemort of MAFS seasons at this point. Channel 9 are savage!

The final instalment of Married at First Sight: Grand Reunion Event begins tonight at 7:30pm on Channel 9.