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‘It’s smoke and mirrors’ says MAFS star Georges as he makes bombshell claims about show’s ‘magician’ producers
Watch Georges talk about his Mafs experience in the video above
MARRIED At First Sight star Georges Berthonneau has branded the show a "pantomime" and its producers "magicians" due to the way the show is edited.
The online coach, who wed Peggy Lawrence in last year's series, claims there are four different edits per couple on the programme enabling bosses to manipulate storylines.
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It means a bride or groom can be painted in one light in an episode, before undergoing a dramatic change in the next, something which was evident with Georges last year.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, he said: "There is not one edit of the show. There are four potential edits depending on the crowd's reaction at the time.
"These people are absolutely magicians and wizards when it comes to editing footage."
In the current series, groom Caspar Todd came under fire on his wedding day and honeymoon for 'body-shaming' wife Emma Barnes.
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He stunned viewers when he remarked he didn't find her sexy and "doesn't usually go for curvy women".
Georges predicts there's likely a different side to Caspar that viewers have yet to see, which might pave the way for a redemption arc.
He said: "What happens is Caspar might have actually said some really lovely things about Emma on the day, but they just edited them out."
Georges' narrative changed dramatically over the course of his series. He began the series as a bit of a jester who was fixated on fake boobs, before his more mature, sensitive side was introduced.
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"It's a pantomime, we already they already know the ending," he said. "I think if you'd solely looked at my wedding day you'd go this guy doesn't make it past week two.
"But then you watch episode two of me and my honeymoon, and all of a sudden everyone's like, 'Oh, this guy's not actually so bad. He's just a bit immature at times. He's a bit laughy jokey. He's a bit say it, think it, catch it, kill it, bin it,' and the table's turned."
They’re not the Grim Reaper’ Mafs UK’s Georges Berthonneau defends grooms Caspar and Adam after backlash over body-shaming comments
A side effect of this selective editing is overzealous viewers sometimes develop an irrational hatred for cast members.
As a result social media inboxes can quickly fill up with vitriolic messages.
Georges took the fallout from his series in his stride, but warned trolls that they're likely to end up with egg on their face if they act without knowing the full story.
"I think people are too quick to judge, but then they're entitled to do what they want," he said. "If Doris wants to go on Facebook and and smash up the forums and be like, 'Georges is a d**khead. He spoke about boobies, and he spoke about this, he spoke about that', whatever, that's fine. You're entitled to have your life in your opinion."
"But don't, don't go DMing any of them. Don't go DMing anyone, because the amount of DMs I got after my first episode was frightening.
"But I didn't reply to any of them until the second episode and then I went, 'Oh, sorry about that. Do you still feel the same way? Funny, that'."
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BOOZY DINNERS
The first dinner party of the series is set to take place tomorrow night and the booze will no doubt be in full flow as the couples come together for the first time.
Georges always found the cast meet-ups problematic as co-stars scoped each other out and interfered in relationships.
The long days packed with drama and alcohol often paved the way for explosive confrontations.
Georges said: "They want it to kind of get out of control, but they don't want people to get too drunk.
"They used to have a tally chart, so we'd have our pictures, you know the cast sheet, and everyone would have a line by their name
and as one person gets a little bit too drunk, they start to decrease the alcohol on the table.
These people are absolutely magicians and wizards when it comes to editing footage
Georges Berthonneau
"So they do regulate it, like fair play to them. But then you've got to remember we're up at 6am, and we're home by one in the morning, so it's like a full day of filming.
"The mixers start as early as 11 o'clock. You're drinking
fake champagne, you know. They're labeling it champagne, and it's prosecco. It's all a facade. It's all smoke and mirrors. There's there's no truth to it.
"And again, you don't know who's playing a game. Normally, the ones that are trying to play a game because they're trying to take the heat off themselves.
"You know, we we used to have a few people do that. They used to try and diffuse situations before you went on camera and stuff, which in my eyes is the right way to do it, but then, why are you trying to hide?"
REAL INTENTIONS
Over the years Mafs has created some long-lasting relationships.
Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson announced their engagement earlier this year while Adam Aveling and Tayah Victoria have a daughter, and Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins are now parents too.
But these are outliers in a sea of messy splits and post-show drama.
"I think the reason why there aren't very many success stories is because people aren't going on there for love," Georges claimed.
"I'm telling you now they should do lie detectors, there's so much more to it than what we're seeing. I think they need to do more in-depth work, because I think when they get people that are genuine you will then get more genuine outcomes.
"But they're trying to make a TV show. So the truth is they are trying to entertain.
"So actually, they need controversy. They need difficult conversations. They need those tough times. They need the honeymoons to go to sh*t. They need couples to leave. They need people to argue.
"They need all this because they know the end result. They know who's there. They know who's still together. They're probably in the process of planning the current reunion."
When it comes to his own love life, Georges couldn't be happier.
After a 'frightening conveyor belt' of messages from girls following his split from Peggy earlier this year, he's finally found his 'dream' woman - though is reluctant to go into too much detail about their relationship.
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While his Mafs experience took its toll and he admits to losing himself along the way, he doesn't regret it because it helped him find the person he was meant to be with.
He said: "I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I can't be Peter Pan all my life, but I can still be fun, energetic and bubbly.
"I've learned to be serious, but also equally not serious lots of the time. So it's good fun. I've got the best of both worlds. I've got really good balance for my life."
Mafs couples that have stood the test of time
Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.
The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam's Doncaster home.
Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.
Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.
Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: “I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out - and excited for everything to come.”
Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.
Owen recalled: “I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.
";While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.
“The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I signed up?’
“A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.”
Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.
Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna's vegan lifestyle, the show's first same sex pairing are still going strong.
They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.
Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: "We're not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship."
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