Reality TV icon exposes the little-known hack MAFS producers use to fabricate storylines

Reality TV legend Abbie Chatfield has revealed the sneaky editing hack MAFS and shows like it uses to completely fabricate storylines, sentences, and beef on the show.

We are only a few weeks into Married at First Sight Australia, but already, numerous grooms and brides have accused the show of giving them the villain edit. Former stripper Eliot Donovan threw his toys out of the pram during week one, claiming that certain parts of his time on the show weren’t shown on TV.

We know that the producers of reality television have to drum up drama but I’m always frustrated by cast members who blame “the edit” because it reeks of zero accountability. Still, Abbie’s recent bomb on a little-known hack called frankenbiting might have changed my position.

How does MAFS use frankenbiting?

@abbiechatfield

Replying to @RUCO. From a reality tv host to a viewer! I used to believe this too but …. It’s not the case #mafs #mafsau #marriedatfirstsight #thebachelor #rhoslc #rho

♬ original sound – Abbie Chatfield

In a TikTok, Abbie explained how “You can’t make contestants say things they didn’t say” is the biggest misconception about reality TV. It’s a common line you see being thrown about on shows such as Love Island and Love Is Blind, but it’s been very prevalent in this season of MAFS Australia. When a groom or bride blames the edit, people often reply “They can’t edit what you don’t say” and similar statements. But according to Abbie, this just isn’t true.

“It is too easy to make people say things they didn’t say,” the TV host and reality TV star revealed. “And when I say that I don’t mean they’re holding a gun to your head, I mean they are using something called frankenbiting. It’s a really tricky editing trick. They use it on almost every reality show.”

the frankenbiting is crazy lol #mafsau #mafs

— cailin 🥀 (@strrysatellite) January 27, 2025

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Frankenbiting is allegedly common in just about every TV show and sees producers string sentences together from multiple moments sometimes hours or days before. Essentially, they create a brand new sentence that never actually left the mouth of the participant.

To spot Frankenbiting, which is a reference to Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein’s monster, Abbie suggested keeping your ears open for “disjointed” sentences that sound almost robotic in MAFS. The tone, pitch, and volume of specific words might be different and once you’ve clocked it once it will be hard to miss.

“There’s also usually really emotive music underneath,” she added. “Really dramatic, really serious, there could be snake sounds. There could be funny music underneath. It kind of adds to your understanding of what’s happening on the show because often people’s faces and reactions won’t match the frankenbiting because the frankenbiting didn’t happen.”

The "frankenbiting" this series is sooooo bad. #MAFSAU #MAFS

— Stacey❤💙🏆 (@_Stacey1987) February 19, 2025

In the comments, other people claiming to have a history in the reality TV space also shared their experiences with frankenbiting and how it’s so prevalent in just about every TV show.

“I’m a sound engineer and have worked on MANY paramount shows through Viacom contracts. The majority of my job was frankenbiting and laying undertones (the music that lays the tone of the situation),” one person alleged.

Another said: “I worked as an editor on a couple of TV shows. That’s completely true. For example, we once did edit an argument between three guys (reality TV) that seemed real but was stiched from 5 conversations from 3 days ago.”

For all the latest MAFS news, scandals, gossip and updates – like The Holy Church of MAFS on Facebook. 

Featured image credit: Nine