Former MAFS Aus producer spills on behind-the-scenes reason Mel and Luke left so suddenly

I’ve got motion sickness after watching Mel and Luke’s relationship turn around so quickly on MAFS Australia. Their relationship got off on a terrible start, then they seemed to be turning things around, then they quit the show? Their exit seemed so sudden. A former MAFS Australia producer has shared her insight into why Mel and Luke seemed to split up so suddenly. It all makes sense now.

Alex Funnell was a post-producer on previous seasons of MAFS Australia (and many other reality TV shows). She explained why she thinks Mel stuck around on the show even though she didn’t seem to like Luke very much. Alex explained on her TikTok: “Mel would have realised, ‘Hang on, I’m getting some feedback here on the couch and from other people that I’m not being fair on Luke, sh*t, I might get the villain edit. I’d better reign it in.'”

Alex also reckons it was likely the producers told Mel: “Look, you’re going to need to stay, because if you leave now, that’s the last Australia’s going to have of you, and you’re just going to be a villain, so you’ve got to stay to redeem yourself.”

I forgot they were still there
(Image via Channel 4)

There’s another behind-the-scenes reason why we didn’t see much drama between Mel and Luke during Intimacy Week. According to Alex, this is because “Luke and Mel are being neutralised in this story”.

She explained on TikTok: “That is because everything else is such a clusterf**k. So, what happens in the story room when we’re going through post [production], is that if there are heaps of bin fires, we need counter balance. We need the sweet to the savoury. And, from a story perspective, you always need some palette cleansers. So, all this couple are dong right now, is neutralising, is palette cleansing.

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“There’s no hope for this couple whatsoever. I feel like we already know that. But every single good thing that they’ve said is being spliced together. I would envision that between all of this ‘yeah, it’s been good, blah blah, blah blah blah’, it was like, ‘yeah, but we still don’t like each other’.

…And they’re off
(Image via Channel 4)

“We need it. Because imagine how hectic this episode would be if it was just like hell, hell, hell, and two good couples. Like, from an audience perspective – and that it ultimately what the show is about – you just wouldn’t enjoy that.”

These theories explain why many MAFS viewers were surprised when Mel and Luke finally left during the third commitment ceremony. The break-up didn’t come from nowhere – the show was just focusing on other storylines (such as the chaos between the “mean girl” brides, and whatever Tyson is).

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Featured image via Channel 4.