MAFS Australia isn’t alone! Investigating why reality TV down under is so unhinged

Guaranteed chaos every time

1 month ago

There is something about reality TV in Australia. There is something in the water. You think you’ve seen it all when it comes to reality telly, and then you flick over to the Australian spin-off version of your favourite show and quickly realise that actually you’re a silly, naive little Brit who hasn’t got a clue about the truly chaotic depths of reality television. That is how consistently wild reality TV is in Australia, and whether its the current season of Married at First Sight making all other MAFS look like child’s play, or a low budget high angst Drag Race version – or underrated Netflix masterpiece Instant Hotel – you can bet your dingo dollar that things will be insane. Here’s a little investigation into why the wildest reality TV is always Australian, and how that proves why it’s the GOAT of carnage.

MAFS Australia

We can’t go much further without discussing the mahoosive giant that is MAFS Australia. We have our fair bit of drama on MAFS UK, with cheating scandals, removals from the experiment and of course monster dinner party scraps. But the way the drama happens in Australia just takes it to another level. The behaviour is unprecedented.

Before this year started, expert Mel said she had never seen such “abhorrent and inappropriate” behaviour from a cast before and that her “jaw was on the floor” by how the MAFS Australia 2024 cast behaved.“In other seasons, I think we’ve had one really fascinating, interesting story running through where there’s been a couple of key players and everyone’s been really focused in on what’s going on in their dynamic.

“But this time, it’s like there’s so many different little subplots going on. There are so many interesting dynamics that happen between people that you wouldn’t even expect. I think it’s much more interesting actually.

“Sometimes I think I’ve heard it all and then one of these participants opens their mouth and something completely unexpected comes out and I think, ‘Wow, I didn’t think it could get any worse and there it is.

“There’s a number of people who behave in ways that are absolutely abhorrent and inappropriate and cross boundaries that just should never happen in any social environment. You will have so many jaw-on-the-floor moments from a whole range of different people, and really from some people that you won’t expect.”

It’s just a whole different ball game.

Drag Race Down Under

This year, RuPaul has announced he’s abandoned hosting series four of Drag Race Down Under, which services queens from Australia and New Zealand. But in the three seasons he’s hosted, the absolute dumpster fire level of chaos we’ve seen on that end of the franchise has been insane. Whilst series one was just an overall mess, with queens having racism scandals and random rule breaks, even when the show found its footing on seasons two and three the vibes have just been so different and so much more chaotic than any other in the franchise.

Even hidden gems like Instant Hotel are bedlam

Netflix has a reality competition show called Instant Hotel that makes Channel 4’s Four in a Bed look like happy families. Airbnb owners compete to win a prize, and they’re ruthless. This is a series of mess, and if you haven’t watched it you’ve never seen anything like it. One competitor, Leroy, is potentially one of the most iconic villains I’ve ever seen on telly. He needs to be on everything, and I am not joking.

This image was from a staring contest to settle a debt in part two. I mean, come on. The world stopped.

What Instant Hotel proved is that no one does it better than the Aussies when it comes to giving us straight up drama. We need it and they feed us. I hope they never soften and I hope it never changes. Australian reality TV is a whole different ball game.

For all the latest Australian reality TV news and for all the Married at First Sight Australia 2024 cast gossip, like The Holy Church of MAFS on Facebook.