Married At First Sight NZ groom complains of low pay, lack of parties

  • 14/11/2017

MediaWorks has responded to claims from a Married At First Sight NZ groom that he was left short-changed after appearing on the show, saying it "was made very clear to all participants" what they could expect. 

Hadyn Daniels lashed out at the show's producers in an Instagram post on Tuesday, saying he only received $60 per day while appearing on the show and posting a picture of a legal bill totalling more than $3200.

"I took time off work and lost thousands. Yesterday I received this legal bill for annulment advice. I even got charged for them taking a call from Warner Brothers," Daniels said in the post's caption.

"Oh and for the record, [not] myself [nor] any of the cast have not received one word of thanks from MediaWorks for being on the show. No wrap party, no launch party, not even a card in the mail."

A spokesperson for MediaWorks, which owns Newshub, said in a statement the company would "like to think the participants were in it for love and not wrap parties".

"At the very outset, it was made very clear to all MAFS NZ participants what they could expect from taking part in the production, including having to put their jobs on hold to partake in the experiment and agreeing to and understanding the laws of marriage which state that a dissolution can only happen after a two year separation. It was entirely Haydn's choice to take time off work to be part of the experiment and subsequently to seek legal advice around an annulment.

"We like to think the participants were in it for love and not wrap parties. And it is most surprising to see Haydn change his mind about MediaWorks when only a few weeks ago he was publicly thanking us for the experience and support.

"All participants receive a standard living allowance and are thanked and supported throughout the process."

The tone of Daniels' Instagram post contradicts earlier messages in which he thanked MediaWorks for "having my back throughout this wild journey" and going "above and beyond" in its treatment of the cast.

Married At First Sight NZ groom complains of low pay, lack of parties
Photo credit: Instagram.com

The debut season of Married At First Sight NZ concluded on Three on Monday night - the finale is viewable on ThreeNow.co.nz. 

Newshub.