Behind-the-scenes secrets of Married At First Sight Australia
Closer talks to Married At First Sight Australia’s Jessika about her scandalous affair… and the other brides share their off-camera gossip
She’s one of the show’s most controversial characters – and now Married At First Sight Australia’s Jessika Power tells Closer that despite being characterised as the cheating villain on the hit TV series, she has no regrets.
Jess, 29, says, “I got a lot of hate after the show – it’s been tough. Looking back, I cringe at stuff I did and how it all played out. But viewers have got to remember – it’s a show. There’s editing, there’s cuts, there’s stuff left out. I’m not making excuses for myself, but the producers know what they’re doing. I wouldn’t change anything about my decisions, as it’s made me into who I am today and helped me learn.”
Admin worker Jess – then 27, as it was filmed in 2019 – was matched up by experts with hobby farm owner Mick.
But midway through the series, her relationship with Mick, 33, became rocky – and new contestant Dan caught
Jess’ eye, prompting the start of their scandalous affair. And Jess now says that, while she made the choice to pursue a romance with Dan, the drama around it was sensationalised.
She says, “Dan and I had an instant connection – and I told the producers that. They’d then ask me questions and ask me to put the question in my answer. They’d say, ‘Do you think Dan is attractive?’ and I’d reply, ‘I think Dan is an attractive guy’. I did, and I did make the decision to pursue him, because I really could see us together.”
Her decision to cheat on
Mick and date Dan – behind his wife Tamara’s back – sparked outrage from viewers and even death threats from trolls online.
She says, “I got a hard time during and after the show –
I’ve had some horrendous messages. People have told me to die, that they’ll stab me and that I deserve to be killed or raped. I’m lucky I’m thickskinned and I haven’t taken it to heart. I know cheating is bad, but we all make mistakes. Trolls just like to have someone to criticise.
“Despite all that, I’ve had positive times after the show. We were paid just £85 a day while we were filming, but since then I’ve made money through Instagram, via personal appearances and the media. I managed to fund my little sister’s university degree, which has made some of the negative stuff worthwhile.”
Revealing more behind-thescenes gossip, Jess says, “We weren’t allowed to interact with the other castmates while taking part in the experiment, unless cameras were there. When Mick and I stayed in separate rooms, it really was just me alone in my room – that got quite boring! I couldn’t meet up with Dan without cameras being there, so they could capture it as it played out. It was such a full-on experiment – I did learn a lot about myself though.”