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Married at First Sight opens the casting door to same sex couples

Exclusive: As Nine's series welcomes gay couples, Gav & Waz recall how The Block helped change public opinion in 2003.

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EXCLUSIVE: Nine’s reality series Married at First Sight has broadened its casting net for same-sex couples for its second season.

Applications for 2016 have an additional question on partner gender.

“They have a discreet question under the Partner section that asks the gender of their preferred partner, male or female. That gives them the option at least, to determine if they’ll make that statement in the show,” a spokesperson from Castasugar agency told TV Tonight.

It follows Nine’s Manager Director of Production and Programming Andrew Backwell confirming earlier this year the show would be open to same-sex couples if it proceeded to a second season.

With the show staging commitment ceremonies, rather than legal weddings, delays to marriage equality are no hindrance to potential inclusion.

But it could also give the show the chance to add to social discussion.

In 2003 The Block‘s Gavin Atkins and Warren Sonin created Australian TV history as the first gay couple to appear in a primetime Reality series. It created headlines around the country as audiences warmed to their devotion and sense of humour.

“We were always embraced by the public.”

Atkins recalls the media frenzy that erupted, but says Nine backed them through all the attention.

“Honestly we didn’t realise that we would be the first ‘real’ gay couple ever to appear on prime time television. We remember not even being really concerned about any ramifications until the day after the show aired for the first time on a Sunday night at 6:30pm. Radio jocks, John Laws & Steve Price went to air and criticised why the Nine network would be showcasing a gay couple holding hands on the number one time slot for family viewing on a Sunday night,” he says.

“Channel Nine really backed us 100% and discussed that they had a social duty of care to promote the gay community in a very positive light.

“In fact, Jamie Durie, the host at the time, mentioned on national television that so many ‘straight’ couples could take a leaf out of our book. So overall the fallout from us appearing on The Block was largely very positive – the media backed us and the Australian public backed us as well.

“No matter where we went in Australia we were always embraced by the public and so many gay people said ‘Thank you for being such a positive role model.'”

“Our appearance on TV made such a huge difference”

In 2003 BRW listed them on their top 10 influential list and even appearances on The Footy Show helped change opinions.

In the years that followed Reality TV has embraced gay participants on every network, whether as renovators, cooks, singers, dancers, models and dating singles. Atkins says that visibility for the community is important in the genre.

“Our appearance on TV made such a huge difference in making the general public realise that we were good people and being gay or straight doesn’t really make a difference. We also realised that our appearance was one that helped so many young gay people to see that you could be in a loving positive relationship and be successful. It also helped so many parents of gay children to accept their gay kids.”

But there are no guarantees for Married at First Sight despite the casting shake-up.

If the show is to feature a same-sex couple it will need a quantity of prospective single applicants, genuinely seeking a partner, in order for the show’s experts to play Cupid. Of the show’s 4 couples this year, only 1 is still partnered.

‘Gav and Waz’, who are partners in both life and in their interior designer business Designer Boys, say Reality TV is not all bad.

“Go for it and be genuine and respectful. We didn’t go on tv to be famous – in fact we became a little embarrassed with the national media frenzy. We’re just normal guys but in a relationship! However, embrace the opportunity and be proud and confident of who you are,” says Atkins.

“And yes, you need to have a thick skin if there is negativity and continue to believe in yourself. We were very fortunate to have the support of each other and the backing of the network.”

Applications for Married at First Sight season 2 are now open.

6 Responses

  1. I still don’t understand why they are doing a second season of of the show. It’s seams like something the networks do once and not again because the gimmicky nature of the show is gone.

  2. A same-sex couple in a relationship show is more controversial than in than a construction show. But not an issue in 2015.

    It will of course put an end to Nine trying to play down the fact that the “marriages” weren’t legal marriages but only commitment ceremonies. That will be a good thing too.

  3. It’s great that Nine is allowing gay people the same right as heterosexual people to make a twat of themselves on TV. Now if we can just sort out the small matter of same-sex couples being able to actually get married, as they have done in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, and western Europe, this country will be a slightly better place to live.

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