Married At First Sight Australia stars Daniel Holmes and Carolina Santos caused quite a stir when it was revealed that the pair had pursued a romance with each other after their 'marriages' with their intended partners fizzled out.
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However, speaking in a new interview with Yahoo Lifestyle just weeks after the finale of the latest season aired on E4, the two have claimed that the producers of the reality show encouraged them to get together behind Jessica Seracino and Dion Giannarelli's backs.
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"They told us like, 'You guys are doing the right thing! Jess left! Dion's an idiot! You are doing the right thing!'" Daniel said. "Everything bad you do they're like, 'Oh you're doing perfect!' They make you think that you're doing the right thing."
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Carolina added: "Yeah that's their way to trick you into things. Just whatever feeling you're having, even if it's a negative thought, they always validate it like, 'Yeah, you're so right!'"
The pair began hooking up after Daniel's partner Jessica decided to exit the experiment, and producers reportedly asked him if he had his eye on any other contestants. At the time, Carolina was still technically 'married' to her husband, Dion.
© Photo: Channel 4Carolina and Daniel say producers encouraged their affair on the show
The pair are still together now but revealed that while they were on the show, the producers also controlled when they were allowed to see each other. According to Daniel, they were told they were not allowed to talk to each other without the producers knowing or the cameras rolling. However, he admitted that they enjoyed plenty of off-camera dates regardless of the rules.
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"I was like, I actually really like this chick, so if I tried to build a connection with her based on just what the producers dictate, it's probably never going to happen. So I've got to put some work in behind the scenes," he said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Carolina insisted that the pair didn't embark on their affair to get more airtime on the show but joked: "I was definitely happy to cause some drama and give the entertainment to the viewers, why not!'
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