Legal marriages expected to be ditched in Married at First Sight NZ Season 2

Ben Blackwell and Aaron Chisholm were one of six couples legally married in the first season of Married At First Sight NZ. Photo / Supplied

Legally binding marriages are expected to be scrapped in the second season of Married at First Sight NZ.

MediaWorks is staying tight-lipped, but contestants are unlikely to get legally married in season two, according to MAFS groom Haydn Daniels,

Daniels believed the decision had been made after he took legal action to annul his marriage to wife Bel Clarke after tying the knot in season one. Their relationship became strained within days of getting hitched.

The terms and conditions for the next season also indicate a decision has been made as candidates who are married and therefore could not be married again can apply as long as they have been separated for more than six months.

In the first series couples were legally wed, which means under law they cannot divorce until they have been living apart for more than two years.

The move differed from its Australian counterpart where contestants could not formally marry for legal reasons.

In the new season, it seems MAFS NZ will follow suit.

MediaWorks would not be drawn on whether marriages would be legal in the next season. A MediaWorks spokeswoman said the details were still being finalised.

"We're still working through the details of the show format for 2018 and we will update you once we're in a position to share what that looks like."

However Daniels supported not having legal marriages, saying it lowered the stakes for contestants and could just be a bit of fun for them.

"It changes the dynamic a bit. I can see why there were legal - I guess it was trying to encourage genuine people to go."

He is currently waiting for a date to have his application to end his marriage to Clarke heard at the Family Court in Auckland.

MediaWorks has previously confirmed the second series will follow another 12 contestants agreeing to marry strangers at the altar.

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