The dream of using Married At First Sight to launch a long and lucrative career is slipping away.

A leading PR expert warns that the hit series has become so toxic that most contestants are lucky to last more than a few months in the spotlight.

Daily Mail can reveal that while a handful of brides and grooms have quietly turned their notoriety into serious money, the majority fade into obscurity almost as soon as the season ends.

Public relations strategist Adrian Falk says the show has veered so far into controversy that it has destroyed the credibility of the people taking part.

What was once promoted as a social experiment about love has, he argues, devolved into a circus driven by shock value and social media clout.

‘It has become a zoo for the most amount of followers,’ Falk told Daily Mail Australia.

The dream of using Married At First Sight to launch a long and lucrative career is slipping away. Pictured: Katie Johnston

‘Once you have been part of that environment, it is incredibly difficult to rebuild your image. The audience moves on fast and brands are hesitant to align with that kind of chaos. It is short-lived fame at best.’

But despite the fallout, a select few have managed to turn their small window of television fame into genuine earning power, creating what insiders now call the unofficial MAFS rich list.

Bride Katie Johnson, who has transformed herself into a full-time wellness figure after signing a rumoured lucrative six-figure partnership with protein brand Glo-Up1.

The endorsement deal is understood to earn her around $8,000 per month and has helped her establish herself as a motivational speaker focusing on self-love and sustainable health.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Katie said her shift from reality TV bride to wellness ambassador was driven by family.

‘My biggest motivation came from my niece. When she watched my edit, she saw someone who was still figuring out what self-love looked like and that really hit me. I wanted to show her that it is possible to grow, to heal and to truly love yourself after being smashed by life, privately or publicly,’ she said.

She added that people who enter MAFS hoping to build a career are usually disappointed and that the real value of the show lies in personal growth rather than chasing fame.

Fellow bride Jamie Marinos has also emerged as one of the season’s highest earners after landing a major commercial partnership with Lynx.

Daily Mail can reveal that while a handful of brides and grooms have quietly turned their notoriety into serious money, the majority fade into obscurity almost as soon as the season ends. Pictured: Eliot Donovan

Bride Jamie Marinos (pictured) has also emerged as one of the season’s highest earners after landing a major commercial partnership with Lynx

The dating show-style campaign, which became a viral hit online, reportedly paid her more than $40,000 and helped her transition into a full-time digital personality.

Jamie has further boosted her income through club hosting appearances across Australia, taking home around $30,000 in total from event nights alone.

Not far off her is bride Awhina Rutene who has almost made six figures from her stint on the show.

The Perth-based mother-of-one has partnered up with a number of well-known brands for paid partnerships.

Groom Eliot Donovan has gone even further, becoming one of the most financially successful cast members of recent years thanks to a relentless post-show work ethic.

The Queenslander has completed more than 30 brand deals since filming wrapped, becoming an ambassador for brands such as Hugo Boss and Chemist Warehouse, racking up anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 per sponsored post.

On top of this, he has launched his hugely successful online coaching platform Beachbodies.au which has generated an estimated $60,000 to $100,000 in revenue so far.

If that wasn’t enough Eliot has collected between $40,000 to $50,000 in nightclub and public appearance fees around the country.

The dating show-style campaign, which became a viral hit online, reportedly paid her more than $40,000 and helped her transition into a full-time digital personality

Awhina Rutene (pictured) has almost made six figures from her stint on the show

Eliot’s refreshingly authentic persona and edgy humour captured hearts and minds during the season and turned him into a brand favourite.

Meanwhile, his two ex-wives Veronica Cloherty and Lauren Hall were both forced to return to 9-5 jobs.

Another groom who attempted to cash in on his five minutes is Billy Belcher.

He made a bit of cash taking off his shirt and dancing on stage before returning to work as a plasterer.

Meanwhile, controversial groom Adrian Araouzou has proved that even a so-called bad edit can be profitable.

He and his twin brother James opened Sauci Pasta Bar shortly after the series aired, and the Melbourne restaurant has already pulled in more than $100,000 in the first few weeks.

Fans often queue for a chance to meet the outspoken groom turned pasta entrepreneur, making the business one of the most commercially successful ventures ever launched by a MAFS contestant.

In a rare breakthrough beyond Australia, groom Dave Hand has made franchise history by becoming the first Married At First Sight participant to secure a Netflix role.

Dave is set to appear on season four of Perfect Match, joining a cast of international reality stars and marking a significant step into global television.

In a rare breakthrough beyond Australia, groom Dave Hand (pictured) has made franchise history by becoming the first Married At First Sight participant to secure a Netflix role

The opportunity has impressed industry insiders, who say it signals that MAFS alumni still have pathways out of local reality TV when selected carefully.

Hand was reportedly paid a handsome five-figure sum.

Not all participants enjoyed the same trajectory.

Carina Mirabile, once tipped to become the show’s next breakout star, has walked away from the spotlight entirely.

She now works full-time as the marketing director of her family’s company, Beyond Tools, choosing stability over chasing what she privately described as an exhausting and short-lived influencer life.

Others have returned to ordinary jobs after their storylines overshadowed any chance of commercial success.

Groom Ryan Donnelly has resumed work as a plumber after his disastrous marriage to Jacqui Burfoot imploded both on and off camera, resulting in a string of legal battles between the pair.

Jacqui insists she is doing ‘fine’ and has instead focused on cameo videos, her jewellery label and her professional work, telling friends she has put the experiment firmly behind her.

As Falk explains it, these diverging outcomes capture the harsh truth behind the franchise’s fame.

‘In the early years the show created real stars, people the public genuinely rooted for. Now it is about who can go viral. It is fame without foundation,’ he said.

He believes that unless the show strips back the chaos and returns to authenticity, it will continue producing contestants who burn brightly for a moment before fading into obscurity.

In his own blunt words, ‘Until the show shifts back to authenticity, it will stay a zoo. And no one makes it big living in a zoo.’