Farmer Wants a Wife Australia may be touted as the most “wholesome” of reality TV dating shows, but there’s a whole lotta spicy behind-the-scenes tea that fans may not be aware of.
From instant connections to cheeky smooches under the stars on faraway farms, there are plenty of reasons fans have tuned into the hit series for 13 seasons and counting.
However, there are still a lot of unknowns that go into making Farmer Wants a Wife. And thanks to several So Dramatic! sources, we’ve got the scoop on WTF goes down when the cameras aren’t rolling.
The farmers aren’t allowed to tell the ladies their true feelings
For a show that’s all about lurve, you’ll be surprised to find out that the farmers aren’t allowed to confess their true feelings to the ladies.
In episode 296 of the So Dramatic! podcast, winner Olivia Benic dished that Farmer Matt told her not to confess her feelings for him because he couldn’t say anything back.
“Matt wanted to tell me how he was feeling [during filming] but [the producers] wouldn’t let him,” Olivia recalled.
“So he said to me: ‘Don’t tell me on camera that you love me. Don’t tell me because I can’t say it back. And it’s gonna make you look like a dickhead’,” she added. Now that’s juicy!
If you’re thirsty for more goss and want to read about more of the secret convos shared between Matt and Olivia, we’ve got you covered.
The girls aren’t permitted to talk to participants on different farms
While many Farmer alumni cite great friendships as the best outcome from the series, 2023 participant Lorelei said she didn’t have much contact with those outside Farmer David‘s farm.
In episode 294 of the So Dramatic! podcast, she said they were on strict lockdown when it came to mingling.
“We weren’t allowed to talk to the other girls,” Lorelei told host Megan Pustetto, adding if they did, it was only on camera.
“So you’d have those camera moments where you get to catch up and be like, ‘Oh, how are you going? How are you feeling?’ But when we were getting ready for those events [like the Country Ball], we were so separated.”
According to Lorelei, they also had “chaperones” who were “monitoring” what they were saying.
“They were monitoring what we were talking about, so if there were things that they wanted to catch on film, they’d be like, ‘Don’t take about that, save that’,” she recalled.
How much do the suitors earn while on Farmer Wants a Wife?
It’s no secret that people get paid jacksh*t to appear on reality TV, and Farmer Wants a Wife is no different!
Farmer Andrew‘s suitor, Lucie, revealed in episode 292 of the So Dramatic! podcast that the gals don’t even crack $100 a day!
“We’re only getting paid 80 bucks for the day,” she confessed. “Like, it’s such a joke.”
What’s more, is that the cast was made to sign a “tax form” that declared the show was just a “hobby”, rather than a source of income.
Sounds a lil’ dodgy but okay…
Despite the minimum pay, Lucie said the show was “really good with breaks”. However, it had more to do with the crew than the participants.
“Everything is timed for the crew. The crew must have a really good union,” she said. “It actually makes it better for the cast because the crew can only work for a certain amount of hours.
“They have to get things rolling because they have to stop at a certain time, then they need to have a certain amount of hours of break [before] the next day.”
She concluded: “That’s the most organised part of the whole [show].”
There are limits to how much alcohol the cast of Farmer Wants a Wife can drink
Lucie admitted that while she “love[s] a wine”, there were strict limits on the amount of alcohol the contestants could drink at any one time.
“You’re allowed one drink an hour at functions,” she explained of events such as the Country Ball.
“Then, when you went to dinner on the farm, you had two drinks the whole night. That’s it.”
However, there was an instance when those on Farmer Andrew’s farm managed to “smuggle alcohol”.
“Andrew went and bought it,” Lucie revealed. LOL!
“Our house [executive producer] followed us and she took it all,” she continued. “We were in so much trouble.”
Farmer Wants a Wife producers control what the farmers say
As reported in episode 289 of the So Dramatic! podcast, one contestant said that producers meddle a whole lot.
“The farmers wear earpieces and are even told what to say by producers,” they confessed.
Adding that the “producers are quite intimidating”, the source detailed how her experience went.
“They try to stand over you and make you feel like the size of a fly and beat their chest saying we’ve got all the power,” they explained. “I had the worst experience of my life on there.
“I was forever in arguments with production the whole way through. I’ve never felt so insecure in myself my whole entire life after dealing with them.”
The contestants don’t participate in farmwork beyond what you see on TV
In a tell-all episode of So Dramatic!, Brad’s “runaway” suitor Corista revealed that the gals aren’t allowed to do any farmwork beyond what they film on their dates.
Discussing the day-to-day lifestyle, the public servant said the farmers wouldn’t be around as they had “some jobs [they] need to get done”.
“Obviously the farm needs to keep running [but] we’re not actually allowed to help,” she said. “It’s like a danger thing.”
Adding that the girls were “so bored out of [their] skulls”, they often offered to work on the farm to kill time.
“We’re like, ‘Can we help? Can we do things?’ And production were pretty strong with, ‘No, because it’s a risk of injury and [occupational health and safety]’ and everything like that.”
Okaaaay, so how are the fellas supposed to know whether their suitors can hack it on the farm?!
Producers have to approve outfits before each day of filming
Apparently, the Farmer Wants a Wife stars “never knew” what was on the agenda for any given day.
Corista told host Megan that they often didn’t know when they’d start filming “until production rocked up”.
From there, they were briefed on what the day was going to look like before being tasked with “pick[ing] three outfits” that were then given the once over by wardrobe.
“We take our own clothes, and they would come back and pick an outfit,” she said.
“I know a lot of people get a bit a backlash for what they’re wearing at certain events, but the truth of it is, we don’t know what we’re doing.”
She added: “You’d wake up, you’d get ready, you’d have some brekkie. Production would pretty much roll in and tell you what we’re doing for the day and what we need wear.
“Then off we go.”
Sounds like our worst nightmare, TBH!
Lorelei backed this up, saying they had a producer who would “take a photo of everyone” each morning and “send it off to wardrobe”.
From there, they would reply with any amendments in case they were “too matchy” or the outfit “didn’t go with the camera”.
Farmer Wants a Wife producers’ fool-proof way to evoke jealousy from contestants
As reported in episode 218 of the So Dramatic! podcast, producers aren’t backwards in causing drama among the contestants.
In fact, one well-placed source from the 2022 season revealed that while the gals may not have been chosen for single dates, they were still present for the loved-up action.
“The girls are all forced to watch the other dates from cars hidden in the background.” Umm, mi scusi?!
According to the source, the producers made the girls watch the other dates in order to get “more of an emotional reaction” from them.
“It’s a bit crazy and sociopathic,” they said. And no sh*t, Sherlock!
Want even more goss? Listen to the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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