TV producer reveals behind-the-scenes look at reality show psych testing

Reality shows are carefully cast with selected members of the public in order to create entertaining viewing on television.

And a well-known TV producer, with more than 17 years in the business, has revealed a behind-the-scenes look at how stars are deemed suitable for TV.

Appearing on Big Brother star Tim Dormer’s Popcast podcast, Marion ‘Maz’ Farrelly gave an insight to the ‘vigorous’ psychology testing applicants are subject to.

‘We send people off to be psych tested and there’s green, amber and red, and red you don’t follow those people up,’ she began.

Maz has worked as a TV producer since 2000, and has assisted on Australian versions of Big Brother, Dancing With the Stars, X-Factor and Farmer Wants a Wife.  

The producer told Tim they ‘vigorously psych test’ potential contestants to deem their suitability for being subject to public scrutiny and ‘fame’.

‘We psych test people, not to know whether they’re going to be angry or sad, we psych test them to make sure they’re emotionally robust, and that they understand what they’re getting into.’ 

‘You don’t follow those people up!’ Maz claimed there were three ratings given by psychologists ans when they were labelled ‘red’ the producers responsibly turned the applicants away (PICTURED: MKR’s ‘villains’ Sonya Mefaddi and Hadil Faiza)

‘We make sure they’re emotionally robust’: The producer said they didn’t use the psychology testing to determine if they’d be angry or sad on the show, but to ensure they were aware of their own emotions and of what to expect (PICTURED: Love Island’s Justin Lacko)

She happily retold her ‘favourite psych test’ story to Tim, noting it occurred when searching for contestants for the UK Big Brother in the early 2000s.

Maz claimed one male applicant ‘wasn’t the most interesting’, but appeared ‘magnetic’ and ‘so charismatic’ that all he producers wanted to cast him.

However, she was surprised when the psychologist called to speak about the male, as they usually would email their findings. 

Shock casting call! Marion ‘Maz’ Farrelly (PICTURED) claimed she was once warned of casting someone ‘likely to become a serial killer’ after being evaluated by the show’s psychologist

Explaining why she wanted the man on the show, but would never want to meet him in person, she told the professional: ‘He makes you feel edgy. He’s not argumentative in nature, but he makes you feel uncomfortable and I think you’d find his presence very big in that small space and I like that.’   

The psychologist apparently responded to Maz: ‘Your instincts are really working, because never in my career have I met someone more likely to become a serial killer. He has no empathy, if you put him in the house that’s exactly what he would do – he would cause conflict.’

It’s unsure whether the mystery applicant was ever cast for the series. 

‘They understand what they’re getting into’: Maz claims producers give contestants the ‘talk of doom’ to prepare them for life after the show (Pictured: Married At First Sight’s Troy Delmege)

While psychology testing is one step in vetting their potential stars, Maz confessed she also is ‘very up front’ with hopefuls seeking fame, giving applicants ‘the talk of doom’.

‘I’ll say to people: “You will be too famous to go back to your job, but you won’t be famous enough to be famous. You’re probably not going to work for two years.”‘

She adds that women contestants will find it difficult to date for two years, while the public will likely want to punch guy contestants.

‘You will be too famous to go back to your job, but you won’t be famous enough to be famous’: Maz recited her frank, cautionary spiel on the podcast to any reality TV star hopefuls listening (PICTURED: MAFS stars Dean Wells and Tracey Jewel)

‘You’ll be in the papers, everyone you’ve ever slept with come and sell their story,’ Maz said frankly of her cautionary spiel.  

In the lengthy podcast, Maz admitted that while producers were ‘evil geniuses’, she was ‘actually extraordinarily lovely’.

Adding to her already-grim warning, she insisted: ‘I wouldn’t wish fame on anyone.’ 

‘I wouldn’t wish fame on anyone’: Maz was honest about the reality of chasing stardom on TV  (Pictured: Bachelor star Cass Wood, who has been labelled a ‘desperado’ and ‘stalker’ by fans)