Sol Phenduka, co-host of the popular podcast  Podcast and Chill with MacG, has spilled the tea on a conversation he had with Palesa Mphaki, a contestant on MAFS SA Season 2.

According to Sol, Palesa reached out to him for marriage advice when her relationship with her partner, Tshepo Miya, started to unravel.

Sol, who claims to know Palesa personally, revealed that she confided in him about her frustrations with Tshepo, saying he was “painting her to look like this way.” His response to Palesa was candid, questioning why she would participate in a show like Married at First Sight in the first place.

Things took an interesting turn when Phenduka suggested that the production company behind Married at First Sight might have intentionally matched Palesa with Tshepo for the sake of drama and views.

He believes that Palesa’s ideal partner wasn’t a narcissist, but rather someone humble, down-to-earth, and generous – qualities Tshepo allegedly lacked, citing an incident where Tshepo locked Palesa out of his Netflix account as an example.

Sol shared the advice he gave Palesa, emphasising that reality TV shows like Married at First Sight are designed to entertain, not to facilitate genuine relationships. “You’re part of the content,” he told her. “They’re not going to put people [who are compatible].”

This revelation has sparked debate among fans, with some questioning the ethics of reality TV shows and others simply enjoying the drama. Meanwhile, Sol’s Podcast and Chill co-host, Ghost Lady, revealed that Palesa had also reached out to her for an interview, hinting that there’s more to this story than meets the eye.