Farmer Wants A Wife star Ellen Dunger reveals the very surprising salary contestants are paid

Daily Mail​

30-04-2025

Farmer Wants A Wife veteran Ellen Dunger has opened up about the harsh financial reality of appearing on the hit Channel Seven dating show.
The 29-year-old sports journalist recently shared a clip to social media revealing contestants are paid less than $100 a day - with almost half of it withheld until after the season airs.
'So you get $80 a day during filming, but you don't get it on your days off. Forty per cent of that is withheld until after the show airs,' Ellen began.
'Essentially, you are waiting six month for forty per cent of $80 a day. Even while you are filming and trying to get the little money they give you out of them, it's a really difficult task. You get sweet FA in terms of money from going on the show.'
Ellen added she had to continually follow up with the production team in order to finally receive what she was owed.
'I had to send heaps of emails to finally get paid, it was ridiculous! You don't know what you signed up for... You know it is going to be hard, but not how hard it is!' she added.
Ellen was one of the most outspoken contestants on last year's series of FWAW, in which she was matched with Farmer Todd.
In May last year, Ellen took issue with hardly appearing on the screen at all.
She took to Instagram to vent her frustration at coming off as a 'mute' on the Channel Seven series, and being 'omitted' from the final edit.
'Honestly, it was the hardest thing I have ever done emotionally,' the New South Wales native, who was eliminated in episode 15, began her lengthy message.
'Having people grill you to tears day-in, day-out for more than half an hour at a time on why your previous relationships have failed, whether you think you deserve love etc is not easy.'
Ellen went on to say the entire experience 'drained' her and while she doesn't regret appearing on the show, she's not 'entirely overjoyed with it'.
'As sad as that all is, I proved how bloody resilient I am and I am proud of that. I learned a lot about myself,' she said.
'I realised how many people I had in my corner and that is also very special. I got a good friend in Daisy Lamb [winner] who did, and still does, check in on me which speaks louder than any edit.'
Ellen was one of the most outspoken contestants on last year's series of FWAW
Ellen finished off her post by thanking people who have supported her since her exit from the show and commended the fans 'who sent emails off complaining about my obvious omission from the edit'.
Fellow FWAW star Daisy who won season 14 of the series and captured Farmer Todd's heart, commented under Ellen's post to agree with her criticism of the matchmaking show.
'I'm so fkn proud of you,' Daisy wrote.
'You are one of the funniest, most down to earth amazing people and I'm so glad to call you my friend through this whole ordeal.
'A big F**K YES to the cowboy boot earrings (epic) and a big F**K YOU to production who did you so dirty (still pisses me off).'