Seven’s hit reality series Farmer Wants a Wife is back on 21 April, and this season comes with a headline-making twist.
Executive producer Sylvia D’Souza confirmed the unexpected twist that one of the farmers leaves the series midway through production, dramatically altering the course of the season, but there’s still a successful outcome.
“All the farmers in this season find love. Was it easy? Probably not… We’ve had two women walk out after 24 hours on the farm, and one farmer quits halfway through.”
Despite the dramatic exits, D’Souza insists the show remains grounded in authenticity: “We don’t need to manufacture the show, there’s plenty in real life to draw from. But yes, it was tense.”
Sylvia D’Souza
A format that sells ‘real love’
While drama inevitably unfolds, the show’s heart remains in its celebration of genuine relationships.
“It is one of the few shows that has real love,” said D’Souza. “Look, I say real love, and lots of people go, ‘No, no, it isn’t,’ but the results speak for themselves. These people are still together.”
It’s this sincerity D’Souza said, that makes Farmer Wants a Wife a trusted destination for brand integrations.
“We always discuss with the brands, how can we do it in the most genuine way?” she added. “What are the products that we can integrate in a way that feels natural for the farmers and the ladies to use?”
Brands, like Norco, are a natural fit: “They’re all about the farmers, so it was just seamless, ice cream on dates, cheese, milk for breakfast,” she explained.
The show’s female-skewing audience also invites partnerships with health and beauty brands.
D’Souza said the sales team “had requests for chemist products, makeup and so forth … stuff women use all the time, and our audience is so targeted to women, it was an easy sell”.
A growing broadcast and streaming powerhouse
Now in its 13th season, Farmer Wants a Wife continues to deliver strong numbers across Seven and 7plus.
“Over a million Australians watch this show,” said D’Souza. “Last series we had two million viewers every single episode. It won its time slot every single night.”
The show’s cross-generational appeal is part of the magic: “You can watch it with your parents, you can watch it with your kids. It’s not offensive… it’s like going to a wedding, and who doesn’t like going to a wedding?”
D’Souza believes the show’s wholesome tone resonates in a fatigued media landscape. “Ultimately, people are a little bit over the cynicalness of the world. So they come to Farmer where it is wholesome. It’s just a bit of love and peace.”
Finding farmers and commitment
Casting remains a complex task, especially with real farmers.
“It’s not like there’s this huge vast pool we can choose from. It requires their mothers, their sisters to dob them in,” D’Souza explained. “It’s hard because they have a full-time job on their farm… but we get there.”
And even with that effort, producers can’t predict what will happen when the cameras roll. “As a producer, when that [a farmer quitting] happens, it’s about keeping calm and knowing that everything will work out.”
An evolving format
Despite its legacy, 11 marriages, 27 babies, countless romances and counting, Farmer Wants A Wife continues to evolve. “It’s one of the dream shows at Seven,” D’Souza said. “It’s big on broadcast, big on streaming, still growing across the board”.
And while this season brings high-stakes emotion, brand integration, and strong audience growth, the core remains unchanged. “Farmer is about love. We don’t need the other reasons. There’s already a natural drama when it comes to finding love.”
Farmer Wants a Wife premieres Monday, 21 April on Seven and 7plus.