Is Catfish scripted? Question answered for Season 9

The producer behind the reality TV show Catfish give the inside scoop about whether the show is scripted, and shared surprising tidbits about the production process.

Nev Schulman and Kamie Crawford co-host the MTV series Catfish, where people ask for advice when they suspect a partner might be faking their identity online.

After Nev and Kamie do a deep dive into the person’s online profile, they convince the alleged catfish to meet up in person to give them an opportunity to defend themselves.

Although the ambush is usually filmed for the show, the potential catfish has to agree to reveal who they really are so cameras can film the scene.

Is Catfish scripted?

While some fans wonder if Catfish is scripted, the show’s producer cleared up the speculation ahead of the Season 8 premiere.

According to Cosmopolitan, Executive Producer Max Eisen confirmed that it’s the catfish’s idea to be on the show, even though it may seem like the person being catfished is the one who reaches out initially.

When Nev and his co-hosts investigate the online catfish cases, it’s edited down for timing purposes since it takes longer than what is shown on TV.

On each episode of Catfish, the person’s identity is kept a secret from Nev and his co-hosts (whether it be Kamie or former partner-in-crime Max Joseph) until they meet in person.

However, the producers know who it is beforehand, but don’t reveal the information to keep the surprise element and shock value.

Now that Catfish is a popular on MTV series, there are some people who purposely catfish others to be on the show. The catfish might apply for more attention, but the producers fact-check each profile to avoid this from happening.

This confirms that Catfish isn’t scripted, and viewers are getting an authentic experience while watching the show because of the masters behind it.

Catfish airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on MTV.