Police investigate Married at First Sight Australia after 'inappropriate' allegations
New South Wales Police say inquiries took place "following a report of inappropriate content being shared".
Police probe Married at First Sight Australia after ‘inappropriate’ claims
Married at First Sight Australia is under renewed scrutiny after police opened an investigation into the popular reality series.
New South Wales told BBC News that inquiries had been carried out “following a report of inappropriate content being shared”.
Channel Nine, which airs Married at First Sight Australia, said it was “aware of a police investigation” involving the show’s production company.
The development marks the latest setback for the programme, after a BBC News investigation earlier this year into MAFS Australia found that cast members said they had not been told their partners had prior drug and violence convictions.
Those findings prompted a warning from Australia’s media watchdog, which described them as “serious and disturbing”.
The UK edition of Married at First Sight, widely known as MAFS UK, was separately thrown into turmoil in May after BBC Panorama reported rape allegations made by two female cast members - allegations denied by the men involved.
MAFS UK is produced by a different company from the Australian version.
Married at First Sight follows single people who agree to “marry” complete strangers after meeting them for the first time at their staged weddings.
The marriages are not legally binding, but viewers watch the couples go on “honeymoons”, then move in together and work through their relationships - all while being filmed almost every day.
A male cast member on the current season of MAFS Australia made a formal complaint to police after producers allegedly shared private information about him with his on-screen bride.
A spokesperson for New South Wales Police Force told BBC News: “On Monday 24 August 2026, officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command commenced an investigation following a report of inappropriate content being shared.
“Following inquiries, the matter will be referred to WA [Western Australia] Police Force.”
BBC News has contacted WA Police Force, which said the referral has not yet been received.
A Channel Nine spokesperson said: “We are aware of a police investigation involving Endemol Shine Australia and all enquiries should be directed to them.”
Endemol Shine Australia, which produces MAFS Australia, has not replied to repeated requests for comment about the latest developments.
In June, a BBC News investigation spoke to nine former MAFS Australia cast members, who called on the show to strengthen its background checks and stop including people with previous convictions or allegations.
One woman from last year’s Australian series said she was not told the man she had been matched with had a prior drug conviction and only learned of it after filming ended. “There should be informed consent,” she said.
At the time, Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia responded to those claims by saying they had “strong protocols in place to ensure participant safety and wellbeing”.
Alongside its huge success in Australia, the show is also popular in the UK and airs on Channel 4.
The broadcaster removed all UK episodes of MAFS from its streaming service just hours before the Panorama investigation aired in May, though MAFS Australia is still available to watch.
In July, BBC News reported that a MAFS UK cast member had been arrested on suspicion of rape after the Panorama programme.
The person is not being named, and neither is the alleged victim. Under the law, anyone who makes an allegation of rape is entitled to anonymity.
The media regulator Ofcom has also opened an official investigation into the hit Channel 4 programme.
The UK version, now in its 10th season, is one of Channel 4’s biggest shows, with audiences often exceeding three million.
The broadcaster has ordered a review into contributor welfare on the show. However, it plans to release only “a summary of findings”, not the full report.
Channel 4’s chief executive had previously said the review was expected back in the summer, but it has still not been published.
Speaking to MPs earlier this week, Ofcom chief Dame Melanie Dawes said the report was due back “any day now”.
BBC News has contacted Channel 4 for comment.
Lawyers for CPL, the independent production company behind the UK version, have previously said its welfare system is “gold standard” and industry-leading.