MAFS Australia Contestants Reveal They Were Never Warned About Partners' Criminal Histories

MAFS Australia Under Fire After Contestants Reveal Shocking Safety Failures

A BBC investigation has uncovered deeply troubling claims from former cast members of Married at First Sight Australia, with several women revealing they were never informed that their on-screen partners carried criminal convictions — including charges related to drugs, violence, and assault.

The revelations add fresh controversy to the globally popular franchise, which is already reeling from a separate crisis surrounding its British counterpart, MAFS UK. BBC Panorama recently reported rape allegations made by two female contestants against male cast members — allegations the men have denied.

Women Say They Were Left Uninformed and Unprotected

Nine former participants from the Australian series have come forward to speak with the BBC, collectively calling on producers to overhaul their background check procedures and prevent individuals with criminal histories or unresolved allegations from appearing on the show.

One of those women is Sierah Swepstone, who appeared in the most recent Australian series. She was matched with Billy Belcher, a man who had been arrested and sentenced back in 2014 for several drug-related offences in Perth. According to Swepstone, she had no knowledge of this conviction throughout filming and only discovered the truth once the show had wrapped.

"You shouldn't be left alone with a stranger who has a criminal record," Swepstone said. "At the very least, there should be informed consent. Why is the show accepting that risk on our behalf? We should have the choice."

Swepstone has since gone on record stating that she believes the show failed in its fundamental duty of care toward her and fellow female contestants. "Brides are not safe on MAFS Australia," she warned.

Belcher did not respond when contacted for comment. In a previously issued statement, Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia noted that Belcher had been transparent with production about "the life lessons he learnt when he was 18," adding that his sentence had been suspended for good behaviour and that there were no accusations or convictions involving violence or abuse of any kind.

A Second Groom Also Had a Criminal Past

The BBC's investigation also uncovered that another groom from the same series held a prior conviction for affray. It is understood that his on-screen partner was similarly not made aware of this before or during filming. Many of these details were found by the BBC within publicly accessible court record databases — raising questions about why production teams failed to act on information that was readily available.

A Climate of Fear Behind the Cameras

Perhaps most alarming are the experiences of another former contestant, who has chosen to remain anonymous due to fears of personal repercussions. For the purposes of this report, she is referred to as Anna.

Anna describes living in a constant state of fear throughout her time on the show. She says her on-screen partner openly admitted during filming that he had a history of aggressive behaviour — and that producers were aware of this disclosure.

"I thought I'd be safe, that's why I signed up," she said. "I was terrified the whole time."

Anna recounts multiple incidents of alarming behaviour, including one occasion where her partner hurled a microphone pack at a wall, shattering it while shouting, and another in which he reportedly threw an object directly at production staff. She says the experience left her traumatised.

In a particularly striking piece of evidence, BBC News reviewed a photograph of a bruise that Anna had sent during filming to a number confirmed to belong to her on-screen partner. His response to the image read: "Shit! I'm so sorry."

Producers Respond — But Avoid Key Questions

MAFS Australia is produced by Endemol Shine Australia and airs domestically on Channel 9. It is a separate production from the UK version and is not connected to the same production company. In the UK, the show enjoys significant popularity through Channel 4, though the British episodes have since been removed from the network's streaming platform, All 4. The Australian series, however, remains available to stream.

In a joint statement, Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia maintained that they have "strong protocols in place to ensure participant safety and wellbeing." However, when the BBC specifically asked whether female contestants had been informed of their partners' criminal backgrounds, neither organisation answered the question directly. Instead, they confirmed that their protocols do not include sharing personal or background information between matched participants.

Calls for Reform Grow Louder

The format of both MAFS Australia and MAFS UK follows the same basic premise: single individuals agree to "marry" a complete stranger, meeting for the first time at a staged wedding ceremony. While the marriages carry no legal weight, the couples are filmed almost continuously as they go on honeymoons, move in together, and attempt to build a genuine relationship under the full glare of television cameras.

The women who have spoken out are united in their demand for meaningful change. They want the show to implement rigorous background screening, establish transparent disclosure practices, and take genuine responsibility for the physical and emotional safety of every participant who walks through its doors.