'Married at First Sight' faces global backlash - here's why

Worldwide hit reality TV show Married At First Sight (MAFS) faces backlash after it became known that violent and drug offending partners were not disclosed to Judges.

Media Watchers have intervened in Australia and the UK with the watchdogs calling the allegations ‘serious and disturbing,’ with a revealing BBC investigation documenting a serious gap in the Background Checking System for the franchise.

Safety Failures in the Reality TV Franchise System

The controversy mostly focused on MAFS Australia where several participants learned after the fact that their TV husbands were convicted Assaulters, Violent, and Drug Offenders. This information was allegedly withheld and/or missed in the production, causing an Outrage in the Nation.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) took the allegations seriously but stated their limited authority regulation applies to the content aired and not how the participants were treated. Internationally, the UK’s regulator, Ofcom has also launched inquiries. In a serious response to the allegations, UK’s Channel 4 removed from content available in their streaming platform All 4, MAFS UK, following serious allegations of sexual assaults of two male participants on two female participants.

Networks Defend Screening Protocols Amid Growing Backlash

In response to backlash from previous members about T.V. cast screening policies, the show’s direct producers stood by their screening practices. Channel 9, which is based in Australia, and the production company Endemol Shine Australia, released their statement. They noted the safety of participants is their greatest concern.

They described their screening as a “structured, multi-stage checking process” with a focus on screening safety and staff well-being. Nevertheless, in light of safety oversights and negligence, ex-participants and safety advocates continue to demand an entirely new and better vetting process for contestants and other staff.