Married at First Sight Australia is under police investigation after a report concerning the sharing of “inappropriate content”, with the case expected to be referred from New South Wales to Western Australia.
NSW Police said officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command began investigating on August 24, 2026, following a complaint. “Following inquiries, the matter will be referred to WA Police Force,” the force said.
WA Police said it had not yet received the referral and could not comment further at this stage.
The programme, commonly known as MAFS, features single contestants who “marry” strangers when they first meet. The marriages are not legally binding.
Rob McKnight of TV Blackbox has claimed that a male participant made the formal complaint. He alleged the contestant was “ambushed” by producers, who shared private information about him with his bride. The claim has not been independently established.
Married at First Sight Australia is produced by Endemol Shine Australia and broadcast by Channel Nine. A 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 has been contacted for comment.
Previous concerns over participant checks
The investigation follows a BBC News report earlier this year in which former cast members alleged that contestants had not been told their partners had previous drug and violence convictions.
Nine former participants claimed several men had been allowed to appear on the programme despite such convictions. One former contestant reportedly discovered their match had a previous drug conviction, while another learned that their partner had been convicted of affray, a public order offence involving violence or threats.
Nine and Endemol Shine Australia said at the time that they took their responsibilities for the “health, wellbeing and safety of participants extremely seriously”. They said contestants underwent police and criminal history checks, clinical psychological assessments, medical screening and legal and digital due diligence.
The Australian media watchdog subsequently described the revelations as “serious and disturbing”.
The British version of the programme, Married At First Sight UK, also faced scrutiny in May after BBC Panorama reported allegations from two female cast members of rape, while a third described an allegation involving a non-consensual sex act. The women said the programme had not done enough to protect them. Channel 4 said it had been made aware of “serious allegations” involving a small number of former participants, which the past contestants denied.
