Former cast members of Married at First Sight (MAFS) Australia have spoken out about the show's safety record, describing an environment of 'control, manipulation and isolation'. The comments come after serious allegations of rape and sexual assault emerged against the UK franchise, which is produced by a different company.
One anonymous former participant said men with 'criminal or domestic violence backgrounds are cast regularly, season after season'. She added: 'Every night you are left alone in a room with this man … There are no cameras rolling. You are isolated.' She said the UK allegations 'did not shock me' and that there is a 'close-knit group' of women in Australia with similar experiences.
Awhina Rutene, a bride on season 12 in 2025, was matched with Adrian Araouzou, who had historical domestic abuse charges that were dismissed before filming. Rutene said the show 'obviously needed a better vetting process' and described the environment as a 'pressure cooker' where physical intimacy is rewarded, making it feel 'forced'. 'Every morning [in interviews] they'd be like, “why aren't you having sex?”' she said.
Another season 12 bride, Sierah Swepstone, posted on Instagram that the show's environment is 'characterised by control, manipulation, isolation … gaslighting, psychological dependency, triggers and deprivation of autonomy'. She said this impairs a person's ability to 'enforce boundaries or leave'.
Olivia Rutherford, from season nine in 2022, said she does not believe the show can be made safely. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has conducted 10 investigations into MAFS and received 39 complaints, though no breaches have been found. The anonymous former participant suggested a solution: 'Cameras rolling at all times. No private unsupervised access. If MAFS genuinely cared about participant safety, that structure would already be in place.'
