Claims that contestants on *Married at First Sight Australia* were not informed about their on-screen partners' prior drug and violence convictions are "serious and disturbing," according to the nation's media oversight body.
These allegations, detailed in a BBC News investigation released on Saturday, have also drawn a reaction from the UK's media regulator Ofcom, which described them as "deeply concerning".
Several male participants have been permitted to appear on the program—commonly referred to as MAFS Australia—despite having been found guilty of, or having faced accusations related to, violence, assault, or drug use.
Australian broadcaster Channel 9 and production firm Endemol Shine Australia, which produces the series, have stated that they have "strong protocols in place to ensure participant safety and wellbeing".
In addition to being a major success in Australia, the show enjoys popularity in the UK and airs on Channel 4.
Channel 4 has removed all UK episodes of MAFS from its streaming platform All 4, though MAFS Australia remains accessible for viewing.
This development follows a crisis in the British version of the show after a BBC Panorama report featured rape allegations from two female contestants—allegations that the men involved have refuted.
Channel 4 has commissioned an independent review into contributor welfare on MAFS UK, which is expected to be completed later this summer.
MAFS UK is produced by a different company than the Australian edition.
Nine MAFS Australia participants informed the BBC that they desire the show to enhance its background checks and to cease permitting individuals with prior convictions to appear.
In response to our investigation, a representative for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) told the BBC it "acknowledges the serious and disturbing matters" raised by former participants of the program.
The regulator noted that its authority is confined to examining whether broadcast content adheres to relevant industry codes of practice.
It is understood that those codes of practice contain no provisions regarding the handling of program participants.
The spokesperson added: "When members of the public raise concerns with the ACMA that fall outside of our regulatory remit, we encourage them to bring those concerns to the broadcaster and, where appropriate, to the relevant authority."
Mirroring the Australian regulator, an Ofcom spokesperson stated: "These latest allegations are deeply concerning and we would expect Channel 4 to take account of them in its ongoing reviews into contributor care.
"We await its findings which we will consider alongside all other evidence made available to us."
Both the UK and Australian versions of MAFS feature single individuals consenting to "marry" complete strangers upon first meeting at their simulated weddings.
The marriages carry no legal weight, but viewers observe the couples going on "honeymoons," then moving in together and navigating their relationships—all while being filmed nearly every day.
In a joint statement addressing the BBC's investigation into MAFS Australia, Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia said they take their responsibilities concerning the health, wellbeing, and safety of participants "extremely seriously".
"There is a structured, multi-stage checking process that every participant must complete and clear," they stated—including police and criminal-history checks in each declared country of residence, independent clinical psychological assessment, medical screening, disclosure supported by a statutory declaration, and legal and digital due diligence.
Channel 4 has said it is not involved in the production of MAFS Australia and has "no editorial control or input" into its creation.
"However, Channel 4 ensures any version it transmits of acquired programmes adheres to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code."
If you have more information about this story, you can reach Noor by email at noor.nanji@bbc.co.uk