More allegations of potentially dangerous procedures have hit Married at First Sight Australia, the BBC reports in a major investigation.
Mediaweek has reached out to Nine, the broadcaster of the show, for comment this morning and have not received a reply by the time of publication.
One ‘bride’ from the MAFS Au 2025 series claims she wasn’t made aware that her ‘groom’ had a previous drug conviction – and only found out after the show ended.
“There should be informed consent,” she told the BBC.
Sierah Swepstone, from last year’s series, says she feels let down by the show’s producers, Endemol Shine.
Swepstone was cast with Billy Belcher, who was arrested and sentenced in 2014 for multiple drug-related offences in Perth – facts she says she didn’t know about at the time of filming.
“You shouldn’t be left alone with a stranger with a criminal record,” Swepstone said.
“At the very least, there should be informed consent. They should let us know. Why is the show accepting that risk on our behalf? We should have the choice.
“Brides are not safe on MAFS Australia.”
Belcher did not respond to a request for comment from the BBC.
View this post on Instagram
‘
BBC reveals MAFS Au allegations
Nine former cast members from MAFS Au have spoken to the BBC, revealing a range of allegations about informed consent and background checks.
Adrian Araouzou, a groom on the 2025 series, received a 2017 conviction for affray.
When asked for a response by BBC News, Araouzou said it was “none of your business” and denied any allegations.
The BBC asked Nine and Endemol Shine whether they had informed Araouzou’s ‘bride’ of the conviction for affray; the BBC’s understanding is that she was not told.
In a joint statement they said: “All participants on MAFS, including Adrian, undergo extensive background checks including police checks.
“The affray conviction was nine years ago, and the penalty was a $400 fine, placing this at the lowest end of the spectrum for this offence as determined by the court.”
View this post on Instagram
Other male participants in the Australian show with criminal histories include Timothy Smith, who took part in the 2024 series.
Smith confirmed he had spent a year in a US prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking. Nine and Endemol Shine told the BBC that his conviction was not revealed by him until after the series was broadcast.
‘Groom’ Chris Nield, from the latest series, was previously found guilty of common assault. Nield did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Nine and Endemol Shine Australia said Nield’s conviction “arose from a one-off altercation and there had been no repeat conduct in the 11 years since.”
Nine and Endemol Shine Australia said they take their obligations in respect of 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 say this includes 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.
Top image: Sierah Swepstone. Image: Instagram