Married At First Sight: Australia under investigation by police after allegations

A police investigation has been launched into Married at First Sight Australia following a report of "inappropriate content being shared".

New South Wales Police confirmed to BBC News that inquiries had taken place and that Channel Nine, which broadcasts the series, confirmed it was "aware of a police investigation" involving the show's production company.

A spokesperson for New South Wales Police Force told BBC News: "On Monday 24 August 2026, officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command commenced an investigation following a report of inappropriate content being shared.

"Following inquiries, the matter will be referred to WA [Western Australia] Police Force."

A spokesperson for Channel Nine said: "We are aware of a police investigation involving Endemol Shine Australia and all enquiries should be directed to them."

The series sees single people agreeing to "marry" total strangers after meeting for the first time. The marriages aren't legally binding, but the couples go on honeymoons before moving in together and meeting one another's friends and families before deciding if they want to stay together.

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This controversy comes after a BBC News investigation into the Australian reality series in which cast members claimed they had not been told their partners had previous drug and violence convictions.

One woman from last year's Australian series said she was not told the man she had been matched with had a previous drug conviction and only found out after the show ended.

In a joint statement, Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia said they had "strong protocols in place to ensure participant safety and wellbeing".

The UK edition of the show was hugely popular, however Channel 4 pulled all the UK episodes from its streaming service in light of a BBC Panorama investigation which revealed sexual misconduct and rape allegations from three female cast members on the reality dating show.

All three men involved have denied the allegations.

The broadcaster also launched an external review into welfare on the show, which is due to finish any day now according to the BBC.

Earlier this summer, a former Married at First Sight UK cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape.

Ofcom then confirmed it had launched an investigation into the programme after receiving a complaint about the Channel 4 show.

An Ofcom spokesperson told Radio Times: "We are investigating a Fairness and Privacy complaint about Married At First Sight UK."

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Authors

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.