Married At First Sight Australia's female stars say they weren't told that their partners had drug and violence convictions

By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:20, 13 June 2026 | Updated: 11:22, 13 June 2026 Female contestants on Married At First Sight Australia have said they were not told their partners had drug and violence convictions.  Brides from previous seasons of the hit reality show have revealed they were left 'terrified' by the aggressive behaviour of their partners.  They have accused the production company behind MAFS Australia, Endemol Shine Australia, of failing women - and suggested they would not have gone on the show if they knew they would be paired with a 'stranger with a criminal record'.  It comes after several women who appeared on the UK version of the show - which is produced separately by CPL - came forward with sexual assault allegations, engulfing broadcaster Channel 4 in a shocking abuse scandal.  The show sees four couples 'marry' each other after being matched by experts and meeting as strangers. After honeymooning and staying together for a month, they decide whether to further their marriage. The marriage is not legally binding.  Sierah Swepstone starred in last year's MAFS Australia series and was paired with Billy Belcher, who in 2014 was sentenced for several drug offences in Perth.  She has said she was not told about his conviction - and that she only found out once the show finished.  Ms Swepstone has now claimed female contestants 'are not safe' on the show, adding that women should be told if their on-screen husbands have a criminal past.  Sierah Swepstone, who starred in last year's MAFS Australia, has claimed female contestants 'are not safe' on the show Katie Johnstone, who appeared on MAFS Australia last year, said hopeful contestants should not be allowed on the show if they have a criminal past The star told the BBC: 'You shouldn't be left alone with a stranger with a criminal record. 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.'  In September last year, Ms Swepstone revealed that Belcher was facing 'physical and psychological abuse' allegations from three ex-girlfriends.  She claimed in an interview on the So Dramatic! podcast: 'The ex I spoke to said police were involved on one occasion. 'She was hysterical when she found out Billy was going to be on, and got in contact with the show.' Ms Swepstone alleges that the concerns raised by herself and Belcher's ex-girlfriend were ignored by producers.   She said at the time that she 'wouldn't have been okay knowing' about his past, if she had been informed by producers at the time.  'What's the purpose of doing police checks if they ignore criminal convictions?' she said. 'That's the whole point of doing them.' Another woman who previously appeared on the show told the BBC her on-screen husband had acted aggressively in the past - and that producers knew about this behaviour. Pictured: Promotional advertisement for a new season of Married At First Sight Australia Ms Swepstone also previously accused producers of trying to 'cover up' Belcher's  history as they 'f****d up casting him in the first place with a criminal record', she said.  She added: 'Not telling me, even though they were fully aware of it. There were obviously warning signs missed. They witnessed what happened to me.' Channel 9, which broadcasts the Australian version of the hit reality show, and production company Endemol Shine Australia, previously said: 'Billy was completely honest with production about the life lessons he learnt when he was 18, after receiving a suspended sentence with good behaviour for drug related offences.' They added that Belcher had not been accused or convicted of crimes related to violence or abuse.  Katie Johnstone, who appeared on MAFS Australia last year, said: 'If you're with someone who has a sketchy background, then you should be made aware of that. 'Especially considering you're expected to be alone and share a room with this person, you need to know and it's not fair that women are being placed in these positions.' She said hopeful contestants should not be allowed on the show if they have a criminal past as it is 'unsafe' for the other participants.   Another woman who previously appeared on the show told the BBC her on-screen husband had acted aggressively in the past - and that producers knew about this behaviour.  Speaking anonymously, she told the corporation: 'I was terrified the whole time. I thought I'd be safe, that's why I signed up to the show.' The former contestant alleged that her TV partner had a temper - in one incident breaking a mic-pack after throwing it at a wall and swearing, and in another throwing things at producers.  She was also allegedly left bruised by him. The woman had sent a picture of the injury to him, to which he responded: 'Sh*t! I'm so sorry.' She also claimed that Channel 9 is 'making money' off 'vulnerable' people, adding that the man was 'cast anyway' despite producers knowing about his past.  Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia responded to the allegations by saying the male contestant had been involved in an incident a number of years before appearing on the show.  They said he has not been convicted of any crimes and that it has no record of the incidents in which he allegedly threw a mic-pack at a wall or threw an object at production staff.  When approached by the BBC, the male contestant said he 'categorically denies every allegation', adding: 'These claims are entirely false, malicious, and a complete distortion of reality.' According to one groom speaking anonymously to the BBC, contestants' background checks are 'rushed' by producers.  Former MAFS Australia contest Adrian Araouzou, who was convicted of affray in 2017, is pictured in Sydney in December last year He said there was only two weeks between his application to be on the show and filming the series - and when he didn't have the available documents to demonstrate he didn't have a criminal record, producers said they will 'just take his word for it'.  One former contestant with a criminal past is Adrian Araouzou, appearing on MAFS Australia last year, who in 2017 was convicted of affray.  He had also faced three charges - reportedly relating to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, domestic violence common assault and resisting police - prior to starring on the show.  Araouzou's neighbours called the police after they heard screaming coming from his home, it has been reported.  His then-partner then subsequently signed a document stating their injuries occurred due to a seizure.  They said: 'I am horrified Adrian has been accused of being a perpetrator of domestic violence, as this is the furthest thing from the truth. 'I want the matter dropped, so that Adrian and I can move on.' All three allegations, which Araouzou had denied in court, were dismissed in November 2021. The charges had come to light while he was filming last year's series. When approached by the BBC for comment, Araouzou told the corporation it was 'none of your business', adding that the claims against him were 'false'.  Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia said all contestants on the show 'undergo extensive background checks including police checks'.  They added that the conviction was 'nine years ago' and Araouzou had to pay a A$400 penalty - 'placing this at the lowest end of the spectrum for this offence'.  Earlier this year in February, the Daily Mail exposed MAFS Australia groom Chris Nield's shocking criminal history.  This publication revealed that the 31-year-old construction supervisor from Victoria, Australia, has a chequered legal history that includes common assault and drink-driving convictions. Court records in Tasmania paint a troubling picture of Nield's past run-ins with the law. Back in 2015, the reality TV hopeful faced charges of common assault, with multiple court appearances in Hobart spanning from March to August that year. While details of the assault remain under wraps, the repeated court dates suggest it was no minor scuffle.  Fast forward to 2019, and court records indicate Nield was back in hot water again, this time for driving a motor vehicle while exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit.  The Daily Mail revealed MAFS Australia groom Chris Nield's (pictured) shocking criminal history in February. He has a chequered legal history that includes common assault and drink-driving convictions Nield told the Mail his criminal past was behind him, saying: 'I made a few bad decisions and obviously paid the price. It was a big learning curve for me, being a young immature man. 'There's been a lot of growth along the way, and I'd never put myself in those situations ever again. It's not just about the impact it has on you, but also those close around you.' Nield continued: 'Every year I'm able to learn and make slight positive changes to my life that improve it bit by bit. 'Even in the last six months, I've left Melbourne and relocated to Queensland, where I've never felt better. 'Working with really close, long-term mates, focusing on health and fitness. I've never been more excited to see what the future holds.'  Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia said Nield was convicted for a standalone incident and that the contestant had not repeated this behaviour since.  Timothy Smith, 51, who starred in MAFS Australia in 2024, revealed after filming that he had been sentenced to one year behind bars in a US prison after having pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges. On his website, Smith describes himself as having gone from a 'cartel pilot to corporate leader'. The MAFS groom had kept producers in the dark about his conviction after keeping his past a secret for 17 years before revealing in a 9News documentary that he had been jailed for one year after he was caught trafficking marijuana into the US from Canada.  Smith admitted he was 'wasn't proud' of his previous actions but that he is 'not who he was 17 years ago'.  He added: 'I was a helicopter pilot in North America and did something really stupid and made a decision to fly marijuana across the Canadian border into the US and I got caught doing it.'  Between 2006 and 2007, Smith completed 20 drug trafficking journeys across the US-Canadian border - making around $100,000.  Former MAFS Australia groom Timothy Smith was sentenced to one year behind bars in a US prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia said it takes the welfare of its contestants 'extremely seriously'.  In a statement, they said: 'There is a structured, multi-stage checking process that every participant must complete and clear.'  This includes background checks, such as criminal records in the countries where participants live. MAFS Australia stars must also undergo medical and psychological assessments and provide disclosures, while legal and digital due diligence are also carried out.  The Daily Mail has approached Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia for further comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. 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