Married at First Sight Australia is facing renewed scrutiny after allegations producers ignored warnings about a groom’s criminal past and abuse history.

Married at First Sight’s producers are accused of negligence after claims a participant’s criminal convictions and abuse allegations were concealed. (image – Nine)

Married at First Sight Australia is again facing questions over its casting process and treatment of participants, after claims that producers ignored warnings about a groom’s criminal past and abuse allegations, and separate reports that contestants threatened members of the media during filming.

In a podcast interview, Sierah Swepstone alleged she was not informed about her television husband Billy Belcher’s criminal record before being paired with him on the 2025 season.
According to The Australian, Belcher received an 18-month suspended sentence for what were described as “serious drug charges” in Perth in 2014.
Swepstone told the So Dramatic! podcast she believed the show’s producers were aware of Belcher’s past but chose not to disclose it to her. She argued this denied her the right to decide whether she was comfortable marrying him on-screen.

“Why was someone with a criminal record cast in the first place? Why wasn’t I informed? Why wasn’t I given the opportunity to consent?” she asked.

She said she would not have agreed to take part if she had known, questioning the value of police checks if criminal convictions were ignored. Swepstone accused producers of “negligence” and alleged they attempted to “cover up” Belcher’s past.

She also claimed three of Belcher’s former partners contacted producers with allegations of physical and psychological abuse, but that their warnings were disregarded. Messages obtained by So Dramatic! appear to show ex-partners contacting Channel Nine and Endemol Shine Australia in mid-2024 urging them to reconsider Belcher’s inclusion on the show.

One message read: “Two other exes and I were mentally and physically abused by him. He’s a first-class narcissist, which will be revealed very quickly to the viewers.” Another alleged Belcher had inflicted “severe physical and mental abuse” on a partner.

Swepstone said she found this particularly concerning because she had disclosed her own history of family abuse and domestic violence during the casting process.

“Because of that, they legally had a higher duty of care for me. To think that they’d even risk putting someone who has a criminal record in a high-pressure situation like that… I don’t understand how that’s not incredibly negligent,” she said.

She added she felt unprotected when Belcher was invited back for the Reunion despite her concerns.

The program has also been hit by separate controversies during filming this year. A photographer and a journalist have accused contestants of issuing violent threats while intoxicated.

Entertainment photographer Ben McDonald wrote to Endemol Shine alleging participant Daniel Hewitt threatened to “smash” his camera when confronted outside Bondi restaurant Icebergs. McDonald described the behaviour as “false bravado while intoxicated”.

Freelance journalist Josh Fox claimed groom Chris Nield told him he would have “put him in a headlock and then physically assaulted him” if he had attended his on-screen wedding. Fox alleged Nield later telephoned him, saying: “If I see you outside any filming locations, watch what will happen to you.”

Fox said he interpreted the remarks as a “threat of violence” but was told: “This isn’t a threat, it’s a warning.” He has spoken to NSW Police but has not lodged a formal statement.

Meanwhile, another groom, Micah Lomu, was reportedly removed from the program after an “emergency meeting” at Nine earlier this month. The reasons for his exit have not been confirmed.

The issues add to a series of duty of care concerns previously linked to the program. Past participants have raised allegations of harassment, substance misuse, and unsafe casting decisions. Contestants in recent years have included those with criminal convictions, including Adrian Araouzou and Timothy Smith, who both faced past court matters unrelated to the show.