One of Australia’s most-watched reality TV programs, Married at First Sight (MAFS) has a responsibility to uphold the highest ethical standards regarding domestic, family, and sexual violence. Reality television can shape public perceptions of relationships, making it critical that production prioritises participant safety, ethical storytelling, and responsible media representation.

To address ongoing concerns, we urge MAFS Producers, Channel 9 and Endemol Shine to implement the following measures as a matter of urgency:

1. Zero-Tolerance Policy for Abuse: Any participant who exhibits violent, coercive, or abusive behavior, whether physical, emotional, psychological, financial, or otherwise should be immediately removed from the show. Abuse should never be normalised or framed as entertainment.

2. Real-Time Intervention and Producer Accountability: Producers and experts should actively intervene when abusive behaviours occur, rather than allowing them to escalate for the sake of drama. On-screen professionals, such as psychologists or relationship experts, should immediately address concerning behaviors in real-time, ensuring that they are challenged and not left unexamined.

3. Content Warnings for Viewers: Implement clear, trauma-informed trigger warnings when airing content that involves discussions or depictions of abusive behaviors. This ensures that victim-survivors watching at home can make informed choices about their viewing experience. Support services should be provided to viewers if something was triggering for them during the episode. 

4. Education on Healthy Relationships: MAFS has a powerful platform to promote positive relationship dynamics. Integrating expert-led discussions on healthy communication, boundaries, and conflict resolution can counter harmful narratives and provide valuable education to viewers.

5. Responsible Editing and Storytelling: Production choices should prioritise ethical media practices by refusing to sensationalise or give airtime to abusive behaviors for the sake of ratings. Survivor well-being must take precedence over clickbait-driven content.

6. Access to Individual Therapy for Participants: If not already in place, all participants should receive weekly, confidential individual therapy with licensed professionals specialising in relationships and trauma-informed care.

7. Comprehensive Background Checks: Extensive screening should be conducted to ensure that individuals with histories of domestic, family, or sexual violence allegations are not given a platform that could enable further harm. Even if the participants allegation did not result in a conviction, they should not be given airtime.

8. Onboarding an Expert Consultant: A specialist in domestic, family, and sexual violence should be involved at all stages of production, from casting to editing, to provide expert guidance on participant safety and ethical content delivery.

9. Duty of Care: MAFS has a legal and ethical duty of care to protect both its participants and its audience from harm. By airing or sensationalising abusive behaviors, the show risks retraumatising victim-survivors, normalising unhealthy relationship dynamics, and exposing cast members to potential harm. Reality TV should never come at the cost of participant safety or public well-being.

10. Clear Post-Show Support and Safeguards: Participants should have structured, long-term support available after filming, including access to counseling and legal resources if needed. Public scrutiny, online harassment, and the emotional toll of the show can have lasting effects.

11. Accountability and Transparency: Channel 9 should commit to publicly reporting on the measures taken to improve safety and ethical production. This includes independent audits of casting decisions, psychological evaluations, and participant welfare processes.

These reforms are not only necessary for the well-being of participants but also for the wider audience who consume this content. Channel 9 has an opportunity to lead the industry in responsible reality TV production and demonstrate a commitment to ethical storytelling.

We urge MAFS and Channel 9 to act now.

Advocacy Plan
1. From 27th February to 8pm 28th February WWYW will continue consultation  with mental health professionals, dv experts, lived experience and the community. 

2. WWYW Australia will present these finalised demands and petition to the producers of MAFS, Channel 9 etc 8pm 28th February. 

3. From now until change is made - we will continue to collect petition signatures to further push change!

WWYW and its team members do all of this advocacy volunteer, unpaid. If you would like to learn more about us please head to our website: www.whatwereyouwearingaus.org