Married at First Sight (MAFS) is once again copping Government scrutiny after MP Mark Latham raised concerns about the show in NSW Parliament last week.
Mark Latham was prompted to take the matter to Parliament after his friend Lachlan Rofe, a former MAFS contestant, tragically died by suicide last year. Lachlan was a contestant on an earlier season of the show back in 2015.
The MP says that MAFS producers intentionally choose vulnerable people to participate in the “experiment” and “feed them to the wolves”, according to Sky News Australia.
“MAFS is the most extreme of the reality TV shows that seek to break people down and gain ratings from sort of unhinged personalities,” he said, adding, “I think they’re cast that way.”
In a question filed to NSW Parliament, the politician also accused its producers of taking advantage of “fragile, vulnerable young women” and exposing them to an environment that turns them into “ranting, unhinged nutters”, all for the sake of drumming up ratings.
How did the Minister respond to the concerns about MAFS?
Sophie Cotsis MP, the NSW Minister for Workplace Health and Safety, says that the Safework NSW is continuing to look into “psychosocial concerns” at MAFS due to a complaint made about the show earlier in the year.
She added that the watchdog had responded to complaints also made about the psychological wellbeing of the show’s contestants in 2025, and that Safework issued three “improvement notices” to Channel Nine.
The Minister also added that SafeWork was told there is a dedicated MAFS psychologist on set that contestants were able to use.
So, it looks like while the MP’s admission didn’t trigger a brand new investigation, SafeWork Australia is still looking into concerns about the psychological wellbeing of the people who end up on the show.
MAFS’ Gia says support on the show was lacking
In an interview with the Saturday Telegraph, former MAFS bride Gia Fleur poked holes in the idea that the MAFS cast were given enough support. ‘The psychologists are employed by [production company] Endemol and the network so it’s kind of like they have their own agenda at the same time,’ she said.
She added that it was hard to fully open up to the psychologists for fear of retribution. “’Everything you say may then be relayed to the show and you don’t really want to say too much because then you look bad,’ she explained.
Other cast members have also spoken of very early call times and not being allowed to leave Dinner Parties until producers had enough chaotic content in the bag.
In any case, a spokesperson for Nine has said they take the health and wellbeing of the MAFS cast very seriously.
“All participants have access to the show psychologist and welfare resources during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended,” the spokesperson said.
Stream MAFS 2026 on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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