Jacqui Burfoot, a former bride on Married At First Sight Australia, has made shocking allegations that the show deliberately cast men with criminal records and histories of domestic violence. The 31-year-old model, lawyer, and yoga teacher, who appeared on season 12 in 2024, posted a video on Facebook claiming that some of her fellow contestants became victims of domestic abuse during filming. Her statements come in the wake of similar allegations from MAFS UK participants, who reported being raped during production.
Burfoot's Allegations
In a three-minute Facebook video, Burfoot asserted that the show's producers prioritize drama over safety. 'I know for a fact that they cast outgoing, outrageous individuals who are going to cause drama,' she stated. 'There’s a tendency to cast men in particular with domestic violence backgrounds, even like histories of criminal records and things like that.' She described the alarming experience of being married to a stranger and later discovering their dangerous tendencies. 'It is quite alarming when you’re married to a stranger, when you find out that a lot of these men are actually really dangerous or do have propensity to commit acts of domestic violence,' she added.
Burfoot revealed that in her season, men with criminal records and domestic violence histories were indeed cast, and women became victims. She emphasized that much of this behavior never aired because it was unsuitable for primetime television. 'These behaviours, a lot of it never went to air because it’s not suitable for primetime TV,' she noted.
Impact on Victims
Burfoot also highlighted the additional trauma victims face from unfair editing. 'You’re up against people saying “stop complaining about your edit, it’s just bad behaviour”,' she said. 'So a lot of the times the victims of these crimes, it’s worse, because not only are you not getting a fair edit, but they give you a crazy edit or they make you look like the villain so that you’re silenced.' She stressed that victims of sexual assault are doubly victimized by a bad edit that discredits their name, making it harder for them to speak out.
Context: MAFS UK Allegations
These allegations follow a BBC Panorama investigation in which two women claimed they were raped during MAFS UK, and a third described a non-consensual sex act. All three women said the show failed to protect them. One woman alleged her onscreen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack, and she plans to pursue legal action against CPL, the production company. Another woman reported her rape to Channel 4 and CPL before broadcast, but her episodes still aired. Channel 4 described the allegations as 'wholly uncorroborated and disputed.'
Channel 4's Response
In April, Channel 4 commissioned a review into contributor welfare on the series following the 'very serious allegations of wrongdoing.' The review aims to assess the show's duty of care procedures.
Burfoot's Plea for Action
Burfoot, who holds a double degree in law and finance with first-class honours, has also appealed for help to take a case to the Australian Human Rights Commission. In an accompanying caption, she wrote: 'This really isn’t easy to post. I hate that I have. I have a business, a brand, and a public profile that depends on staying in good standing – and staying silent. But when woman are getting grap*d, participants committing suicide and I’ve first hand experienced and witnessed similar, it’s just way too much to ask for me to stay silent.' She added, 'I’ve spoken out since day one and I will continue to do so because morally, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.'
For support, Rape Crisis England & Wales offers a 24/7 helpline at 0808 500 2222.
