Married at First Sight Australia stars not told partners had drug and violence convictions

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Married at First Sight Australia stars not told partners had drug and violence convictions14 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleNoor Nanji ,Culture correspondent ,Katy Watson ,Sydney correspondentandGeorgia MacPherson , PanoramaBBCMarried at First Sight Australia stars say the show left them feeling unsafe and unprotected because their on-screen partners had criminal pasts which they were not told about, a investigation can reveal. It comes after the British version of the show, known to many as MAFS UK, was plunged into crisis after Panorama reported rape allegations from two women contestants - allegations the men involved have denied. One woman from last year's Australian series says she was not told the man she had been matched with had a previous drug conviction and only found out after the show ended.

"There should be informed consent," she told us. We can also reveal that another groom from the same series had a past conviction for affray, which we understand his on-screen bride was not made aware of. Nine former cast members from MAFS Australia have spoken to the and are now calling on the show to improve its background checks and to stop allowing individuals with previous convictions or allegations on the show.

The Details

MAFS Australia is not made by the same production company as MAFS UK. Endemol Shine Australia is behind the show, which airs in Australia on Channel 9. In a joint statement, Channel 9 and Endemol Shine Australia said they had "strong protocols in place to ensure participant safety and wellbeing".

Married at First Sight UK brides tell they were raped by on-screen husbandsAs well as being a huge hit in Australia, the show is popular in the UK and is shown on Channel 4. The broadcaster has pulled all the UK episodes of MAFS from its streaming service All 4, but MAFS Australia remains available to watch. Both programmes show single people agreeing to "marry" total strangers after meeting for the first time at their mock weddings.

The marriages are not legally binding, but viewers see the couples go on "honeymoons", before moving in together and navigating their relationships - all while being filmed, almost every day. Several male contestants have been allowed on MAFS Australia despite having been convicted of, or having faced allegations of, violence, assault or drug use. The is reporting some of these details for the first time, while others have previously been reported in Australian media.

We found many of the details in court records on a publicly accessible database. Some female cast members we spoke to told us they had not been not informed about their partners' criminal pasts when they were matched. When we asked Channel 9 whether they had been - the broadcaster did not answer that specific question, but told us its protocols did not include sharing personal or background information between participants.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.