July 24, 2025 • 7 mins
Trigger warning: sexual assault.
There is a new police investigation into an alleged incident that occured during the filming of Married At First Sight - and the impact of this could be huge, and change how every version of the show is made going forward. In this episode, I discuss that incident and consent is monitored across reality television.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome back to the Maths on New podcast
and a somewhat serious episode here. Guys, I'm afraid because
a fresh police investigation has been launched into an incident
that is alleged to have occurred during the filming of
a non recent season of Married at First Sight UK.
And I know this podcast is mostly about Maths Australia,
(00:21):
but depending what happens here and what this leads to,
it could actually greatly impact how not just our series
is produced in Australia, but like every version of Maths
around the world and also reality television in general. And
also thirty percent of you listeners on here are actually
from the UK, so this one is mostly for you,
But as I said, it actually is interesting for everyone
(00:44):
to read because their follow up and ramifications of this
could be massive. So according to The Sun newspaper this
week on June fourteenth, a former bride of the show
made a police report claiming that she was sexually assaulted
by her partner during filming, and this is alleged to
have occurred either during their honeymoon or as they return
(01:06):
back to I think they film in London in the
UK after their honeymoon and moved in together, and of
course the names of those involved and what series this
is relating to has not been revealed for legal reasons,
but the newspaper does state that all of this couple
in particular scenes have already aired on TV and cops
are now investigating the allegation and they will presumably request
(01:28):
or footage like we saw happened in Australia with the
domestic violence investigation. The police did release a statement to
The Sun newspaper saying we received the report of a
non recent sexual assault on June fourteenth. Inquiries remain ongoing.
A spokesperson for the show then so the son that
they were aware a police report has been made about
an alleged sexual assault. They say they take any issues
(01:51):
on the show incredibly seriously. They say producers follow strict
welfare protocols as the well being of the cast is
always the first priority. They then said that support would
be offered to anyone who wished to report a matter
to the authorities, and naturally we will cooperate with any
inquiries or investigations. And then a source connected to the
(02:11):
show said to the newspaper it's a nightmare scenario for them.
Referring to like producers and bosses. The show's being criticized
before for throwing strangers together and sending them on a
honeymoon together for viewers entertainment. Now it's alleged someone was
assaulted after tying they're not. It's a disastrous look for bosses,
and I agree, And that Insider does raise an interesting point,
(02:34):
which is, like, it's difficult for those involved in making
this show to navigate and yeah, it is a nightmare
situation because obviously the concept of the show is strangers
being matched and them moving in together, which all of
the participants are aware of, like they sign up knowing
this will happen, but like all of those couples should
(02:55):
obviously expect to feel safe and protected and know that
these people they're looking out for their welfare. But then
also given the concept of the show, like the producers
are limited in how much they can observe and be across,
especially when it does come to things like intimacy and
interactions and how they build their relationships in their own time,
because there is so much downtime when it is just
(03:17):
the couple, and with reality shows like Big Brother and
Love Island, you know, producers are sat there watching twenty
four to seven live feeds of everything, and they see
everything in real time and they can step in at
any time. And like even on Love Island, for example,
I don't know about the overseas versions, but I know
the Australian version a few years ago installed consent buttons
(03:39):
by each of the beds. So like, even if a
couple you know they're about to go to bed and
they're lay there, then they start maybe kissing and it
looks like something's going to happen, they have to both
kind of pause and both press that button. So the producers,
like overseeing the live feed of what's happening, can go okay, yep,
they've both consented, you can carry on, Whereas if they
(04:00):
didn't do that, I think they would have to step
in and intervene or go say is everything okay here?
I remember also, I think it was five or six
years ago now on A Bachelor in Paradise, the Australian version.
One of the former cast members told me that, say,
for example, they were filming a day and they started
kissing on the day, the producers would then have to
pause the cameras and they would pull both of the
(04:22):
couple aside, and each person would have to be filmed individually,
like looking down the camera saying, I Josh consent to
kissing whoever? Are you know, just to be like they've
got filmed evidence almost of that person going yes, I consent,
and then they're put back on set and they can continue,
even though that probably killed the vibe massively and on Paradise,
(04:45):
that was actually introduced after an incident that occurred on
the American version of the show in twenty seventeen when
a cast member was allegedly and I'm reading from a
news report here too intoxicated to consent to a sexual
encounter she had with a cast My production of that
season in twenty seventeen was briefly shut down, with them
saying at the time in a statement it was while
(05:07):
they looked into an alleged misconduct on set. But again,
the difference there with those shows is that any interactions
between cast members and potential partners is always either on
set with producers and then they're separated and sent to
like private residences, or it's under some level of supervision
or surveillance where there is a live twenty four to
(05:28):
seven camera feed. Yet with Maths, like, that's not possible,
and they've never done that, like I think even on
the wedding nights. Right once they filmed the ceremony and
the reception, and then they go back to the hotel
room with the crew and they're then filmed like getting
into the pajamas and figuring out are we going to
share a bed? Are we going to put pillows down
the middle? Are you going to sloop on the sofa?
(05:48):
Like they filmed that scene and then they go okay, bye,
and then their crew I'll say good night, and then
it's just two strangers left alone in a hotel room
with no super and yeah, there may be a producer
in the room next to it and staff in the
next room, you know, if they need them, but they're
not watching a live feed. They cannot see what may
(06:08):
or may not be happening. And again, just to go
back to the point of this episode, I have no
idea about this alleged incident from the UK, but all
I can say is, depending what the outcome of that
investigation is, it could lead to future seasons of Maths internationally,
having the couples perhaps spending no time together when they're
not filming which would massively change things because they wouldn't
(06:32):
be able to build the relationships they have, or it
could do the opposite, and producers would have to install
like live camera feeds in their apartments, so the production
staff who you know, do the night shift, because they
have hotel rooms where people are like they're if the
cast need them, it might be a case where they
have live feeds so they can just check everything is
okay in all of the rooms. But like that then
(06:55):
changes everything, and that's not what any cast members sign
up for, and I don't think I would become with that.
I won't be comfortable during the show anyway. That alone.
Someone watching me twenty four to seven, you imagine you're
trying to have a sneaky wank if your partner's gone
shopping this summer and you're like, oh fuck, there's a
fucking CCTV in the corner. But yeah, sorry, going off
topic now, That is all I kind of know. That's
all I got to say in this episode. I will
(07:16):
of course inform you of any updates if there are any,
But yeah, I suppose it is quite interesting the potential
here of what may or may not come of this investigation.
Until then, I have a lovely weekend everybody, and I'll
speak to you next week because i'll be back crashing
more weddings and causing chaos and hopefully getting some inside information.
(07:39):
So yeah,
Hello, and welcome back to the Maths on New podcast
and a somewhat serious episode here. Guys, I'm afraid because
a fresh police investigation has been launched into an incident
that is alleged to have occurred during the filming of
a non recent season of Married at First Sight UK.
And I know this podcast is mostly about Maths Australia,
(00:21):
but depending what happens here and what this leads to,
it could actually greatly impact how not just our series
is produced in Australia, but like every version of Maths
around the world and also reality television in general. And
also thirty percent of you listeners on here are actually
from the UK, so this one is mostly for you,
But as I said, it actually is interesting for everyone
(00:44):
to read because their follow up and ramifications of this
could be massive. So according to The Sun newspaper this
week on June fourteenth, a former bride of the show
made a police report claiming that she was sexually assaulted
by her partner during filming, and this is alleged to
have occurred either during their honeymoon or as they return
(01:06):
back to I think they film in London in the
UK after their honeymoon and moved in together, and of
course the names of those involved and what series this
is relating to has not been revealed for legal reasons,
but the newspaper does state that all of this couple
in particular scenes have already aired on TV and cops
are now investigating the allegation and they will presumably request
(01:28):
or footage like we saw happened in Australia with the
domestic violence investigation. The police did release a statement to
The Sun newspaper saying we received the report of a
non recent sexual assault on June fourteenth. Inquiries remain ongoing.
A spokesperson for the show then so the son that
they were aware a police report has been made about
an alleged sexual assault. They say they take any issues
(01:51):
on the show incredibly seriously. They say producers follow strict
welfare protocols as the well being of the cast is
always the first priority. They then said that support would
be offered to anyone who wished to report a matter
to the authorities, and naturally we will cooperate with any
inquiries or investigations. And then a source connected to the
(02:11):
show said to the newspaper it's a nightmare scenario for them.
Referring to like producers and bosses. The show's being criticized
before for throwing strangers together and sending them on a
honeymoon together for viewers entertainment. Now it's alleged someone was
assaulted after tying they're not. It's a disastrous look for bosses,
and I agree, And that Insider does raise an interesting point,
(02:34):
which is, like, it's difficult for those involved in making
this show to navigate and yeah, it is a nightmare
situation because obviously the concept of the show is strangers
being matched and them moving in together, which all of
the participants are aware of, like they sign up knowing
this will happen, but like all of those couples should
(02:55):
obviously expect to feel safe and protected and know that
these people they're looking out for their welfare. But then
also given the concept of the show, like the producers
are limited in how much they can observe and be across,
especially when it does come to things like intimacy and
interactions and how they build their relationships in their own time,
because there is so much downtime when it is just
(03:17):
the couple, and with reality shows like Big Brother and
Love Island, you know, producers are sat there watching twenty
four to seven live feeds of everything, and they see
everything in real time and they can step in at
any time. And like even on Love Island, for example,
I don't know about the overseas versions, but I know
the Australian version a few years ago installed consent buttons
(03:39):
by each of the beds. So like, even if a
couple you know they're about to go to bed and
they're lay there, then they start maybe kissing and it
looks like something's going to happen, they have to both
kind of pause and both press that button. So the producers,
like overseeing the live feed of what's happening, can go okay, yep,
they've both consented, you can carry on, Whereas if they
(04:00):
didn't do that, I think they would have to step
in and intervene or go say is everything okay here?
I remember also, I think it was five or six
years ago now on A Bachelor in Paradise, the Australian version.
One of the former cast members told me that, say,
for example, they were filming a day and they started
kissing on the day, the producers would then have to
pause the cameras and they would pull both of the
(04:22):
couple aside, and each person would have to be filmed individually,
like looking down the camera saying, I Josh consent to
kissing whoever? Are you know, just to be like they've
got filmed evidence almost of that person going yes, I consent,
and then they're put back on set and they can continue,
even though that probably killed the vibe massively and on Paradise,
(04:45):
that was actually introduced after an incident that occurred on
the American version of the show in twenty seventeen when
a cast member was allegedly and I'm reading from a
news report here too intoxicated to consent to a sexual
encounter she had with a cast My production of that
season in twenty seventeen was briefly shut down, with them
saying at the time in a statement it was while
(05:07):
they looked into an alleged misconduct on set. But again,
the difference there with those shows is that any interactions
between cast members and potential partners is always either on
set with producers and then they're separated and sent to
like private residences, or it's under some level of supervision
or surveillance where there is a live twenty four to
(05:28):
seven camera feed. Yet with Maths, like, that's not possible,
and they've never done that, like I think even on
the wedding nights. Right once they filmed the ceremony and
the reception, and then they go back to the hotel
room with the crew and they're then filmed like getting
into the pajamas and figuring out are we going to
share a bed? Are we going to put pillows down
the middle? Are you going to sloop on the sofa?
(05:48):
Like they filmed that scene and then they go okay, bye,
and then their crew I'll say good night, and then
it's just two strangers left alone in a hotel room
with no super and yeah, there may be a producer
in the room next to it and staff in the
next room, you know, if they need them, but they're
not watching a live feed. They cannot see what may
(06:08):
or may not be happening. And again, just to go
back to the point of this episode, I have no
idea about this alleged incident from the UK, but all
I can say is, depending what the outcome of that
investigation is, it could lead to future seasons of Maths internationally,
having the couples perhaps spending no time together when they're
not filming which would massively change things because they wouldn't
(06:32):
be able to build the relationships they have, or it
could do the opposite, and producers would have to install
like live camera feeds in their apartments, so the production
staff who you know, do the night shift, because they
have hotel rooms where people are like they're if the
cast need them, it might be a case where they
have live feeds so they can just check everything is
okay in all of the rooms. But like that then
(06:55):
changes everything, and that's not what any cast members sign
up for, and I don't think I would become with that.
I won't be comfortable during the show anyway. That alone.
Someone watching me twenty four to seven, you imagine you're
trying to have a sneaky wank if your partner's gone
shopping this summer and you're like, oh fuck, there's a
fucking CCTV in the corner. But yeah, sorry, going off
topic now, That is all I kind of know. That's
all I got to say in this episode. I will
(07:16):
of course inform you of any updates if there are any,
But yeah, I suppose it is quite interesting the potential
here of what may or may not come of this investigation.
Until then, I have a lovely weekend everybody, and I'll
speak to you next week because i'll be back crashing
more weddings and causing chaos and hopefully getting some inside information.
(07:39):
So yeah,
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