MAFS Australia contestants including Tracey Jewel, Dean Wells question reality TV show's 'toxic' culture

Married at First Sight Australia is no stranger to controversy.

Known as MAFS, the reality TV series that matches singles who meet for the first time at the altar has survived public outrage and endless criticism since it premiered in 2015, with each season ramping up the drama.

But as its explosive conflicts and scandals snowball, questions are being raised about whether the production goes too far - and whether it should continue at all.

Former contestants describe a place where they felt manipulated and without adequate support.

“I think it’s definitely got worse … it’s a toxic environment that isn’t managed well for duty of care or for our well-being,” says Tracey Jewel, who appeared on MAFS season five in 2018.

“It’s all about the story and the outcome, that actually has to be toxic to get the drama they want.”

Jewel’s season leaned into the dramatic “social experiment” format, making headlines when Dean Wells, her husband on the show, “cheated” on her with fellow contestant Davina Rankin.

Jewel says she was moved to a separate hotel from other cast members for multiple nights a week, without a producer, to ensure the drama played out on camera.

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“I was given no mental health support and essentially just put on my own without any understanding of why or what was going on,” she says.

“And you know, that’s a different type of toxic, right? To be isolated like that when you haven’t done anything wrong.

“It wasn’t to look after me. It was to get their storyline.”

The series became a pop-culture phenomenon and Jewel’s on-screen husband Wells one of the most talked-about figures in Australian reality television.

His traditional views on marriage sparked widespread criticism along with a heated exchange on Nine’s Today show, where host Karl Stefanovic challenged his comments as “sexist” and “offensive”.

Wells says the backlash included some people accusing him of displaying the traits of a “domestic violence abuser”.

“I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I’ve never committed domestic violence,” he says.

“I’m completely against domestic violence.”

He believes the show’s promotional campaign helped fuel that perception, namely a video in which he was blindfolded while his comments about relationships played over the top.

The clip featured the word “obey” in large red letters, alongside the tagline: “wants to be loved, honoured and obeyed”.

“I never said I want a woman to obey me ... It’s not who I am,” Wells says.

He claims producers prioritise ratings over contestants and push whatever narrative makes the best television - including his relationship with Jewel.

He says he realised he didn’t want to pursue a relationship with her while they were on their honeymoon in Fiji.

“I told producers, all on camera, mind you, ‘I want to leave’, and they were just like, ‘No, you can’t leave. We’re not gonna buy a new plane ticket’,” he says.

“They cut all of that out and they just make it look like I was leading Tracey on, and that I just decided to go off with Davina, and I’m the biggest arsehole in the world.”

Looking back, Wells believes he was “absolutely manipulated”.

“I consider the whole system of MAFS a total manipulation of innocent people who want to go on the show for the fun of it, for the experiment, for the life experience, to potentially find a partner, and they are just absolute pawns,” he says.

Jewel says she was not offered support after appearing on MAFS and was subjected to online abuse.

She was also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

“I’ve never had a mental health diagnosis prior to the show,” she says.

While a psychologist was available during filming, Jewel claims it was “very tokenistic”, with only a 15-minute check-in.

Former MAFS contestant Bronte Schofield believes producers tried to recreate the drama of Jewel and Wells’ relationship in 2023, when she was paired with controversial groom Harrison Boom.

“I’ve been thrown into this experiment and totally love-bombed by production from my call with them,” she says, adding she was “a little bit naive”.

Schofield acknowledges she had genuine feelings for Boon but says she declared three weeks in she no longer wanted to be with him.

She says she was told they were paired because her “resilience scale” was high and she could handle it.

Schofield says the conversation sparked a “lightbulb moment” that made her realise she was “screwed”.

Like Wells, she claims she was prevented from leaving the show.

When she refused to attend a dinner party because she was “so emotionally spent”, she claims her phone and luggage were taken and a staffer was stationed outside her door.

“I basically got to a point where I was so riddled with anxiety I couldn’t get out of bed,” she says.

“I was crying and crying and crying. Like, ‘Please, just let me leave’.”

According to Schofield, producers felt her leaving the series would confuse viewers, so they had her attend the commitment ceremony the next night.

“I literally was in hysterics out the back again. I held up the commitment ceremony for hours,” she says.

“They said to me, ‘Australia’s going to hate you for leaving him. You’re going to look really stupid and Harrison really loves you and cares about you’.”

MAFS is in the crosshairs again with police investigating allegations producers filming the 2027 season shared private information about one of the grooms.

Former participants have previously said they were not told about on-screen partners’ criminal pasts including drug and violence offences.

Jewel says it takes “enormous bravery” to call out bad behaviour.

“What worries me is … you’re putting … women in potentially dangerous situations, on camera and off, that would never be allowed in real life,” she says.

“We’ve seen allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment and I’m worried something really bad is going to happen.”

Initially, MAFS focused on relationships but as its popularity has ballooned, the drama has taken over.

Fans and critics are now asking whether the format can survive without its controversial storylines.

“People say they hate drama but would you really watch the show if it was just about people falling in love?” Schofield says.

Wells argues controversy has become a large part of the appeal.

“I don’t think people care if people are on it for the right reasons anymore,” he says.

“It’s become a spectacle and it makes great television.”

Still, Wells has no regrets about appearing on MAFS and believes any backlash over the show might work in its favour.

He cites the controversy surrounding his season.

“All these petitions to have the show taken off air with me got the whole world talking about it,” he says.

“It went international and then, all of a sudden, what happens? Everyone starts watching because they want to see what happened with this drama.”

Married at First Sight is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for the Nine Network.

Both “take their obligations in respect of the health, wellbeing and safety of participants extremely seriously and we continually review participant protocols”, a Nine spokesperson told AAP.

“No participant is expected to do anything they are not comfortable with and they retain the right to make their own choices at every stage.

“All participants have access to psychological support and welfare resources during and after filming and broadcast of the program, for as long as needed.”

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