Married At First Sight breaks record for viewer complaints

This season of Married At First Sight is on track to become the most complained about series of the show ever.

As viewer concerns continue to roll into the Australian broadcasting watchdog, this season of Married At First Sight is on track to become the most complained about series of the show ever.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) confirmed on Thursday that the tally of complaints about the show was sitting at 54, up from 41 the week before.

And now ACMA has revealed what types of behaviours and activities have prompted viewers to fire off complaints.

“A significant proportion of the complaints alleged the program included personally abusive interchanges between participants through gaslighting, social, verbal and mental abuse and that the program perpetuated and promoted the theme of domestic abuse,” an ACMA spokesperson said in a statement.

The wave of complaints for this year’s series has outstripped concerns raised with ACMA about the 2020 and 2019 seasons of the hugely popular, top-rating Channel 9 show.

“Periodically some broadcasts or programs generate more complaints than others,” the ACMA statement read.

James Susler and Jo Todd from the 2021 season.

Sam Carraro and Coco Stedman.

“This is not unusual. Married At First Sight generated 10 complaints to the ACMA in 2020. In 2019 it generated 45 complaints.”

Married At First Sight this year has seen viewers up in arms over the controlling behaviour of obnoxious groom, Bryce Ruthven towards his onscreen wife, Melissa Rawson, and his aggressive behaviour towards fellow ‘bride’ Bec Zemek.

Groom Sam Carraro got fans off-side by telling his fit and toned ‘wife,’ Coco Steadman that “I need a girl with boobs.”

James Susler was called out by expert John Aiken for gaslighting his ‘wife’ Jo Todd and Cameron Dunne shared a stolen kiss with Steadman behind his ‘wife’ Samantha Harvey’s back.

None of this year’s complaints have yet sparked an investigation by ACMA and may not.

“Under the co-regulatory system, the ACMA will refer complainants to the broadcaster in the first instance,” an ACMA statement read.

“If the complainant does not receive a response from the broadcaster within 60 days, or is not satisfied with the response, they may refer their complaint to the ACMA who may choose to investigate.”

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