Olivia Frazer calls for major change after MAFS groom dies aged 33

Olivia Frazer has called for Married At First Sight to increase its mental health support following the death of one of the show’s participants, Andrew Jury, at the age of 33. Andrew starred in the first season of the New Zealand franchise in 2017 when he was 26 and later warned others not to appear on the series.

His former co-stars Brett and Angel Renall and Benjamin Blackwell took to Instagram on Sunday to announce the tragic news, writing: “It’s with the heaviest hearts we've come together to acknowledge the passing of Andrew Jury.

“We had the absolute pleasure of filming and participating in a show which leaves us intricately linked for a lifetime. Despite his struggles, Andrew was always friendly and the life of the party during our shared experience and he really valued his time on the show.

“At this time our entire cast wish to send our deepest condolences and love to his family - Ben, Angel, Brett, Vicky, Haydn, Lacey, Claire, Dom, Aaron, Luke, Belinda.”

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Andrew, who worked as a builder based in Auckland, was described as ‘the party boy’ during his time in the experiment and was matched with Vicky Gleeson-Stokes. The pair got legally married, which was a requirement for the show’s inaugural season, but split shortly after filming wrapped.

The reality star later questioned the ethics of the series and whether producers genuinely match people for love, claiming that he and Vicky were “complete opposites”.

“[The contestants] are the most amazing people on the show, they put their hearts on the line and they all got burned,” he told the NZ Herald. “I make great TV, but my wife and me were not matched in the slightest. She's a princess, I'm a bogan.

“How can they say it's a legit process when you get the complete opposite of what you want?"

MAFS stars speak out against the show

Following Andrew’s passing, fellow MAFS star Olivia Frazer has demanded that more support be given to reality TV participants after they leave the show. Olivia has been a longtime advocate for mental health and previously revealed that she was struggling with depression and anxiety following her stint on MAFS in 2022.

“I’m so sorry and of course send my condolences to Andrew Jury’s family and loved ones in this difficult time,” she tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

“This highlights the lack of duty of care given by production companies. MAFS in particular has a huge history of changing people’s lives drastically, and more preparation and ongoing support needs to be given to participants. What support they offer currently is just to tick a box and basically negligence.”

Andrew’s co-star Haydn Daniels also told Stuff that his death puts a spotlight on the producers’ duty of care post-show.

“Duty of care was pretty lacking for us and I think it’s a conversation that needs to keep happening and evolving about what happens afterwards,” he said. “It was very, very intense. It became very stressful for everyone, I know most of the cast struggled with it. Most of them managed to put it behind them and move on.

“I just hope that people can get that wraparound support and hopefully the public can realise what they see on TV is not the be all and end all, and be kinder to people.”

MAFS NZ broadcaster releases a statement

In a statement to NZ Herald, a spokesperson of MAFS NZ’s broadcaster Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) said they express their “deepest condolences” to Andrew’s family and friends.

“WBD takes duty of care extremely seriously and has protocols in place regarding the wellbeing of cast and crew,” they said. “All MAFS NZ contributors have access to mental health professionals throughout the process, including pre-screening, during production and after broadcast.”

Mental health support for yourself or a loved one can be found by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. Online support is available via Beyond Blue.

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