The future of MAFS 'uncertain' as police and government investigations are launched

Applications for Married At First Sight 2026 may be currently open, but fans of the reality show are fearing this year’s season may be the last. Two official investigations have been launched into the series and its production company EndemolShine Australia over the past few weeks, marking a first for the TV juggernaut.

NSW Police announced in a statement on February 28 that they had “commenced an investigation” into Paul Antoine’s act of violence after the show was reported to SafeWork NSW. The controversial groom had admitted to punching a wall during an off-camera argument with his partner Carina Mirabile in their apartment.

While Paul was allowed to continue in the experiment, domestic violence organisations have since accused production of “failing” their duty of care by not immediately removing him from the show.

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Since then, SafeWork NSW - a government regulatory body - launched a wider investigation into the show's production on March 7 after receiving numerous complaints from this year’s participants.

The complaints range from participants claiming to have endured unsafe and unreasonable working conditions to being “bullied” by bosses into remaining on the show. In a TikTok video on Monday, bride Jacqui Burfoot accused the show of “breaching her human rights” during filming by claiming she was recorded while going to the toilet.

Several participants from previous seasons have since disputed this individual claim, however, and asserted that cast members can switch off their microphone packs during toilet breaks.

What happens next?

According to The MAFS Funny Podcast on Monday, SafeWork NSW has begun interviewing participants individually and is slowly approaching all cast members.

The podcast also claims that SafeWork NSW plans to request all unedited footage from production company EndemolShine Australia and that some participants are seeking financial compensation.

As for what this means for future seasons of MAFS, a production insider tells Yahoo Lifestyle that “nothing is for certain”.

“At the minute everybody is being instructed that pre-production for 2026 continues as normal, but there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding everything right now,” they share. “Every year there’s backlash and complaints, that’s nothing new, but this year it’s escalated significantly and rather than just speaking out in media interviews, participants are going through official channels instead.”

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Yahoo Lifestyle understands that although SafeWork NSW does not have the power to directly shut down a business, they can identify significant safety concerns and issue notices to improve practices depending on what they find in their investigation.

If a business does not comply with their notices, it could lead to legal action and result in a business being forced to close by a court order.

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