The upcoming cast of Married At First Sight have been subjected to a strict new testing requirement after some went rogue during filming.
Production for season 13 of the Nine Network’s controversial dating show is currently underway, and drama has already enveloped the brides and grooms before the series hits screens in January or February of 2026.
In a MAFS first, the new cast will be required to undergo weekly drug testing throughout the filming duration, and any participant who returns a positive result will be booted off the social experiment immediately.
The dramatic measure comes after several of the cast broke curfew during a wild and boozy night out on the town earlier this month.
“Production has every reason to be p**sed off,” an insider told Daily Mail on Monday.
“The night in question completely blew up – cast members disappeared, fights broke out, and one couple is already in turmoil.”
And now the cast have also all been given curfews in a MAFS first.
MAFS participants have previously not had a stringent curfew and were relatively free to come and go, with brides and grooms normally ordered back in their apartments by 10 pm on weeknights and 11 pm on weekends.
This has now been restricted to 8 pm on Fridays and Sundays, and 9 pm on Saturdays.
It is understood production this season felt they had no other choice but to up the ante and impose the new measure after a failed shoot resulted in several cast members going missing and being branded “selfish”.
In a leaked email, production staff from Endemol Shine Australia expressed its “utter disappointment” in the cast’s disregard for their crew.
Staff warned participants their hotel key cards could be deactivated after curfew unless they informed producers of their whereabouts.
“The complete disrespect to this production’s guidelines, as well as to my crew and their weekend, means these changes will be enforced,” the email read, leading to contestants slamming the move as “not fair”.
The development comes after SkyNews.com.au in July exclusively revealed Nine launched a full-scale reset for the show’s 2026 season.
The network implemented stricter background checks, more in-depth psychological screening, and tough new guidelines aimed at avoiding another police scandal, alongside a very clear directive to production.
“Go hard on challenging the participants, but keep the drama out of the courtroom,” Nine is understood to have told Endemol Shine Australia.
A police investigation into the reality TV juggernaut that cast a shadow over season 12 was quietly dropped after five months in July.
NSW Police launched the investigation into the show in February after groom Paul Antoine punched a wall, sparking fan outrage.
A NSW Police spokesperson told SkyNews.com.au that “following an investigation conducted by officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command, no further police action is expected.”
Last season, it was also revealed groom Adrian Araouzou was found not guilty of domestic violence charges for assault, occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and resisting police in a NSW court in 2021 prior to his MAFS appearance, leading fans to question the casting process.
A network insider said Safe Work was subsequently called in to be “heavily involved” in the show’s future.
“Channel Nine has taken their recommendations very seriously,” the source said.
“They want compelling TV but not at the expense of cast wellbeing or legal risk.”