Married At First Sight is in its 13th season and you would think viewers had seen everything. There have been some wild dinner parties and intense moments over more than a decade since it first aired, but apparently there is a line that has been crossed this year.
A poll of more than 800 Yahoo Lifestyle viewers produced an overwhelming result: the 2026 season contains “too much” drama. They were asked what they thought of the episodes that have aired so far and 92 per cent agreed it was over the top.
It’s an ironic twist because the reason why MAFS has been so popular over the years is because it’s filled with drama.
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But some viewers complained to Yahoo Lifestyle that the “screaming matches” have arrived very early this season, while others said the “mean girl” energy in the 2026 cast has been overwhelming.
“They’ve actually done [a] bad selection this season. Need some with a little hope,” said one spectator.
“I think MAFS has hit rock bottom this year, but I’m sticking with it,” added another.
“No other seasons have had more [drama] so far,” wrote a third.
Yahoo Lifestyle has reached out to Channel 9 for comment.
Funnily enough, despite the drama being too much, it’s not necessarily deterring people from tuning in every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday night.
Do you have a story? Email stew.perrie@yahooinc.com
Dinner party drama not the sole focus
Interestingly, Yahoo Lifestyle’s poll was taken before Wednesday night’s dramatic dinner party episode, which has been labelled by some as one of, if not the, most controversial MAFS instalment yet.
It saw brides Gia and Brook gang up on Alissa and Stella, where the latter were called “ratchet” idiots with horrible hair extensions and “stripper” boots.
A poll of more than 1,110 Yahoo Lifestyle readers thought Brook took it “too far” with the way she acted towards her cast mates.
“I cannot believe Channel 9 has broadcast MAFS tonight,” said one viewer after Wednesday’s episode.
“It is simply toxic. The bullying is off the charts. Why do they think it is okay that females can be abusive?”
Brook and Gia were ruthless on Wednesday night’s dinner party episode. Picture: Channel 9
“Every year you think that you’ve seen the worst people and then a new season comes along and you wonder where the producers got these remnants of humanity. What an unlikeable bunch!” added another.
“I physically recoiled and almost threw up watching MAFS tonight,” wrote a third.
The 27-year-old model and 35-year-old disability support worker have since issued apologies to Stella, Alissa and the Channel 9 contestants for the way they acted.
But there are still plenty of weeks left in the controversial social experiment and it’s unclear just how rowdy things can get from here.
Aussies launch official complaints about MAFS bullying
The Australian communications regulator, ACMA, told Yahoo Lifestyle it received five official complaints about Wednesday night’s episode.
“The complaints include allegations that the contestants were engaged in bullying,” a spokesperson said.
“Under the broadcasting co-regulatory system, people raising concerns about a broadcast who have not yet made a complaint to the relevant broadcaster are directed to the broadcaster in the first instance.
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“If they do not receive a response from the broadcaster within 60 days or are not satisfied with the response they receive, they may refer their complaint to the ACMA.
“The ACMA will then assess the matter to determine whether to investigate further.”
ACMA copped “approximately 50” complaints across the whole of the 2025 season, with some viewers complaining about “coercive control” and emotional and physical abuse.
What does Channel 9 say about the drama?
Channel 9 recently spoke out about the claims that MAFS isn’t really a social experiment anymore and it’s just an overly-produced show designed to flare up tensions between contestants.
Geoff Dyer, director of programming at Channel 9 and 9Now, told TVTonight. that while it is “heavily produced”, it’s not rigged.
“We’re not trying to manufacture conflict and issues in the show,” he said.
“The natural format beats of the show, putting two people together and marrying them at first sight, just naturally creates content and ups and downs.
“The experiment is putting two people together for the first time, having our experts look at them at where they’ve gone right and wrong in their dating history in the past,” he said.
“Seeing if experts can match people and transcend what they want, and see if they can match someone with who they think would be a good match with them.”
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