Married at First Sight has already been rocked by scandal and it hasn’t even begun airing. This week it was revealed that 2022 groom Simon Blackburn was removed from the series after a number of vile videos he made resurfaced.

Now, new details have emerged about exactly what went down during his time on the show.

New details have emerged about Married at First Sight 2022 groom Simon Blackburn who was removed from the show after vile videos resurfaced.
Married at First Sight removed 2022 groom Simon Blackburn from the series after a number of vile videos he made resurfaced. Source: Nine.

So Dramatic! can reveal that Simon was matched with bride Melbourne-based florist Jessica Seracino during his short-lived time on the show.

A source close to Jessica tells So Dramatic! that she felt “uncomfortable” around Simon “from the get-go” and immediately saw a lot of “red flags.”

“He was extremely obnoxious, rude and aggressive and said a number of things that immediately set off alarm bells,” the source explains. “Everyone at the wedding was on edge and noticed something was off about him. The wedding was extremely awkward and the energy was off all around.”

Jessica Seracino MAFS 2022 married at first sight simon blackburn
Simon was matched with bride Melbourne-based florist Jessica Seracino during his short-lived time on the show. Source: suppplied.

During their honeymoon, Jessica began messaging her friends and telling them that she didn’t feel comfortable, especially about having to be alone with him while sharing a room.

“They googled his name and found all of the disturbing tweets, TikTok and YouTube videos he’d made and sent it all straight to Jess,” the insider reveals. “They couldn’t believe what they were seeing.”

Jessica immediately showed producers what she had discovered online.

“She was in total shock,” the friend explains. “Then when she recovered from the shock she was angry and went to producers and was like WTF is this? Are you aware of who this man is? Who the hell have you paired me with?”

Producers vehemently denied knowing anything about Simon’s disturbing past.

Jessica Seracino MAFS 2022 married at first sight simon blackburn
During their honeymoon, Jessica told friends she didn’t feel safe around Simon. Source: Nine.

Jessica then asked to be put in a separate room from her new husband because she didn’t feel safe. Jessica was sent to a new hotel and friends say she was “noticeably shaken.”

“She was really worked up and wanted to go home immediately,” they explain. “Jess refused to continue filming with him.”

Producers then promised to remove Simon from the show and told him to pack his bags. However, they didn’t want to lose Jess so they promised to find her a new groom and get her remarried.

“They rematched her with a new guy and about two weeks later she remarried someone else as if nothing ever happened,” they said. “Jessica returns as an intruder and is made to pretend that the first marriage never happened. She was told never to speak of it.”

“The producers are editing him out of the program and he will not be featuring him at all. They are going to make it as if he was never on the show.”

New details have emerged about Married at First Sight 2022 groom Simon Blackburn who was removed from the show after vile videos resurfaced.
Producers have removed Simon from the show and he will not be featured at all. Source: Instagram.

The insider says producers are even considering reshooting the buck’s party to include Jessica’s new groom because it will be hard to edit Simon out now, whilst the wedding will be simply scrapped altogether.

According to our insider, Jessica doesn’t last very long with her new husband either.

What Background Checks Does Married at First Sight Conduct?

Endemol Shine Australia, the production company behind MAFS, is supposed to conduct extensive background, criminal and psychological testing of all of its participants with a series of experts.

During the casting process, contestants are also asked to disclose all of their social media accounts.

It is possible Simon did not disclose his accounts, however, a quick Google search of his name shows extensive footage, tweets and evidence linking back to his accounts.

What Have Channel Nine Said in Response to MAFS Groom Simon Blackburn?

On Wednesday, Channel Nine confirmed to So Dramatic! that they had decided to remove Simon from the show after being made aware of the disturbing videos.

“When unacceptable social media content was discovered in relation to Simon Blackburn we immediately took steps to remove him from the program. We won’t be making further comment,” a Channel Nine spokesperson told So Dramatic!.

Feminist icon Clementine Ford has an interesting theory about Married at First Sight and Channel Nine after vile videos surfaced from 2022 groom Simon Blackburn. Source: Instagram @clementine_ford.
MAFS producers claim they were not aware of Simon’s past prior to filming. Source: Instagram.

A MAFS producer, who wishes to remain anonymous, also told So Dramatic! on Wednesday that they would have never allowed Simon on the show if they had known of his past. Again, they vehemently denied having any knowledge of his views and comments online.

“It must have been overlooked in the background check process,” they explained.

However, it does make you wonder just how extensive these background checks must be, right? What level is their duty of care to contestants if it even exists at all?

Despite feigning ignorance over Simon’s past, feminist icon Clementine Ford said that there is no way producers of Married at First Sight and Channel Nine could not have been aware.

Former Married at First Sight Stars Speak Out About Simon Blackburn

Clementine’s theory echoes the comments made by MAFS bride Jaimie Gardner last season after she was paired with Chris Jenson who was out on bail for drug trafficking charges when they married.

MAFS groom Liam Cooper also told So Dramatic! he was “lost for words” over the videos and wondered how Simon made it past the show’s casting and psychological evaluation.

“To think that producers hid my video and edited out the fact that the video made about me was homophobic, biphobic and fat-shaming and then to see that the show has now cast someone who is homophobic really makes me question a lot.

“It’s 2021 and we are allowing people who are homophobic and think like this on our TV screens?!

“I truly want to know how in god name he made it past the casting and psych testing!”

Who is Simon Blackburn from Married at First Sight Australia 2022?

After appearing in a promo for Married at First Sight 2022 on Monday, Simon was outed as a homophobic and misogynistic TikTok star.

In a series of videos since obtained by So Dramatic!, the father-of-two repeatedly degrades women and calls homosexuality “filth”.

Know something about Married at First Sight 2022 and Simon Blackburn that we don’t? Spill the tea here!

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