Channel Nine has addressed their background check process after Married at First Sight Australia 2024‘s Timothy Smith revealed he was previously imprisoned for drug trafficking.
As first reported by So Dramatic!, the 52-year-old spent over a year in super-maximum prison in the US in 2006 after being arrested for trafficking marijuana across the Canadian border.
Timothy, who was a Canadian resident at the time of his crimes, later addressed this in a tell-all interview on A Current Affair on April 9, confessing his past is “not something [he’s] proud of”.
Timothy‘s resurfaced criminal history has since prompted questions from viewers about how someone with his past is cleared during background checks to appear on reality TV.
Married at First Sight‘s Timothy Smith only recently disclosed that he was arrested in the US
According to a statement provided to So Dramatic! by Channel Nine, “all participants on MAFS, including Timothy, undergo extensive background checks including police checks in countries in which they have resided”.
“In Timothy’s case, checks were conducted in Australia and Canada and were clear. It was only this week that Timothy disclosed he was arrested in the US,” the statement read.
“Nine and Endemol Shine Australia [MAFS‘ production company] take its obligations in respect to the health and wellbeing of the participants of this program extremely seriously.
“All participants have access to the show psychologist during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended. Nine also has an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support.”
The statement continued: “This service gives participants access to clinicians who have been specifically engaged to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences.
“This service is available to all participants for as long as they need it. It does not end.”
Married at First Sight has been criticised over it’s background check process in the past
It’s not the first time Married at First Sight has been criticised over its background check processes. In 2022, controversial TikTok star Simon Blackburn was axed from the show during filming for homophobic and misogynistic comments.
In 2021, Chris Jenson was featured on the show despite being out on bail after being arrested on drug charges prior to entering the marriage experiment.
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