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The Daily Aus

The downfall of MAFS UK

20 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 3.415 Unknown

This episode was brought to you by our friends at CommBank Newsroom.

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3.655 - 18.232 Elliot Lawry

Just a heads up before we get started. Today's episode contains distressing themes, including discussion of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs help, you can contact 1-800-RESPECT on 1-800-737-732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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18.252 - 19.534 Orla

Ready?

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19.854 - 21.136 Elliot Lawry

And good morning.

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21.156 - 22.057 Emma Gillespie

This is the Daily Oz.

22.077 - 23.158 Elliot Lawry

This is the Daily Oz.

23.599 - 24.72 Emma Gillespie

This is the Daily Oz.

25.501 - 26.842 Elliot Lawry

Oh, now it makes sense.

28.925 - 29.025

Music

Chapter 2: What allegations have been made against MAFS UK?

151.594 - 170.843 Elliot Lawry

It's now a global juggernaut. The premise is that strangers are matched by relationship experts with an eligible partner. They meet for the first time in a pseudo wedding setting when they walk down the aisle. It's styled as a wedding ceremony, but it is not a legally binding marriage by any means.

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170.863 - 171.665 Lily Madden

I hope not.

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171.685 - 192.418 Elliot Lawry

So they're not legally married, but the show's premise is basically a marriage or an experiment of a marriage. You hear it called an experiment. thousands of times during the actual series. But from the wedding, these contestants go on a honeymoon, they move in together and they basically navigate a new relationship all while being filmed mostly every day.

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192.438 - 218.398 Elliot Lawry

In the UK specifically, Maths There has been running for 10 seasons and that show airs on Channel 4, which is a publicly owned commercial broadcaster in the UK. The Australian version, listeners will know, is on Channel 9. It's been going for 13 seasons here. But really interestingly, the Aussie version of maths is super popular in the UK. So UK audiences love maths from all over the world.

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218.438 - 235.116 Elliot Lawry

They love Aussie maths and they're very keen on Maths UK. The UK loves Australian shows. There's something about the way we produce TV here that just it's received well. It just hits well. Before we move on, can I ask, are you a maths watcher? I watched the early seasons of Maths. So it's been going for 13 years here.

235.377 - 256.281 Elliot Lawry

I watched maybe the first five seasons semi-religiously, but then I got quite bored of it and it just got so sensationalized, which we'll unpack a little bit later. But yeah, it's for me, it was a bit like drag race. Like I needed to take a break. Okay. That's important context. We do have these claims that have come against the UK version of the show this week that

256.261 - 271 Elliot Lawry

How did we find out about them and what's actually being alleged? So these allegations aired on Panorama. That is a long-running current affairs and investigation program on the BBC. It's kind of like the BBC's version of Four Corners that we have here on the ABC.

271.421 - 292.666 Elliot Lawry

Now, they published an investigation by a BBC reporter whose name is Noor Nanji, and she investigated the UK version of maths and found allegations from three women who who appeared on the show at different times and all said that they were subjected to sexual violence by their on-screen partners, by their so-called husbands during filming.

293.307 - 316.069 Elliot Lawry

Two of those three women have chosen to remain anonymous. They told the BBC both separately that they were raped by their on-screen partners during filming. And a third woman who's come forward, she has agreed to be publicly named. Shona Manderson appeared on the show in 2023. And she alleges that her on-screen partner ejaculated inside her without her consent.

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