Channel 9 blurred a number of words in a contestant's text on Married At First Sight, including the word "Christian".
Married At First Sight discovers new censorship territory on Monday night when Channel 9 blurs a contestant’s text message insult that includes the usual suspects – multiple C-words and F-words – plus one unexpected addition to the pixelated pile: the word “Christian”.
A lot has happened over 12 years of this controversial show. Countless C-words aired in prime time. Multiple cheating scandals broadcast to families at dinner. A sickening toilet toothbrush revenge scheme that probably violated health regulations. Most recently, a fingerbang merchandise empire featuring bedazzled lettering.
But tonight, Channel 9 has finally found the line it absolutely will not cross: an oral sex insult involving churchgoers. It’s kind of refreshing to know there’s still something that makes these producers pause. Still, it’s a little confusing for us viewers. It’s now going to be impossible to talk about a C-word scandal on this show without knowing which C-word the contestants have called each other.
After storming out of last night’s commitment ceremony, Juliette does one final act of chaos: she forwards the screenshots of Bec’s offensive text messages to Alissa so she can read what was allegedly said about her and David. Channel 9 blurs the messages … for now.
Cut to Alissa and David in bed, scrolling through the screenshots. Their faces say everything.
“Disgusting. I thought there’d be some nasty messages but not that sort of language,” Alissa says.
We finally see the blurred insults: “Alissa is going f***ing down. Rat bitch with her rat husband.”
Then: “Her head is so far up her f***ing a***hole she doesn’t even realise what a c*** she actually is.”
All standard fare for an episode of Mafs. Nothin’ new. But then the worst message emerges.
“The only fake c***s in this place are those two c***-licking ********* influencer wannabe c***s,” Alissa reads.
Channel 9’s pixelation team worked overtime on this one. Every profanity gets blurred, naturally. But so does a mystery word in the middle. Uncensored versions of this screenshot that circulated online last week reveal it to be a different kind of C-word than we’re used to on this programme: Christian.
Around Australia, shocked churchgoers are hearing this and doing a spit-take with their Holy Communion wine.
Meanwhile, Bec is still doing damage control after Juliette attempted to expose her crude text messages at last night’s commitment ceremony.
“The texts aren’t relevant. The problem is Gia,” Bec declares, which is certainly a unique perspective.
Bec doesn’t know Alissa and David have been forwarded these messages. As far as she’s aware, Juliette brought up the screenshots at last night’s commitment ceremony, but no one else has actually seen them. In Bec’s mind, there’s still room here for her to manipulate the situation and weasel her way out of it.
That’s until producers decide to surprise the freaks with a “couple swap” task – pairing off Bec with David.
Cue mass destruction in five, four, three, two …
“In those text messages I wasn’t rude about you, I wasn’t rude about Alissa,” Bec frantically explains to David the moment she sits down, trying her best to charm and bamboozle.
Um … so apparently calling someone a “c***-licking Christian influencer wannabe c***” isn’t rude? It’s a six-word impossible-to-broadcast insult.
David interrupts.
“They were mean and vicious,” he says of the messages.
Bec doubles down on her act of innocence. “But how do you know what they were?”
David stares at her. “We’ve seen them.”
Bec almost falls off her barstool.
Back at Trash Tower, Gia realises the couple swap is rigged to pair her with Danny – the husband of her nemesis Bec. She immediately goes rogue, slamming her door in producers’ faces while they chase her down the hallway with cameras.
“You guys can all f*** yourselves at this point,” she hisses through the door, like a cat who has just realised you’re trying to take it to the vet. “This experiment is full of s***. And I don’t really care what the experts have to say!”
“Just explain to us what’s happening, Gia,” a producer pleads.
Silence. Like hell Gia will be participating. She’d rather be called a double C-word.
Meanwhile, down in the bar, Bec’s lies continue to unravel.
“Those were very vile comments. I don’t know how you had it in you,” David tut-tuts about the text messages.
Immediately, Bec snaps into action – positioning herself as a victim of mean girl behaviour.
“But it was a group text with Mel, Brook, Gia and myself,” she reasons.
Now seems like a nice time to note Bec’s holier-than-thou behaviour when she herself was called “the dumbest c*** here” last week. That insult almost seems like a delightful compliment compared to the sledges she has typed out on WhatsApp.
David sits there unmoved while Bec frantically cycles through every excuse at her disposal. But it’s no use. The text message screenshots exist. She has initiated the inaugural Married At First Sight double C-word scandal.
Bec’s only solution right now? Prayer.
Remember: God sees all. Even your group chats.
Married at First Sight screens Sundays to Wednesdays on Three and Three Now