Married At First Sight star Jacqui Burfoot has revealed why she signed such a ‘restrictive’ contract to appear on the Nine series, despite being a lawyer.
The TV bride, 29, who has a double degree in law and finance with first-class honours in law, said despite prior stars claiming the contract was the ‘worst in the business’, she felt comfortable signing it to go on the show.
Jacqui said she believed production company Endemol Shine Australia would have a basic ‘duty of care’ to look after her despite the risk of receiving a ‘bad edit’, reported Yahoo Lifestyle on Friday.
The reality TV star said she ‘relied on the laws that we’re all afforded as human beings’ when she agreed to go on the matchmaking show.
‘I know what it’s like with contracts. Often employers will try and contract out of minimum requirements and standards,’ she said.
‘Even retailers do it—they’ll specify no returns, but there’s consumer guarantees law that you can’t actually contract out of.’
Married At First Sight star Jacqui Burfoot, 29, has revealed why she signed such a ‘restrictive’ contract to appear on the Nine series, despite being a lawyer
She continued: ‘It’s the same with reality TV stars. There are minimum standards, there’s duties of care, there’s criminal law, there’s work and safety laws.’
Jacqui went on to claim signing the contract couldn’t ‘get them out of criminal liability or civil liability’ if anything of the sort happened.
She said she felt confident the show would ‘take care’ of her if she ‘suffered some kind of injustice’, and if they didn’t she ‘could fall on my legal rights’.
It comes after former MAFS groom Ben Walters, who was married to Ellie Dix on season 11, slammed the ‘restrictive’ contract participants are forced to sign to appear on the reality TV show.
He took to TikTok in early February to share the contract, claiming it was ‘the worst in the business’.
‘There is a Married At First Sight mutiny going on right now, and to help their cause, I’m going to expose some of the juiciest parts of the Married At First Sight f***ing contract they would have signed,’ Ben said.
Reading ‘highlights’ from the 40-page document, Ben claimed participants were essentially signing away their rights to appear on the show.
The contract confirms participants are aware they will be ‘exposed to certain risks including being shown in an unfavourable way’.
The TV bride, who has a double degree in law and finance with first-class honours in law, said despite prior stars (Ben Walters) claiming the contract was the ‘worst in the business’, she felt comfortable signing it to go on the show
Ben also shared the contract gives producers the right to take over a contestant’s social media presence.
‘Endemol Shine and Nine each have the right to actively manage and post to your Instagram account,’ he continued reading.
‘You lose your social media, people!’
Ben also shared contestants have little say in when, or under what circumstances, they will appear on camera.
‘Photographing, filming and recording you, your actions, appearance and voice and sound effects at any time on a continuous basis,’ Ben read from the contract.
‘What does this mean? It means the camera crew can come in at any bloody time—you’re sleep deprived, your mental health isn’t great—they don’t care they’ll burst in and film.’
Ben also took particular issue with a clause in the contract he claimed absolved producers of any responsibility over adverse effects contestants may experience as a result of appearing in the show.
It reads: ‘You agree to not bring any claim against ESA and/or Nine for any consideration or any entitlement to compensation, loss or damage as a result of any delay, suspension, termination or abandonment of the Program.’
Jacqui said she believed production company Endemol Shine Australia would have a basic ‘duty of care’ to look after her despite the risk of receiving a ‘bad edit’, reported Yahoo Lifestyle on Friday
‘Or for any failure to enhance your reputation or any damage or adverse impact to your reputation as a result of or in connection with the Program,’ it went on.
Ben summarised: ‘Have a read of point 7.2 it means they wash their hands of any responsibility. Is that having a fair go?’
He continued, taking umbrage with a clause he said allowed producers to ‘snip it up [footage] for dramatic effect’.
‘I’ve saved the best for last,’ he added.
‘Bullying behaviour. You can’t bully anyone but isn’t that kind of what the show’s about? Drama?’
Ben then shared a link to reality show contestant mental health support organisation, The UCAN Foundation, before taking another not-so-subtle dig at the contact.
‘Contracts like this out there and Married At First Sight is by far the worst in the f***ing game to get shafted with a pineapple,’ he said.
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