The two-storey Manly home, which differed from the one shown at the beginning of the season during Burfoot’s introductory monologue, was allegedly hired by the show’s producers.
A production insider told the Daily Mail that Burfoot’s real home was not big enough to shoot in, and the couple were directed to play along with the fake set-up and not reveal the secret to audiences.
Jacqui and Ryan in Jacqui's Manly "apartment" - later revealed to be an Airbnb. Photo / Nine AU
Jacqui and Ryan in Jacqui's Manly "apartment" - later revealed to be an Airbnb. Photo / Nine AU
“[Jacqui] had roommates living at her house and it was in a messy state, and she didn’t feel comfortable with it,” the insider said.
The couple were allegedly “instructed not to make any mention that it was a fake house and just to pretend that it was actually Jacqui’s”. They added the decision was “hypocritical”, given Burfoot saw Donnelly’s real home and was allowed to launch her own critiques of his living conditions.
The insider described Burfoot’s real bedroom as “tiny” and said her apartment was too small to fit the camera crew in. They noted her flatmates' belongings were scattered around the shared home, and they would’ve needed to vacate the property while the couple filmed.
Burfoot’s response to the claims on Instagram included a video of her standing on a balcony in a long green dress with lush trees in the background.
“For anyone curious, this was taken at my actual Manly apartment,” Burfoot wrote next to the video.
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“As a single lady, security and privacy is important to me and my friends. I didn’t feel comfortable opening my home up to all of Australia.”
She added: “Just so you know, the ‘apartments’ the couples live in are actually also decorated hotel rooms. Homestays is about getting to know someone in their usual neighbourhood, doing usual activities.
“If you care about the actual homes you should watch a show like The Block, not Mafs lol."
Jacqui said she "didn't feel comfortable" opening her home to viewers. Photo / Nine AU
Jacqui said she "didn't feel comfortable" opening her home to viewers. Photo / Nine AU
Homestays week is a central part of the Married At First Sight series. It sees the couples briefly return to their hometowns so they can get a glimpse into each other’s lives and decide whether they can see themselves in the same environment.
The producers’ decision to create a fake home for Burfoot has restirred longstanding ethical questions around the act of deceiving viewers with content that claims to be a snapshot of reality.
Even before the Daily Mail published its report, Reddit users following the episode live had already expressed doubt over the reality of Burfoot’s lodgings.
“That is totally an Airbnb in Manly,” wrote one Reddit user, while another said: “Jacqui’s apartment is SO an Airbnb!”
“Bare bedside tables and insanely minimalist kitchen decor = Airbnb,” wrote a third person.
Burfoot has been one of the more controversial characters in the latest season. In direct violation of her contract with Nine Network, she found a social media loophole when it first aired, making a string of posts directed at the producers claiming her “character made no sense” and that her portrayal on the show is “misleading and deceptive”.
“I signed up for an unfiltered, raw, real marriage experiment / aka documentary,” Burfoot posted, alongside a picture of herself smiling.
“You’ve been fed a highly edited fictional storyline, and I feel like you deserve to know the truth. I can’t sit back and support misleading and deceptive stories.”
The post received particular attention for the revelation that she and Donnelly didn’t stay together following the show, and that Burfoot had found a new man.
“I am currently in a relationship with a person who was exactly what I asked for — someone kind, considerate, a great man, and intelligent,” Burfoot wrote on her jewellery business social media account.
The Kiwi bride later revealed her mystery lover to be Clint Rice, another Married At First Sight participant, who left the show with his on-screen wife, Lauren Hall, in a commitment ceremony that aired on March 16.