Woman behind ‘private’ files in MAFS police probe reveals what she gave producers. Plus, Jackie O’s manager speaks as Pip Edwards’ influence grows – and why Tommy Little is ‘seething’ over Carrie’s ARN deal: INSIDE MAIL

MAFS mess deepens

Last week, Inside Mail’s Rob McKnight exclusively revealed that producers of Married At First Sight were under police investigation following allegations made by a groom on the show that his private communications were shared.

That story has since been picked up and reported internationally, including by the BBC, and with good reason: MAFS is one of the biggest reality series globally, but the tactics used by its producers have increasingly come under scrutiny.

Since that initial report, further details have emerged.

The Daily Telegraph has now identified the participant as TikTok star Kayne Buik, who is not accused of wrongdoing and is the one who made the complaint. 

Inside Mail can reveal that Buik remains a participant on the show, despite his police complaint. We understand it’s unlikely he will receive a ‘villain edit’ in the next season, as the production company Endemol Shine Australia will be treading very carefully.

The controversy began when producers played audio messages to Buik’s on-screen bride, Kristen Goedecke, during an interview. Again, Goedecke is not accused of wrongdoing here.

The messages in question were personal in nature, exchanged between Buik and a woman known to him. 

However, a woman identifying herself as the person who supplied the material to producers presented a very different story when contacted by Inside Mail this week.

Rather than sending material anonymously, she claims she participated in several video interviews with production staff to explain her side of things after discovering via a Daily Mail article that Buik was one of the grooms on the new season.

While the producers’ intentions are unclear, it isn’t unheard of for people outside of the MAFS experiment to become involved in the series. 

‘I contacted the show through friends of friends (I work in entertainment also) and did a series of FaceTimes and short interviews to tell my story,’ the woman said. 

She claimed she provided producers screenshots of texts and recordings of voice notes allegedly sent by Buik, along with timestamps showing when they occurred.

According to her version of events, the recordings painted a different picture of Buik from how he presented himself on social media.

Crucially, she strongly denies sending any intimate photos or videos. 

‘I never had any videos or photos of him in a sexual nature to even imagine sending to producers in the first place, so these claims are a complete lie. No photos or videos were sent,’ she clarified. Inside Mail does not suggest otherwise. 

Her version raises questions about what material was provided to producers, how it was handled behind the scenes, and what was disclosed to Buik’s on-screen bride.

Buik immediately raised concerns about the messages.

He refused to settle privately with Endemol Shine and instead alerted police. The investigation led to phones being seized during a police visit to Endemol Shine Australia’s production office.

Sources tell Inside Mail that a producer has been stood down and staff involved in the case have been given access to legal representation.

Endemol Shine has so far declined to comment on the matter.

NSW Police have referred the investigation to WA Police, possibly due to where the messages were recorded or played, though this remains unclear.

With police having seized phones and raided Endemol Shine’s offices, staff are said to be genuinely concerned about the next steps.

A Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘We are aware of a police investigation involving Endemol Shine and all enquiries should be directed to them.’

Endemol Shine Australia has not publicly addressed the allegations.

From mates to enemies

The leaks keep on leaking after Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little’s sensational radio break-up.

The Mail reported last week how the departing Hit Network duo ‘can’t be in a room together’ after Bickmore inked a secret deal with ARN to move to KIIS FM’s national drive show.

As for how Little feels about it all, we’re told he is ‘seething’ because he didn’t learn about Bickmore’s deal until long after it was done. Bickmore, we are told, was pretty ice-cold about it all.

‘She didn’t want to share any more,’ said a source with knowledge of the negotiations. Ouch!

The bitter end to their decade-long on-air partnership is extraordinary given that they were once genuinely close friends.

So close, in fact, that the tabloids dined out for years on rumours they coupled up after Bickmore’s split from long-term partner Chris Walker, the executive producer of the ABC’s The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. The speculation was never confirmed. One source told us the romance chatter was now ‘laughable’ given how things have ended.

Friends, to lovers, to enemies? It’s a sad story indeed.

Who’s Jackie’s bestie?

Her Federal Court trial may have been postponed, but the burning question in radio remains: who will be managing Jackie ‘O’ Henderson? 

The woman currently in charge of her business affairs is, quite famously, her ‘bestie’ Gemma O’Neill.

But in recent weeks, that arrangement has looked less certain. O’Neill’s talent agency collapsed owing more than $500,000 to the ATO, and she has announced that she is pregnant with partner Scott Menz. She will soon be going on maternity leave.

When contacted for comment, O’Neill said she still represented Henderson but was working out who the best contact would be during her leave. She hoped to finalise the details this week and add them to her automatic email reply.

She added that all other matters would receive ‘no comment’ replies because Henderson’s Federal Court trial with ARN had been moved to April.

Funny. Being before a court has never stopped Kyle Sandilands from speaking.

Anyway, with O’Neill about to enter the newborn bubble, speculation is whirring about who might fill the role of best friend-slash-career mentor that Henderson seems so reliant on these days.

Enter the other ‘bestie’: Pip Edwards.

Henderson’s growing personal and professional ties with Edwards are becoming impossible to ignore.

As previously reported by the Mail, the eastern suburbs mates are now literally neighbours, occupying adjacent units in the ritzy Swell complex in Bondi, where a three-bedroom penthouse was previously advertised for $4,350 a week.

And this week, the two women teamed up for a personal project also involving Edwards’ boyfriend, Nicholas Nogarotto. The accompanying Instagram shot had all the hallmarks of a ‘launch’ photo shoot.

In the background, Inside Mail notes with extremely keen interest that Edwards has launched her own ‘modern brand platform’, Pip Edwards & Co. While it doesn’t look to be a talent agency in the traditional sense, it isn’t a million miles away either…

Doomed from the start

• Opinion by Rob McKnight 

ABC Melbourne Breakfast presenter Sharnelle Vella has confirmed she will not return next year, leaving Bob Murphy in search of a new co-host.

The pairing always seemed temporary, despite Vella citing the classic ‘spending more time with my family’ reason – she has a young daughter, Eve, born earlier this year. While caring for a new baby is valid, I suggested back in May 2025 that the partnership with Murphy wouldn’t last.

Why? The on-air chemistry was never there.

Tensions surfaced early on, when Vella called out Murphy for an ill-judged joke shortly after their show launched. During a segment on tax, Vella began to share an anecdote.

Vella: ‘I remember when I worked in retail many moons ago back in high school…’

Murphy: ‘Not at Spearmint Rhino?’

Vella: ‘No.’

Murphy: ‘The other one, the other one?’

Vella: ‘No, no.’ (She continued her story.)

For context, Spearmint Rhino is a strip club. The comment prompted listener backlash and led to a formal on-air apology from Murphy the next morning:

Murphy: ‘I think I need to address that publicly and apologise. I did make a comment that insinuated my colleague and co-host Sharnelle here worked at Spearmint Rhino, a well-known Melbourne strip club. Cutting straight to the point, it wasn’t just a mistake, it was a gross and inaccurate, offhand quip. I promised Sharnelle I’d never disrespect her, and I broke that promise, put simply. I’m really sorry.’

But the real turning point was Vella’s response to that apology.  

‘I won’t let you off the hook on it. It wasn’t OK,’ she said. ‘I appreciate your words, but we do move on.’

The uneasy exchange exposed their lack of rapport and trust – core chemistry for any successful on-air duo.

Had Vella responded with, ‘Thanks for the apology. I knew it was a joke, no offence taken,’ or countered at the time with a light-hearted, ‘Are you right there, mate?’ the moment could have passed. 

Instead, Vella became cast as the victim of her co-host’s misjudgement – a dynamic from which the team could not recover.

Vella had every right to be offended, but the way the situation was handled didn’t serve either of them. It was clear this duo would never last.

Just another d***head?

If Andrew Clennell was offended by being labelled a ‘d***head’, he might be disappointed to learn he’s not getting any special treatment.

The Clennell-Hanson stoush kicked off after Pauline Hanson pulled the pin on a planned appearance on Clennell’s News24 program, reportedly unhappy with his criticism of one of her controversial Please Explain cartoons.

Clennell later revealed on air that Hanson’s chief lieutenant James Ashby had suggested he tell viewers Hanson wasn’t appearing because she thought he was a ‘d***head’.

But in bad news for Clennell, the comment about him was hardly a one-off.

Inside Mail understands ‘d***head’ is Hanson and Ashby’s go-to description for journalists who fall out of favour with the pair.

Ashby has developed his own unofficial filing system, assigning colourful nicknames to media contacts in his phone.

Those branded a ‘d***head’ are effectively put in the deep freeze, with little chance of securing an interview with Hanson or getting a return call anytime soon.

Sam’s anti-Karl approach 

Samantha Armytage is the latest Nine star to test her mettle in the world of independent media. 

A brave move after the sensational axing of colleague Karl Stefanovic over his controversial podcast interview with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson. 

The episode saw the Today host lose his breakfast show gig, have his multimillion-dollar Nine contract torn up, and get the boot from his new job at ARN alongside mate and media veteran Eddie McGuire.

But, as Armytage tells us, she is no ‘fool’. 

The Golden Bachelor host spoke with us this week about her new ‘interview series’ – aptly named Act Two – and revealed the promises she made to her recently burned Nine bosses to smooth things over and make way for her new business venture. 

In addition to ‘curating’ her guest list in an attempt to controversy-proof her show – starting with media-safe guests Rebel Wilson and Michael Clarke – Armytage said she assured her boss that Act Two ‘wouldn’t interfere with my Golden Bachelor duties’.

And despite insisting there is no bad blood between her and Stefanovic, she couldn’t help but take a subtle swipe at the TV star-turned-right-wing podcaster. 

She said she also assured her boss that Act Two ‘wasn’t a political podcast and it wasn’t going to be rage bait’.

‘I stand by that, that’s not what mine is. Mine is an interview series. I think mine will adapt in the future and grow, hopefully,’ she added.

‘I’ve been a journo for nearly 30 years. Anything I’m concerned about, I have it legalled. I’m not a fool. 

‘But in saying that, I’m not just going to put people to air who I agree with. 

‘I think part of being a journalist and part of making content is that you might interview people who you drastically don’t agree with. And that’s OK. 

‘That’s called journalism, and that’s called freedom of speech.’

Armytage soothed the swipe by reminiscing on how she goes ‘way back’ with Stefanovic and has stayed in contact with him after his axing from Nine.

‘We’ve messaged back and forth a few times and I think he’s okay. I think he’s doing quite well,’ she said. 

‘I actually haven’t messaged him since he retained the rights to his podcast. But I would imagine he’s really relieved about that and I really do wish him all the best. 

‘We go way back. We were on the road as young reporters together. It is a shame that we’ve never worked together, but you never know what might happen.’

Cut the BRS   

Members of the Canberra Press Gallery were left baffled after Shadow Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael McCormack invoked former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith while discussing a planned anti-Pauline Hanson protest set to take place on Remembrance Day.

McCormack was criticising organisers’ insistence that scheduling the protest for November 11 was merely a coincidence.

‘I call B.S… I should call BRS,’ he said, in an apparent reference to Roberts-Smith.

What exactly McCormack meant was not immediately clear, though the remark appeared to be a light-hearted pun.

Michael McCormack was contacted for comment. 

Everybody needs good lawyers

Twenty years after he played one of Neighbours’ most villainous characters – the sinister Gus Cleary who infamously impregnated Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s character Izzy Hoyland – Ben Barrack has perfected the art of representing some of Sydney’s most notorious alleged criminals.

Now a respected lawyer, Barrack – who also starred in Stingers, All Saints and the film Kokoda: 39th Battalion – is a familiar figure around the courts and just last week was busily arguing the toss to get his clients out of jail on bail.

They’re not always grateful for his wise counsel, however.

While the family of alleged Grindr rapist Danny Soulaimane – who denies the charges against him – was reduced to tears of joy when Barrack secured his release pending trial, allowing him to return to running his Rosebery hairdressing salon, another client proved far less grateful.

After Barrack won bail for a man accused of drug offences, the client allegedly told the barrister to ‘f*** off’ during a post-hearing conference.

An unexpected address 

Australia’s largest court complex, Sydney’s Downing Centre, on the southern fringe of the CBD, deals with hundreds of criminal and civil matters on any given day.

The place fills up every morning, cases are heard, then it empties. The faces change but the scene generally stays the same.

Not even a major renovation following a burst water main which kept the former Mark Foys department store closed for six months from June 2025 made much difference. 

The lifts still don’t function efficiently, the acoustics in some courts are woeful and drug addicts continue to nod off in corners or yell at strangers.

So Inside Mail was surprised to witness a new development when we popped in to keep track of a couple of alleged ketamine dealers listed for mention last Thursday.

After Judge Aaron Tang came onto the bench and bowed to the assembled lawyers and defendants – who bowed back – he remained standing and proceeded to recite an Acknowledgement of Country.

To the bemusement of some of those in the public gallery, Judge Tang recognised his court was sitting on Gadigal land and paid respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Judge Tang, who was a senior lawyer at Legal Aid NSW before being appointed as what was then called a magistrate in June 2022, then got on with his day’s heavy workload.

Now, Inside Mail has seen Acknowledgements of Country performed during ceremonial court sittings and even before jury selections. But it is not standard practice for a judge dealing with standard matters to deliver one at the start of the day.

Curious, we asked the Department of Communities and Justice media team if there had been some recent directive about Acknowledgement of Country.

The media team – which Inside Mail has always found exceedingly helpful – did not directly address our inquiry but we recognise Acknowledgments of Country can be divisive and they might have wanted to leave it all alone.

Further inquiries revealed there has been no directive from the Local Court executive office relating to Acknowledgement of Country, so it seems Judge Tang came up with the idea on his own.

Snubbed! 

Sydney mortgage broker and outspoken budget critic Joseph Daoud claims his latest trip to Canberra ended in a diplomatic cold shoulder, after his name was mysteriously left off the guest acknowledgements during Question Time.

Daoud, who shot to national attention earlier this year after forking out $16,000 at a charity auction for the right to play tennis with Anthony Albanese, travelled to Parliament House on Monday alongside a group of small business owners keen to discuss the government’s latest budget measures.

Daoud is the face of a campaign against Capital Gains Tax and Negative Gearing Changes, called ‘Stop the Ambition Tax’. 

But while visitors in the public gallery are routinely acknowledged by the Speaker, Daoud claims he never got his moment in the spotlight.

Inside Mail understands the Opposition had submitted Daoud’s name to be read out as a guest during Question Time, only for no mention to be made when proceedings got underway.

For Daoud, the omission did not go unnoticed.

He also claimed the PM appeared determined to avoid eye contact throughout the afternoon, alleging Albanese repeatedly kept his back turned towards the gallery.

‘I came all the way to Canberra with small business owners who’ve been carrying the cost of this Government’s decisions, and the Prime Minister couldn’t look at me for a moment,’ Daoud told Inside Mail.

‘Of course he turned his back on us. He’s been turning his back on ambitious Australians all year.’

Daoud said he watched Albanese closely from the gallery and was convinced the Prime Minister wasn’t thrilled to see him.

‘He had a frown on his face every time he looked up at me,’ he said.

‘He’s not here for the battler, he’s here for himself and anyone that challenges him, he tries to ignore.’

Whether the missing acknowledgement was a deliberate slight, a parliamentary oversight or simply a case of crossed wires remains unclear.

However, it was not all bad news, with Daoud revealing he had a productive meeting with Jim Chalmers, despite disagreeing with the Treasurer on key policy issues.