Married at First Sight groom dies at just 33
Former Married At First Sight NZ contestant Andrew Jury has died at the age of 33.
The Auckland-based builder passed away in recent weeks, as his untimely death was announced by two of his former MAFS contestants.
“It’s with the heaviest hearts we’ve come together to acknowledge the passing of Andrew Jury,” former MAFS NZ stars Brett and Angel Renall, and Benjamin Blackwell wrote in a joint statement, according to the New Zealand Herald.
“We had the absolute pleasure of filming and participating in a show which leaves us intricately linked for a lifetime."
“Despite his struggles, Andrew was always friendly and the life of the party during our shared experience, and he really valued his time on the show."
“At this time, our entire cast wishes to send our deepest condolences and love to his family.”
On Sunday, Warner Bros Discovery, broadcaster of MAFS NZ, released a statement about the death.
“WBD takes duty of care extremely seriously and has protocols in place regarding the wellbeing of cast and crew,” a spokesperson of the company said.
"All MAFS NZ contributors have access to mental health professionals throughout the process, including pre-screening, during production and after broadcast."
Jury appeared on the first season of Married At First Sight NZ, which aired in 2017.
During his time on the show, he was matched with Vicky Gleeson-Stokes, but the pair were not a perfect fit and did not make it to final vows.
Following his appearance on the show, Jury was heavily critical of the TV programme and urged others not to audition.
The final straw for the builder, who was 26 at the time, was when local sex worker Lisa Lewis announced she had been short-listed to appear in the season after Jury’s.
“It’s unethical how they’re going about these things,” he told the New Zealand Herald at the time. “You can’t get an escort on this show. You can’t do that to a guy.”
The former contestant said he and his fellow participants were hopeful in finding love when going on the show, but he believed it was all a stitch-up from day one.
“They [the contestants] are the most amazing people on the show, they put their hearts on the line and they all got burned,” he continued.
“I make great TV, but my wife and me were not matched in the slightest. She’s a princess, I’m a bogan. How can they say it’s a legit process when you get the complete opposite of what you want?”
Image credits: Instagram