Nine pulls reality TV series off the air over "staging" claims
Channel Nine's real estate reality show Find My Beach House has been pulled off air after producers were caught out "staging" scenes for the cameras.
The show hosted by The Block's Shelley Craft, focuses on couples hunting to buy their "dream home".
However, according to Media Watch, one couple featured on the show already owned the property that was showcased on a recent episode.
According to the Media Watch report, couple Toneya and Lochie had owned the luxury pad for eight years.
"In fact, days after the show was broadcast, Toneya and Lochie put the house on the market – asking price $3.8 to $4.15 million. Can’t buy advertising like that," Media Watch host Linton Besser said.
Media Watch also claimed that another property featured on the show was owned by "home seeker" Kirsty, who had it listed on Airbnb for $4,000 a week.
The show was pulled from 9Now after Media Watch made their enquiries
In a statement shared with viewers of Media Watch, the producers admitted "reversed engineered the house-hunting process".
"Abode Entertainment produces Find My Beach House, which is licensed to Channel 9,' the statement began.
"The show is designed as light entertainment, offering viewers engaging tours of stunning homes.
"At its core, the series follows a couple’s journey, adding a compelling narrative that keeps audiences invested," they continued.
"To enhance storytelling and ensure a satisfying viewing experience, we sometimes reverse-engineer the house-hunting process."
"Each episode is based on real property searches and purchases. In some cases, aspects of the home-buying journey have been reconstructed for storytelling purposes.
"This means the buyers have already purchased their home before filming, and we then showcase additional properties to capture their reactions and insights authentically.
"Moving forward we are making the change to include a disclaimer on each episode."
Image: Nine