Married At First Sight Australia star Julia Vogl has spoken out about experiencing biphobia on the show, saying she felt “reduced to my sexuality” during her time on screen.
Vogl made history as the series’ first openly bisexual bride. Ahead of her wedding, she shared that she would be happy to be matched with either a man or a woman.
In a voice-over as she walked towards the ceremony, she reflected:
“The idea that my potential husband or wife is out there and I don’t know them is a very strange thought. I am looking for a cosmic connection.
“I don’t know if I am going to be matched with a man or woman, it isn’t about someone’s gender… it’s about the connection I have with them. That connection transcends gender for me.”
She was ultimately paired with Queensland-based entrepreneur Grayson McIvor, and was open with him about her bisexuality from the outset.
‘The Most Boring Thing About Me’
However, Vogl has since said that her sexuality became the dominant focus of her storyline.
In an interview with Refinery29 Australia, she admitted feeling frustrated by how she was portrayed.
“It is frustrating to constantly be reduced to my sexuality, because there’s so much more to me than my sexuality. In fact, me being bisexual is probably the most boring thing about me.
“It is completely my entire storyline [and] so many assumptions have been made in my portrayal.”
During the series, some comments and narratives suggested that because Vogl was not interested in her on-screen partner, it meant she “wanted a woman” instead — something she described as harmful.
“Suggesting that because I wasn’t interested in this one man, therefore I must be a lesbian, it’s a cop out, and it feels really harmful,” she said.
“Often bisexuals feel misunderstood and unseen, and this is just another classic example of this happening.”
A Broader Conversation About Bi Erasure
Bisexual people frequently report experiencing erasure, stereotypes and pressure to “choose a side” in both heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ spaces. Vogl’s comments have sparked renewed discussion about how bisexuality is framed — particularly in reality television, where editing can shape public perception.
The MAFS franchise has made incremental strides in representation in recent years. In 2023, Ella Morgan became the first trans bride on Married At First Sight UK, and the following year featured only the second lesbian couple in the show’s history.
For Vogl, however, visibility alone is not enough — representation must also be nuanced.
As conversations around bisexual erasure continue, her remarks highlight the importance of allowing queer participants to be seen as whole people, rather than storylines reduced to a single identity label.
