Complete strangers will meet their future brides and grooms-to-be for the first time at the altar in a strange new show to air on Australian TV.

On Monday, Channel Nine announced a local version of reality show ‘Married at First Sight’, which is popular in the US.

Four female contestants will reportedly be matched with their ‘perfect’ male partner by a panel of experts.

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The couples will meet and wed in the first episode, and then embark on married life together for the rest of the series.

The show has already been criticised by advocates of gay marriage.

“The concept is offensive,” wrote Matt Tones on the network’s Facebook page, whose comment is now the most liked about the show.

“Hetros [sic] playing games with their ‘right for marriage’ when so many gay couples cannot be legally United [sic].

“It proves marriage is not a religious practice and should not be subject to religious dogma over equality.”

Channel Nine predicted the backlash when it first floated the idea back in 2013.

“I think we’ll be criticised that we’re playing with the sanctity of marriage and people will have an opinion one way or the other,” Nine’s head of programming Andrew Backwell told TV Tonight at the time.

“But I’m hoping people will come and see the reaction of each couple, as they see each other at the altar for the first time. That moment is priceless.”