One of the brides in the new season of Married at First Sight NZ is legally married to Sensing Murder psychic Kelvin Cruickshank.

Rosemary Cruickshank, nee Wright, will star in the third season of the scandal-plagued reality show, which premieres on Three this Sunday.

But the 45-year-old beautician remains married to Kelvin — her third husband — following their split last June, which came just 14 months after their wedding in April 2017.

Speaking exclusively to the Herald today, Kelvin confirmed the couple remained legally married.

"I heard that Rosemary was to be on Married At First Sight a few months ago and I was happy for her until just recently when I discovered she has taken my name into the show.

Rosemary Cruickshank will appear in Married at First Sight despite still being married to Kelvin Cruickshank. Photo / Instagram.

"This has disappointed me no end. I'm a public figure and Rosemary appears to be riding my name to get status for herself.

"She immediately went back to her maiden name [upon their separation] but as soon as she got accepted into Married at First Sight, she dragged me into it — and my children, and my family, and my friends. It's pretty shit."

But Rosemary insists the only reason she is using the Cruickshank name is that MediaWorks — Three's parent company — required her to use her legal name when she applied to feature in the show.

" ... Cruickshank ... is on my passport and my driver's licence," she said.

"So I had to use my legal name ... trust me, I actually use my maiden name on social media.

"Of course I know that Kelvin is going to be upset and I have said nothing unkind or unfair about him, but I was married to him and that's a fact."

The Herald has sought a response from MediaWorks.

Both parties dispute the reasons behind their marriage breakdown.

Kelvin has taken exception to the way he has been portrayed by his wife in an interview with Woman's Weekly, in which she claimed their separation "was very unexpected and it wasn't my choice".

"She's just put an article out which wasn't very nice. It's just a load of crap. Just a one-sided point of view," he said.

Rosemary, however, says she went out of her way to ensure she didn't portray him in a negative light.

"I never gave any reasons [for the marriage breakdown]. I just said the marriage ended unexpectedly and abruptly and I was heartbroken. I don't think there is anything wrong with saying that.

Kelvin Cruickshank is known for his work as a psychic investigator on the show Sensing Murder. Photo / NZ Herald.

"That's nothing against him personally, that's just what happened.

"He loves to tell people that I spent all of his money. I didn't have access to his money. He's just a complete and utter a*******. That's why he can't hold a relationship down."

The situation is another embarrassment for the show, which cut another contestant, Chris Mansfield, last week, over his failure to declare he was facing charges related to domestic violence allegations in the United States.

Chris Mansfield was axed from Married At First Sight over the weekend. Photo / Supplied

That scandal came after another bride from the forthcoming season, Anna Saxton, spoke out late last month, claiming a former partner had betrayed her trust and leaked a sex tape of the pair online.

It also again raises questions over the validity of the show, which scrapped legally binding marriages after the first season.

The change came after groom Haydn Daniels was forced to take legal action to annul his marriage to wife Bel Clarke after tying the knot in season one. Their relationship became strained within days of getting hitched.

The kicker for Kelvin Cruickshank came when he learned of a connection between him and the man who became Rosemary's fourth "husband" during her time on Married at First Sight.

Rosemary Cruickshank's MAFS profile says she is searching for "that special someone she can settle down with". Photo / Instagram.

"It turns out that one of my clients — her ex-husband is the guy she got hooked up with on the show. Which is kind of freaky.

"It turns out she was only on Married at First Sight for a couple of weeks and was booted off. However I still wish her well in her quest for love and wish her all the best."

Rosemary on the other hand says she can't wait for the day when she can sever all ties and seek a divorce from Kelvin.

"Oh I would love to divorce him. Can I divorce him now?

"I have to wait two years. He can go and serve me papers and I'll happily sign them tomorrow."