'FBoy Island' Contestant's Concerning Past Surfaces, to Be Removed From Show

A contestant on the New Zealand version of FBoy Island will be edited out of the show after he was charged with suffocating a young woman. Wayde Moore, 26, told police last year he lured a 19-year-old woman to his home because she was drunk and he wanted to have sex with her. FBoy Island is a dating reality series where women try to figure out if contestants are looking for serious relationships or are womanizers.

State broadcaster TVNZ learned last week that Moore was in court last year to face the disturbing charges. Moore told police he covered the victim's mouth and nose to keep her from calling for help. The victim told the New Zealand Herald she was pleased TVNZ agreed to remove Moore from the show. "He does not deserve to be publicly positively put out there," she said.

FBoy Island will still debut on Oct. 12, but without any reference to Moore, TVNZ said on Oct. 2. "Following conversations with all parties, we have decided it is in the best interests of all involved to remove him as a contestant from the show and promotion," the network explained. However, a planned release party scheduled for Oct. 5 was delayed. The network said that contestants are supported by mental health professionals.

Moore was found not guilty of the charge of suffocation. However, district court judge Noel Sainsbury said his behavior was "deeply inappropriate and disrespectful." She said Moore could not be convicted because a 2018 law required proof that Moore tried to stop the victim from breathing. In court, Moore testified that he covered the woman's mouth and nose to keep her quiet. He did not face any other charges.

Sainsbury added at a Law Commission report advised the law to be made "as straightforward as possible," but Parliament did not. During Moore's interview with police, he was "upfront about his intentions," as he was "hoping that if he could get [the woman] to the house, he might be able to have sex with her."

Moore admitted that he never told series producer Warner Bros. about his charges because he was not convicted. "It was something that was dealt with and was over. I thought there was no need to mention it to Warner Bros or to anyone," he told the Herald. He said the incident came at a difficult time in his life, as his parents were separating and he recently lost his job. Moore told the Herald he was going on the show to "show people can be better and this is me trying to be better."

Moore denied trying to suffocate the victim. His roommates told the Herald that they heard something going wrong the night of the incident. One said he heard a woman screaming "no" repeatedly, then her screams were allegedly muffled by a pillow.

The U.S. version of FBoy Island is available to stream on HBO Max and is hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser. The series features three women who have to pick out the "fboys" and "nice guys" among 24 male contestants. The show's second season debuted in July.