All episodes of Married at First Sight U.K. have been pulled off the air after multiple allegations of rape from former contestants.
In a BBC Panorama investigative report on Monday, May 18, two women from Channel 4‘s MAFS U.K. claimed they had been sexually assaulted while filming the show. The first contestant, who wanted to remain anonymous, said her husband raped her and later threatened her with an acid attack.
The second unnamed woman claimed she told Channel 4 and production company CPL before broadcast about allegedly being raped by her husband. Her episodes were still aired despite her attempting to bring her abuse to light. A third woman, Shona Manderson, accused her onscreen husband of a nonconsensual sex act.
All men involved denied the claims against them. The BBC report alleged that Channel 4 was aware of the claims before broadcast but told Panorama they were “wholly uncorroborated and disputed.”
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Channel 4 has since removed all episodes of the program from its streaming and linear services. The MAFS U.K. social media accounts have also been scrubbed amid the controversy while travel company Tui told the BBC that it was pausing its sponsorship of the show.
A representative for Channel 4 confirmed that the network had commissioned an external review into contributor welfare on the show in April.
“MAFS U.K. is produced under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry,” the channel said. “These include the most thorough background checks available, a Code of Conduct which clearly sets out behavioural standards, daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team and access to additional support before, during and after filming.”
The statement continued: “The physical and psychological well-being of all contributors is of paramount importance throughout the process. All duty of care processes are regularly reviewed and, where appropriate, strengthened.”
According to the open letter, Channel 4 acknowledged that last month it had been presented with “serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied.”
Channel 4 added that when the concerns were raised, “prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time. Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary.”
There is now an external review being conducted by law firm Clyde & Co, which will examine the welfare protocols in place on the show when the claims were raised and whether any changes should be made to the current protocols.
“I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight U.K.,” Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra told The Hollywood Reporter. “The well-being of our contributors is always of paramount importance.”
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Dogra said that Channel 4 “acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with well-being front and center.”
“It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS U.K. contributors,” she continued. “Those allegations — which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused — are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.”
She concluded: “Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare, … That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS U.K. That review will report to me in the coming months.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
