news.today
Hello · Register today | LoginHello · My Account[—] [33]
UK

Channel 4 axes Married At First Sight UK after welfare review

Summarised from 7 outlets · 9 reports · Updated 5 Nov, 13:10 · Archive

Channel 4 has cancelled Married At First Sight UK following an external review prompted by allegations of rape and sexual misconduct made by female participants.

Channel 4 has announced it is bringing Married At First Sight UK to an end, with the decision following an extensive external review of the show's welfare procedures. The cancellation comes after a BBC Panorama investigation aired in May, in which two female participants alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands and a third alleged she was subjected to sexual misconduct. All three men deny the allegations. In June, a cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape. Channel 4 removed all episodes of the show from its streaming and linear services following the Panorama broadcast.

The broadcaster commissioned two separate reviews in April. The first, conducted by law firm Clyde & Co, examined whether Channel 4 and production company CPL Productions fulfilled their duty of care obligations under the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. Clyde & Co reviewed 31,172 documents and 20 hours of broadcast and unbroadcast footage. The firm concluded that existing welfare protocols were compliant with Ofcom standards and found no breach of the Code. However, it highlighted isolated instances where the welfare framework was not fully implemented and recommended strengthening the overall structure.

The second review element, led by former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey, evaluated specific format challenges and offered future-facing recommendations. Heggessey concluded that future series could theoretically proceed under enhanced protocols with increased levels of intervention, monitoring and supervision. However, Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra decided against continuation. She stated that implementing the review's recommendations would fundamentally alter the show's format and editorial proposition.

Dogra said in a statement: "MAFS UK has been enjoyed by millions of viewers, made possible by the willingness of its contributors to embrace the social experiment at the heart of the show." She added that the show "has now run its course over ten years." The broadcaster noted that the reviews were not tasked with adjudicating on the allegations made in the Panorama investigation, which "remain a matter for the relevant authorities."

Series six of Married At First Sight UK, which was in production when the review was commissioned, will not be broadcast. The spin-off Second Married at First Sight, which was in pre-production with plans to bring contestants from the UK and Australian versions of the show together, has also been cancelled. Channel 4 said the show's budget will be reinvested in distinctive new programming.

The show, which has been one of Channel 4's biggest hits, involved single people being matched by experts and meeting for the first time at a mock wedding ceremony before living together. One of the women who made allegations, Shona Manderson, said she required therapy after appearing on the show. Britain's broadcasting regulator Ofcom has also launched its own investigation into the matter.

Channel 4 axes Married At First Sight UK after welfare review
Image: New York Post

Comments (0)

How it is being reported

In this story: Channel 4 · Married At First Sight UK · CPL Productions · BBC · Clyde & Co · Priya Dogra · Lorraine Heggessey · Shona Manderson

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log