Warning: contains details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct
Former Married At First Sight UK contestant Shona Manderson has revealed she feels “blamed” and “judged” after speaking publicly about her alleged experience on the reality show.
Manderson, 33, was one of three women — and the only one identified — in a BBC report released on Monday, which made shocking claims about their on-screen “husbands”. All three men deny the allegations.
The BBC reported two women alleged they were raped during filming of the reality show, while Manderson described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. They all claimed the show did not do enough to protect them, according to the report. The show has now been pulled off air, due to the allegations.
Since the report aired, Manderson on Thursday said while most people had been “kind” and “supportive” she had also faced backlash.
“This video isn’t aimed at everybody at all,” Manderson captioned the Instagram video. “The majority of people have been so kind, supportive and understanding. But I’ve also seen a lot of blame and judgement around one part of my story and I felt it was important to address, because what worries me most is how many people genuinely don’t see an issue with it.”
In reality series MAFS single people “marry” strangers they meet for the first time on their wedding day, although the marriages are not legally binding. The three women who spoke to the BBC allege misconduct by the men they were partnered with and say they are speaking out because they felt they were not adequately protected.
Manderson appeared in the 2023 season of MAFS UK. She is the only woman identified in the report and claimed she felt welfare protections were inadequate after her on-screen “husband” allegedly took things too far during sex.
In the Instagram video, Manderson said the point of her speaking out has been missed completely. The former MAFS contestant claimed while she was on the show, she and her “husband” had agreed he would not ejaculate inside her during sexual intercourse.
“This is what I consented to,” Manderson said. “One day he finished inside me without my consent and he said he did it to show me how he loved me. This didn’t make me feel loved, this made me feel out of control of my own body.”
In a statement to the BBC, Manderson’s on-screen husband said he categorically denies “any allegations of sexual misconduct” or that he was “controlling”. He said their relationship was “based on mutual consent, care and affection”.
Meanwhile, Manderson said she’s received lots of backlash, with people questioning why she didn’t use contraceptive and why she decided to stay in the relationship. She ended the video by reiterating this was not the point of her speaking out, the point was to spark a conversation about consent.
“If we don’t recognise these things as not being OK it worries me for people experiencing similar situations and for people coming forward and speaking up,” Manderson captioned the video. “I’m really glad I shared my story. Not just for myself, but because these conversations matter so much.”
Channel 4, which airs the show in the UK, said in April it was made aware of “serious allegations” involving a small number of former MAFS participants. The allegations were denied by the past contestants.
The report also cited lawyers for the show’s production company CPL as saying its welfare system for participants was “gold standard” and it had acted appropriately in all cases.
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra said: “It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations are not something Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors.”
The ongoing review is examining welfare protocols in place at the time of the alleged incidents, as well as how Channel 4 and CPL handled the complaints.
