Warning: contains details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct
Three women who appeared on Married At First Sight UK have made shocking claims about their on-screen husbands. The BBC reported that two women allege they were raped during filming of the reality show, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act.
All three claimed the show did not do enough to protect them, according to the report. 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.
In the reality series, single people marry strangers they meet for the first time on their wedding day, although the marriages are not legally binding.
A BBC report published on Monday said the British broadcaster was aware of some of the allegations before broadcast. However, episodes featuring the women remained available on Channel 4's streaming service and have only recently been removed.
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.
According to the report, one woman alleges her on-screen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack. She said sex with her partner turned violent and she kept saying stop. He said that if I told anybody what had happened, that he would get someone to throw acid at me, she told the BBC. Lawyers acting for the man told the BBC he denies rape.
A second woman reportedly told both Channel 4 and CPL before broadcast she had been raped by her on-screen husband, but her episodes were still aired.
A third woman, Shona Manderson, appeared in the 2023 season of MAFS UK. She is the only woman identified in the report and said she felt welfare protections were inadequate after her on-screen husband took things too far during sex. I don't think that because you're going on reality TV, you deserve in any way for things like this to happen to you, she said.
The show is part of an international franchise spanning multiple countries, including the United States and Australia.
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.
