Channel 4 has removed all seasons of Married At First Sight UK from its streaming services following a series of “very serious allegations” made by three former contestants. Two brides accused their on-screen husbands of raping them during filming, while a third claimed she was the victim of a non-consensual sex act. The disturbing claims were detailed in a half-hour Panorama special titled The Dark Side of Married at First Sight, which aired on BBC One on 18th May.
Brides Speak Out
One of the women who spoke publicly was Shona Manderson, who appeared in the 2023 series and was matched with Bradley Skelly. During the documentary, Shona described an incident in the Maldives where her TV husband allegedly came inside her without consent. “I was shocked, I was confused. We said that we weren't doing that,” she said. Bradley’s lawyers denied any allegations of sexual misconduct, stating that their marriage “was based on mutual consent, care and affection.”
A second bride, who wished to remain anonymous and was referred to as ‘Lizzie’, claimed her groom displayed erratic behaviour and repeatedly bruised her during sex. She alleged he said, “If I told anybody, that he would get someone to throw acid at me.” He also reportedly attacked her on the sofa, saying, “You can’t say ‘no’, you’re my wife.” His lawyers categorically denied the claims.
A third woman, represented by an actress named ‘Chloe’, alleged that her on-screen husband groped her while she was asleep and later had sex with her after she had said “no”. She said, “I just lay there, and I stared out the window.” Her TV spouse denied all claims, with lawyers stating intercourse started consensually but stopped when he realised she had withdrawn consent.
Channel 4’s Response
Channel 4 stated it could not comment on the “serious allegations of wrongdoing” but acknowledged the accusations were shared with the network in April. Chief executive Priya Dogra expressed sympathy for the distressed contributors and emphasised the network’s commitment to duty of care. She said, “When concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre.”
However, Baroness Kennedy, Chair of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), called for an independent investigation into the claims. She stated, “I think Channel Four really should be bringing in some sort of investigatory team to have a look at this, and it should always be external. I personally don’t think it should be on air at all.”
The women expressed feeling let down by the production team, with Shona Manderson saying, “You are due the duty of care that you deserve.” Channel 4 has not indicated whether the show will return.
