BBC investigation for Panorama called The Dark Side of Married at First Sight will air at 8pm
(Image: georgeclerk via Getty Images)
Two women have alleged they were raped by their ‘husbands’ during the filming of Channel 4 show, Married at First Sight UK.
The women are speaking out as they claim they feel they should have had better protection provided by the production company CPL who make the show.
One woman alleged to the BBC her onscreen husband raped her and threatened her. A second woman claims she told she told both Channel 4 and CPL about being allegedly raped by her onscreen husband before her series was broadcast. Despite this she says her episodes were still aired.
In the BBC investigation for Panorama called The Dark Side of Married at First Sight, the women say they feel the programme did not do enough to protect them.
Channel 4 said all the allegations are “wholly uncorroborated and disputed”. The full details will be aired on the BBC tonight at 8pm.
Channel 4 have also now removed all the series from their streaming platform and announced an external review into contributor welfare on Married at First Sight UK.
In a statement sent to the Mirror, Priya Dogra, Chief Executive of Channel 4 said: “I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance.
“It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. 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
“On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that 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.
“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 UK. That review will report to me in the coming months. We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors.”
Lawyers for CPL, the independent production company which makes the UK version of the show, told the BBC its welfare system is “gold standard” and industry-leading, and that it acted appropriately in all these cases.
MAFS is one of the channel’s biggest and most successful series. It sees strangers matched together and they then walk down the aisle and hold a mock wedding before getting to know each other and living together in the hope of finding love.
Having started in Denmark in 2013, the format is so successful there are now 35 versions around the world. On Channel 4 it regularly attracts consolidated audiences of over two million viewers. There have been 10 series to date on Channel 4 of the British version.
Want to see more of the stories you love from RSVP ? To add RSVP as a preferred source of news on Google, simply click here
