UK7 min(s) read
Published 09:40 19 May 2026 GMT
Warning: This article may contain some distressing information.
Channel 4 has removed every previous season of Married At First Sight UK from its streaming platforms after "very serious allegations of wrongdoing" surfaced.
Several women spoke to BBC Panorama about alleged abuse they say took place during filming of the hit reality TV show, which matches strangers to "marry" after meeting for the first time at their televised weddings.
According to the BBC News, two women alleged they were raped by their onscreen husbands, while a third accused her TV partner of a non-consensual sex act.
All three women said the programme failed to protect them during production.
In a statement released on Monday, Channel 4 said: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied," cited by Sky News.
"The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time," the statement read. "Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary."
The show is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL.
One woman, identified by the pseudonym Lizzie, alleged that her onscreen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack during filming.
Speaking through an actress to protect her anonymity, she said: "When we were alone in the apartment, he kept bruising me during sex, I kept saying stop, but he carried on, and this would happen every time we'd had sex after this point," per The Independent.
Lizzie said she initially noticed "red flags" during the couple’s honeymoon phase, claiming her husband would "explode" with anger in private.
She later alleged he raped her after telling her: "You can't say no, you're my wife."
"I just completely froze with fear and I never, ever thought anything could scare me that much," she recalled.
She said she later showed bruises to the welfare team, and Panorama reported that the programme had seen photos taken by a welfare producer.
Lawyers representing her onscreen husband denied the allegations, saying all sexual contact was consensual. They also denied he had been violent or made threats towards her.
Lizzie is now pursuing legal action against CPL.
A second woman, referred to as Chloe, alleged she informed both Channel 4 and CPL before her series aired that she had been raped by her onscreen husband, but said the episodes were still broadcast.
She also accused him of groping her while she slept. "I was saying no, no, stop, stop that, because I'd been asleep," she said.
Chloe described another alleged incident after she told her husband she did not want to have sex.
"He smirked and climbed on top of me, moved my leg… By that time, I'd really given up and I just didn't want him to be angry at me when the cameras came," she said. "I just lay there, and I stared out the window."
She claimed he later became angry and told her: "You should've screamed and shouted. You should've pushed me off."
Lawyers acting for Chloe’s onscreen husband disputed parts of her account. They said the sex began consensually and claimed he stopped immediately once he realized she was no longer participating. He also denied groping her.
Chloe later told Panorama that watching the series after it aired left her with suicidal thoughts.
"When people think of rape, they don't think of it as just this type of thing. But it is, that's what it is," she said.
A third woman, former contestant Shona Manderson, who appeared on the 2023 season of the show, accused her onscreen husband, Bradley Skelly, of ejaculating inside her without consent.
The pair had reportedly agreed to use the withdrawal method of contraception. "I was shocked, I was confused, we said we weren't doing that," she said.
Shona later took the morning-after pill and discovered she was pregnant about a week after leaving the show. "I made the choice to go through with an abortion. It was really hard," she said.
She added: "I want to share my story and hope that it can actually start a serious conversation about moving forward and putting more things in place, because at the end of the day, I shouldn't have been in that situation."
Skelly denied any wrongdoing in a statement, saying he "categorically" denied "any allegations of sexual misconduct" or that he was "controlling".
"Their relationship was based on mutual consent, care, and affection," the statement added.
The allegations have triggered calls for an independent investigation into welfare procedures on the show.
Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, chair of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), said: "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."
She also questioned whether the programme should continue airing at all. "I personally don't think it should be on air at all. I just don't see the right kind of protections being put in place that would absolutely guarantee a prevention of the things that we've been hearing about," she added.
Women’s Aid described the allegations as "disturbing" and "incredibly worrying," while Ofcom confirmed it would review the findings of Channel 4’s external welfare review.
Meanwhile, Channel 4 strongly rejected claims that it failed in its duty of care to contributors.
"Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols," the broadcaster said. "Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.
"Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary," they added.
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4, added: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married At First Sight UK. The well-being 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," she said.
The latest season of the show has already been filmed and is still expected to air later this year.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.
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