Two women allege they were raped during filming of Married at First Sight UK

Two women have alleged they were raped during the filming of Married at First Sight UK, one of Channel 4’s biggest shows, and a third alleged she was subjected to a non-consensual sex act. The show did not do enough to protect them, the women told an edition of the BBC’s Panorama outlining their allegations. The programme alleged Channel 4 was aware of some allegations before broadcast and that the episodes featuring the women involved had been available on its streaming service until recently. On Monday afternoon, Channel 4 said it had removed all episodes from streaming and linear services, alongside Married at First Sight UK social channels. In the reality show, known as MAFS, single people “marry” strangers who they meet for the first time on their wedding day, though the marriages are not legally binding. Channel 4 said it was presented with “serious allegations” in April against a small number of past contributors, which it understood were denied by those contributors. It said that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, “prompt and appropriate action was taken”. “Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary,” it said. Lawyers for CPL, the independent production company that makes the UK version of the show for Channel 4, told the BBC that its welfare protocols for contributors were “gold standard” and that it acted appropriately in all these cases. …