London, United Kingdom. Channel 4 removed all previous seasons of “Married at First Sight” on Monday after a BBC report detailed allegations of rape during the filming of the series. The broadcaster said it has launched a review into contributor welfare on the show.
BBC report and allegations
Two women told BBC News they were raped during filming, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act, according to the report. All three said the show did not do enough to protect them, the BBC stated.
The report cited lawyers for CPL, the independent production company that makes the show, as saying its welfare system was “gold standard” and that it had acted appropriately in all these cases.
Channel 4 review and executive responses
Channel 4, a publicly owned but commercially funded broadcaster, said it launched a review into contributor welfare in April.
Alex Mahon, Channel 4’s chief executive between 2017 and 2025, said the allegations were “very serious and concerning,” and that the broadcaster had rightly launched investigations. She told a committee of lawmakers on Tuesday that allegations and incidents were taken very seriously and that duty of care protocols advanced over time, but said that given the gravity of the allegations “it’s always worth another look”.
Channel 4 said that in April it was presented with “serious allegations” of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, which it said it understood those contributors had denied.
“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 that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate,” Channel 4 Chief Executive Priya Dogra said in a statement.
Show performance and franchise details
In its 2024 report, Channel 4 said the show topped its streaming charts for that year. There have been 10 seasons broadcast on its main and E4 channels and its streaming platform.
The show, in which strangers are matched by experts and “marry” at first sight, is part of an international franchise across multiple countries, including the United States and Australia.
What changes do you think broadcasters should make to strengthen duty of care for reality TV contributors?