‘Married at First Sight’ pulls episodes with allegations of member rape – nationally
Allegations of rape in the British version of the popular television series Married At First Sight forced the UK’s biggest broadcaster to pull all episodes of the 10-season show and make a public apology amid an investigation commissioned by the channel’s management.
Channel 4, the UK network that broadcasts the show, announced an external social media review earlier this month after two women who took part in the show told the BBC they were raped by their husbands while filming.
A third woman has accused her on-screen husband of non-consensual sex, a British newspaper said.
The UK news agency, in a lengthy report published last week, found that the broadcaster was aware of some of the allegations before the program – one of the most popular on Channel 4 – aired; production is accused of not doing enough to protect the people in question, despite their reporting of suspected incidents to social workers during production.
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Channel 4 said in a statement announcing the review that “concerns relating to the welfare of contributors were raised through existing welfare and production processes, and prompt and appropriate action was taken.”
“Channel 4 strongly denies any claim to the contrary,” it added, saying it had “removed all episodes from broadcast and subsequent services,” as well as from the show’s social media channels, and that it was taking the allegations seriously.
The allegations were first raised in April on Channel 4 by “a number of past contributors,” which the broadcaster said the actors denied.
“The station is aware of the privacy and ongoing duty of care for all involved, and cannot comment or disclose the details of such allegations,” the statement said.
Branding concept at the ‘Married At First Sight’ photocall at Vue Leicester Square on Sept. 10, 2024, London, England.
Simon Ackerman/Getty Images
The three women mentioned in the BBC report, only one of whom has been identified publicly, told the media that they had not reported the allegations to the authorities, despite London’s Metropolitan Police urging them to do so., it said.
“It’s impossible that anything will happen,” one of the women, who said she reported her husband to social workers after she suspected he had beaten her in her sleep, told the BBC.
One woman said her on-screen husband had privately shared with her that she and her ex-partner were violent towards each other, which she told the BBC she disclosed to the show’s social media team.
When her husband spoke to social workers, he said he was a victim of violence, according to a newspaper report.
The woman told the producers that she did not feel worried, but later said that the sex between her and her on-screen husband became violent, and that he would hurt her and refused to listen when she asked him to stop. She said he threatened to pour acid on her if she told anyone what he had done, the agency added.
The format of the popular TV show, which was founded in the Netherlands and has many local versions, including 19 seasons in the US, strangers who are matched by “professionals” of the game quickly marry and live together, with the continuation of their relationship documented during a certain period of the season.
In the UK version of the show, marriages are not legally binding.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
