Three women claimed they were sexually assaulted by their onscreen husbands during the filming of “Married At First Sight UK,” prompting the cancelation of the show.
Channel 4 launched an external review after two of the women claimed they were raped by their onscreen husbands, according to the BBC. One of them alleged her onscreen husband also threatened her with an acid attack. A third woman identified as Shona Manderson came forward with allegations of a non-consensual act, claiming that he ejaculated inside her against her wishes. The woman said she later discovered she was pregnant and proceeded with an abortion. The men have all denied the claims made against them.
“Married At First Sight UK” centers around singles that are matched with strangers and introduced to one another at a mock wedding.
Attorneys representing CPL, an independent production firm behind the show’s UK version, said their welfare system was “gold standard” and claimed they acted appropriately to the allegations.
Manderson and the other two alleged victims claimed not enough was done to protect them. “I don’t think that because you’re going on reality TV, you deserve in any way for things like this to happen to you,” Manderson said, according to the BBC.
One of the women, referenced as “Lizzie” in the outlet’s report, claimed she noticed “red flags” about her onscreen partner when he lost his temper during their honeymoon.
“He would just explode, he would go into this absolute focused anger,” she said, alleging that he said he and former partner had a violent relationship and that she contacted CPL.
CPL’s attorneys said the man claimed Lizzie was violent against him and that they spoke about the accusations with her, only for her to allegedly say she did not think she faced any risked. The woman claimed that shortly after they had consensual sex, their encounters became violent even though she claimed she “kept saying stop.”
“He said that if I told anybody what had happened, that he would get someone to throw acid at me,” she said, according to the BBC.
“We were in our apartment, on the sofa, and he tried to have sex with me. And I kept saying no, that I didn’t want to do it,” she said.
“But he kept saying, ‘You can’t say no, you’re my wife’. And he just did it anyway.”
Lizzie referred to what took place as “penetrative sex” and claimed she had “fingerprints from where he’d grabbed me and forced me,” according to BBC. She said she showed the bruises to the welfare team the following morning.
CPL’s attorneys alleged that the welfare team was told the bruises came from consensual intercourse, and claimed that Lizzie did not inform the company of his “can’t say no threat” and only reported the alleged acid attack threat as a passing comment.
Her lawyer, Charlotte Proudman, said the show’s representatives demonstrated “a lack of curiosity, a lack of the ability to ask important questions and the failure to implement basic safeguarding measures,” according to BBC.
Channel 4 said Lizzie’s episodes were aired because they were not made aware of the rape allegations beforehand.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: A view of branding at the “Married At First Sight” photocall at Vue Leicester Square on September 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Ackerman/Getty Images)
The second woman, referred to by the BBC as “Chloe,” alleged her onscreen husband “grabbed my breasts and grabbed my bum” while she was sleeping. “I was saying no, no, stop, stop that, because I’d been asleep,” she said.
She said she and her onscreen husband had consensual sex but during one interaction she told him “no,” and he did not comply.
“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, according to BBC. “I just lay there, and I stared out the window.”
Chloe claimed he asked “Do you not want this?” when he noticed her lack of participation, and she reiterated that she didn’t but “he got very angry.”
“‘You should’ve screamed and shouted. You should’ve pushed me off,’” he allegedly claimed before saying, “You’re making me feel like a rapist.”
Chloe’s onscreen husband’s attorneys said he challenges specific allegations from her. He alleged that he stopped once her body language suggested she was no longer consenting and denied groping her. CLP’s attorneys alleged that she did not communicate being uncomfortable or unsafe and did not want the welfare team talking about it with the onscreen husband. Chloe alleged she had suicidal thoughts after watching the show.
CPL’s attorneys also said the firm adhered to welfare standards and seriously considered her concerns. They alleged that said intimate activity was consensual before alleging rape.
Manderson was matched with Bradley Skelly, but after a “magical’ first kiss, she alleged things began to change.
The filmed discussions reportedly showed Skelly saying that he wanted to do things that pushed Manderson’s boundaries, but understood there were things she refused to do. Manderson said they decided to employ the withdrawal method of contraception, but she claimed that Kelly ejaculated inside her without securing permission at one time.
“I was shocked, I was confused, we said we weren’t doing that,” she told the BBC.
CPL’s attorneys said the firm spoke with the pair a few days after the incident and alleged that Manderson first relayed her allegations but later said she didn’t have any concerns. They also claimed Skelly told the firm he used a condom, but lawyers for Skelly later claimed he wasn’t wearing one when speaking to Panorama. Skelly claimed she consented to the act and categorically denied “any allegations of sexual misconduct.”
Manderson said she found out that she was pregnant a week after exiting the show, but does not know if the pregnancy resulted from the alleged non-consensual act.
“I made the choice to go through with an abortion. It was really hard,” she told the BBC.
None of the women filed reports with police. (RELATED: Mark Fuhrman, Detective Caught Lying On Witness Stand In OJ Simpson Trial, Dead At 74)
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra issued a statement to the Hollywood Reporter arguing that Channel 4 responded swiftly and appropriately to the intial allagations but added that they’re looking to make sure they “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,” she said.