Channel 4 Cancels Married at First Sight UK Following Rape Allegations

Channel 4 canceled the reality television franchise Married At First Sight UK following an external review prompted by serious allegations of misconduct.

Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra confirmed that the network was cutting ties with the reality series and that season six of the show, which was filmed earlier, will not be broadcast. The network also halted pre-production on a spin-off titled Second Married at First Sight, which was set to bring contestants from the UK and Australian versions together.

A cast member was arrested in June on suspicion of rape, and all three men involved denied the allegations. Channel 4 commissioned law firm Clyde & Co to examine the welfare protocols in place at the time and how the network and production company CPL handled them, while former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey examined potential changes to protocols.

The Clyde & Co review analyzed more than 30,000 documents and hours of footage, finding that the production company and network complied with Ofcom Broadcasting Code regulations and that welfare protocols were of a high standard, though the review noted isolated incidents where the framework was not fully implemented. Dogra stated that despite the review making no findings that the format is inherently unsafe, the right course was to bring the show to an end.