Two women have alleged they were raped during the filming of Married at First Sight UK, according to a BBC investigation that prompted Channel 4, a British broadcaster, to remove all previous seasons of the reality TV show while it reviews the allegations.
The show, known as MAFS, bills itself as a “bold social experiment” in which single people “marry” strangers who meet for the first time on their wedding day, although the marriage is not legally binding. The couples – while being filmed almost daily – then go on “honeymoon,” move in together and navigate their relationship.
A third woman has alleged she was subjected to a non-consensual sex act during the filming of the show. The three former participants told BBC Panorama, which broadcast an investigation into the allegations on Monday, that the show did not do enough to protect them.
The BBC claimed that Channel 4 was aware of some of the allegations before the MAFS series in question were broadcast and that the episodes featuring the women had been available on its streaming service until recently.
Channel 4 said it had removed all episodes of the show from its streaming and linear services, as well as from the MAFS social channels, and commissioned an external review.
