It's alleged that staff working on Married At First Sight would often place bets on which contestants would have sex first before celebrating the resultDaniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor12:42, 28 May 2026Updated 12:45, 28 May 2026Married At First Sight staff placed bets on the contestants they believed would sleep together first, a whistleblower at the show has claimed.The source also said crew members would "high-five" each other when couples got intimate.The show, which airs on Channel 4, has recently been subjected to a Panorama investigation following claims that two cast members were raped. Shona Manderson, who appeared on the show in 2023, accused her onscreen husband, Bradley Skelly, of sexual misconduct, claiming she suffered a non-consensual sex act.She added that she deserved better welfare from CPL. Mr Skelly categorically denies "any allegations of sexual misconduct or that he was controlling".But now, employees on the show have claimed that behind the scenes, there was allegedly an "unhealthy" focus on whether the singletons hoping to find love were intimate with one another.The programme sees singletons "marry" strangers at the altar when they first meet, although the marriages are not legally binding.Speaking to the BBC, a former worker, who was employed on the UK edition of the show, said: "They were alone with a stranger, and they're not really married." She claimed that a senior member of production said: "Don't you get it? We want them to sleep together."The former staffer claimed that there would be bets placed amongst crew on who would sleep together first. "They would high-five each other when [the contestants] did," they claimed. However, the bets were not for money, she says, adding: "It was clear to [the crew] that this was all a joke."A source claims that the show focused on intimacy as filming progressed. It's alleged that senior producers would be concerned if couples were not actively having sex."It wasn't a good storyline," they claimed. Soraya Spiers, who worked on the show, says that there was an "expectation" on the evening of weddings to "get some sort of hint if the couples are going to sleep together." Spiers is not the former worker who spoke anonymously to the BBC.She says the show's format is "completely flawed" and that the programme should be axed by production companies and Channel 4. Another member of staff claimed the show is a "car crash waiting to happen" and that they were "not surprised" by the allegations surrounding the programme.It's also alleged that producers would create drama behind the scenes, telling the cast the negative things that had been said by co-stars. "The idea would be to get that person angry," adding: "It was sickening how into it they were."When approached by the Mirror, a spokesperson for Channel 4 said: "Contributor welfare is always our primary concern across all productions. Within days of being contacted by the BBC in April, we commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK, which is underway and has two elements."The first, conducted by law firm Clyde & Co, is examining the welfare protocols in place on the programme at the time claims were raised, as well as the handling by Channel 4 and CPL of those claims; the second, led by former BBC One Controller Lorraine Heggessey, will examine if any changes should be made to current protocols for MAFS UK to further strengthen contributor welfare. The review now needs to run its course."Lawyers for CPL told the BBC that contributors are not pressured in any way, nor are they expected to have sex. The cast are informed that the production team do not have an expectation for the participants to share a bed and other sleeping arrangements can be made.Article continues belowThe Mirror has also approached CPL for comment.Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.