Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleProducers of Married At First Sight UK have denied claims by a former staff member that contestants were pressured into intimacy and that the show fostered a "toxic" culture. Former employee Soraya Spiers told the BBC there was an "unhealthy" emphasis on sex and an expectation for couples to be intimate on their wedding night, despite having just met. CPL, the production company behind the show, said that contributors are not pressured to be intimate, are informed that sharing a bed is not expected, and alternative sleeping arrangements are available. CPL also said that alcohol consumption is limited and overseen by welfare teams, disputing claims that cast members could drink as much as they wanted. Two former participants have alleged that they were raped during filming, while a third has alleged that her onscreen husband subjected her to a non-consensual sexual act, which the accused men deny.In fullMarried At First Sight UK producers deny claims contestants were ‘pressured’ into intimacyThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
MAFS producers respond to claims show had ‘unhealthy’ focus on sex
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleProducers of Married At First Sight UK have denied claims by a former staff member that contestants were pressured into intimacy and that the show fostered a "toxic" culture. Former employee Soraya Spiers told the BBC there was an "unhealthy" emphasis on sex and an expectation for couples to be intimate on their wedding night, despite having just met. CPL, the production company behind the show, said that contributors are not pressured to be intimate, are informed that sharing a bed is not expected, and alternative sleeping arrangements are available. CPL also said that alcohol consumption is limited and overseen by welfare teams, disputing claims that cast members could drink as much as they wanted. Two former participants have alleged that they were raped during filming, while a third has alleged that her onscreen husband subjected her to a non-consensual sexual act, which the accused men deny.In fullMarried At First Sight UK producers deny claims contestants were ‘pressured’ into intimacyThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
