MAFS: Police urge potential Married At First Sight UK victims to come forward after rape allegations

Police have urged potential victims of sexual assault on reality TV show Married At First Sight UK (MAFS) to contact them.

It comes after a number of women made allegations of rape and sexual harassment while appearing on the Channel 4 programme.

talking in a way BBC In the Panorama documentary, Shona Manderson accused her on-screen partner of sexual harassment.

Two other women also claimed they were raped by their on-screen husbands.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We are aware of media reports of allegations of rape and sexual assault following a television program broadcast on Monday 18 May.

“We have not received any criminal reports in relation to this matter at this time. We will be making approaches to the relevant production teams to ensure that anyone they speak to is informed about how to report any allegations of criminality to the police.”

“We continue to encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault, no matter how long ago, to contact us.”

In the program prepared for Channel 4 by the independent production company CPL, single people are matched by experts and then “married”, and couples meet for the first time on their wedding day.

The “marriages” in the series are not legally binding, but the couples go on a “honeymoon” after the wedding and live together.

Ms Manderson’s on-screen partner Bradley Skelly told the program that he categorically denied “any allegations of sexual misconduct or control”.

In a statement published on Monday, Channel 4 said: “Serious allegations of impropriety were made to Channel 4 in April against a small number of past contributors, allegations which we understand these contributors deny.”

Ms Manderson, the only woman among the three identified, joined the program in 2023.

Speaking on camera to Panorama, Manderson said she deserved better welfare from her production company CPL after claiming her partner Bradley Skelly took things too far during sex.

In a video shared on Instagram, Ms Manderson claimed a meeting with the programme’s production team on welfare was “not honoured”.

Ms Manderson claimed the couple had withdrawn and used contraception, but added: “One day I was over my limit and he drained me without my consent.”

She said she found out she was pregnant a short time later, but did not know if this was due to the alleged incident.

In a post on Instagram, Ms Manderson said she was “grateful” for the “care and support” she had received from domestic violence charity Women’s Aid following the alleged incident.

Women’s Aid said the allegations amounted to “disturbing and sobering” monitoring.

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: “For years, Women’s Aid and countless viewers have been calling out abusive behavior on Married At First Sight UK and other dating and entertainment programmes.”

He added: “Panorama has revealed some disturbing and incredibly worrying allegations. “We are told these shows are about finding love, but abuse and control is not love.

“Producers have a duty of care to contestants and a responsibility to young viewers; it’s time they took that seriously. We’re ready to help everyone involved get it right.”

Speaking to Panorama, a woman claimed that her on-screen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack.

Another said she told both Channel 4 and CPL about her alleged rape by her on-screen husband, but her episodes were still being aired.

Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said the dating show was “appalling” and she was “not surprised” by the sexual assault allegations.

Channel 4 has removed all previous seasons of the series from its streaming platforms.

A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport told the BBC: “All allegations must be referred to the relevant authorities and investigated with the full co-operation of the parties involved, and appropriate action must be taken to ensure that the highest standards are maintained and there are consequences for crime or misconduct.”

Security minister Dan Jarvis told BBC Breakfast that the “very serious” nature of the allegations meant a police investigation was likely to be opened.

Shortly before the Panorama episode aired, Channel 4 announced last month that it had launched an external review into the welfare of contributors and expects to report on this in the coming months.

Channel 4 said it had been presented with “serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations which we understand these contributors deny” and added that it was “aware of the duty of privacy and ongoing duty of care to all contributors”.

The broadcaster said it could not comment on the allegations or disclose details.

CPL lawyers reportedly told the BBC that the benefits system was the “gold standard” and that it was acting accordingly.

Channel 4’s chief executive, Priya Dogra, said after joining the show that she wanted to “express my condolences to the contributors who are clearly experiencing distress”, adding that the welfare of contributors “is always of paramount importance”.

He added that the “very serious allegations” were “not in a position for Channel 4 to make a decision” and felt the broadcaster had responded “swiftly, appropriately, sensitively and with welfare at the forefront”.

Channel 4 said MAFS UK is produced under “some of the most comprehensive and robust outreach protocols in the industry”, including background checks, a code of conduct that sets standards of conduct and “daily contributor checks with a specialist outreach team”.

A spokesman for Ofcom said it had “commissioned an external review into the care of contributors at MAFS UK and we await its findings.”

It seems that no decision has been made yet about the future series of Married at First Sight.

CPL has been approached for comment.

Rape Crisis offers support to those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them in England and Wales on 0808 802 9999, in Scotland on 0808 801 0302 and in Northern Ireland on 0800 0246 991 or visit their website at: www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you’re in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).