Married At First Sight UK hit by fresh allegations as three more stars claim they were sexually assaulted and abused on the show amid calls for the series to be axed

Married at First Sight UK is facing new allegations from three former stars who claim they were harassed and sexually assaulted while filming the series.

In the E4 reality series BBC Panorama has faced calls being canceled following allegations that two women were raped during filming and a third woman said she was the victim of a non-consensual sexual act.

Now two brides and a groom who attended MAFS UK have come forward to share their experiences.

The trio, whose names were not released, claimed that support from the programme’s outreach team was inadequate.

Lawyers for CPL, the production company behind MAFS UK, said after the first allegations in the Panorama documentary emerged that the benefits system was the ‘gold standard’ and had acted correctly in all these cases.

Channel 4 boss Priya Dogra initially refused to apologize following Panorama’s broadcast, but has since said she was “deeply sorry”.

To talk MirrorA groom claimed he was pressured by producers to remain silent after reporting an allegation of sexual assault involving his co-star.

She said her on-screen ex-girlfriend became aggressive after a night of drinking and her underwear was torn in the room, even though she said “no”.

Although the groom initially decided to keep quiet about the attack, hoping he could make the marriage work, he later raised his concerns with a more senior member of the outreach team, which he claimed was denied.

He said: ‘They contacted me saying I had signed a non-disclosure agreement [non-disclosure agreement] and should not speak negatively about the process.’

A bride claimed she was traumatized for years after appearing on the show because she felt isolated and controlled by her husband.

She said: ‘He committed an indecent act and then touched my face without my consent. He forbade me from drinking or talking to the production crew without him.

‘Them [production] “Everything will be okay,” he would say. After I complained the staff bought me a drink to smooth things over.’

He also claimed that there was little protection for participants when the cameras were not working and that he felt pressured to get close at times.

The second bride claimed that her husband, with whom she was paired on the show, ‘threw things and called her names’.

He said: ‘They would separate us into breakout rooms to understand both sides of the story. Most of the time they will ask you if there is any way that could have provoked this.

‘My biggest thing is like being left in the same room with this guy. There is a concept that says he is your husband, but he is not. It is not legally binding. It’s just a dating show.’

A representative for Channel 4 pointed to the network’s full statement published on Monday, in which they shared plans to launch an external review into the welfare of contributors.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said it had “the most comprehensive and robust wellbeing protocols in the industry”.

They said: ‘Serious criminal allegations were made against a small number of past contributors to Channel 4 in April, allegations which we understand these contributors deny.

‘The channel is mindful of its duty of confidentiality and ongoing care to all contributors and cannot comment on or disclose the details of these allegations.

‘In relation to these allegations, Channel 4 has been asked to respond to allegations of failures in its outreach protocols.

‘Channel 4 believes that when concerns were raised about the welfare of contributors through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken based on the information available at the time. Channel 4 strongly denies any claims to the contrary.

‘Despite the actions taken at the time, Channel 4’s recently appointed chief executive Priya Dogra ordered an external review of the welfare of MAFS UK contributors last month.’

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Channel 4 for further comment.

The E4 program is facing calls to be taken off air following allegations that two women were raped during filming, while a third, Shona Manderson, said she was the victim of a non-consensual sexual act.

Channel 4 boss Priya Dogra initially refused to apologize following Panorama’s broadcast, but has since said she was “deeply sorry”.

Alleged victims featured in the Panorama documentary include Shona Manderson, who said she had an abortion after her on-screen husband Brad Skelly took things ‘too far’ during sex and ‘crossed the line’ when he ejaculated inside her without consent.

He said he understood she had given consent and denied any sexual harassment.

Waiving his name, he described how he “completely lost his light” during filming; This saw pundits raise concerns about Brad’s alleged “controlling” attitude towards him and how they were ultimately asked to leave the show.

A fourth MAFS ‘bride’ also spoke to the Daily Mail and said she left the controversial series in disgust at the treatment of her and her co-stars. You can read the full story here.

On Wednesday, Laura Vaughan, one of the brides in the 2023 series along with Shona, said she had also gone to the outreach team on the Channel 4 show because of Brad’s “disturbing” and “challenging” behaviour.

Laura shared a video on social media in which she told her followers that the documentary raises questions about reality television’s preservation processes.

While two other female contestants stated that they were raped by their on-screen husbands, one contestant informed both Channel 4 and the production company that only the episodes would be broadcast.

The other said that he had bruises on his body due to the alleged attack and that his partner also threatened to throw acid on him.

It is understood that all of the men deny the accusations against them.

The women say the program, created by independent firm CPL, does not do enough to protect them and that outreach protocols are inadequate.

Shortly before the Panorama episode aired, Channel 4 announced it had commissioned an external review into the welfare of its contributors.

It later removed all ten series of MAFS UK from the online streaming platform and said it had not decided whether Series 11, which had already been filmed and was due to be released in the autumn, would be aired.

The marriages on the show are a ‘social experiment’ and are not legally binding, but cameras follow the couples as they go on ‘honeymoon’ and continue living together.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard has urged potential victims of sexual assault on the reality show to come forward.

A spokesman for the force said: ‘We are aware of media reports about allegations of rape and sexual assault following a television program broadcast on Monday 18 May.

‘We have not received any criminal complaint regarding this matter at the moment. We will be making approaches to relevant production teams to ensure that everyone they speak to knows how to report any allegations of crime 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.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman called for ‘appropriate action’ to be taken as Channel 4 bosses met media minister Ian Murray for crisis talks.

The Daily Mail previously revealed how CPL contacted staff from series 10 of the show and urged them to be careful about posting on social media.

They warned them to identify men accused of rape by their on-screen partners and offered a support email they could reach late into the night this week.

Separately, the Mail also told how past contestants were tipped off about the damning allegations before they came forward and warned them how they might find them ‘upsetting’.