Channel 4 cancels "Married at First Sight UK" after rape allegations

Channel 4 said on Thursday that the dating series will not return after ten seasons following allegations that three former female contestants were sexually assaulted by the men they were matched with on the show. The broadcaster’s chief executive, Priya Dogra, issued an apology to the women for the distress they have experienced and said the decision followed an independent review of the programme’s welfare procedures and the network’s handling of complaints.

The review raised "fundamental questions about the editorial proposition of a show that, I believe, has now run its course over 10 years," Dogra added. She noted that the review was not tasked with determining the truth of the allegations, which were first reported by the BBC.

One of the women alleged that her on-screen husband threatened to throw acid at her, while another accused her partner of rape. A third participant, Shona Manderson, publicly identified herself and said her husband engaged in a non-consensual sexual act. The accused men have denied the claims, and at least one male cast member has been arrested on suspicion of rape.

Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom has opened its own investigation into the matter. "Married at First Sight UK" paired singles selected by relationship experts, with ceremonies that are not legally binding but were followed by honeymoon trips and cohabitation as cameras documented the relationships.