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

Channel 4 said it will not commission further series of "Married at First Sight" UK following allegations that two former contestants were raped while the programme was being filmed. The decision comes after an external review by law firm Clyde & Co and former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey examined the show's welfare protocols and the handling of concerns raised in a BBC Panorama investigation.

Clyde & Co concluded that the existing welfare framework complied with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code but identified areas for strengthening, such as the handling of prohibited substances found among participants. Heggessey's review found that, with suggested enhancements, it would be reasonable to produce future series, but noted that the show's premise – matching strangers and focusing on intimacy – could create pressure on participants and limit their ability to make independent decisions.

"The recommendations are eminently sensible and feasible, but considering their wholesale implementation provoked fundamental questions about the editorial proposition of a show that, I believe, has now run its course over ten years," said Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra.

The Panorama program earlier this year featured three women who said they experienced violent or non-consensual acts by their on-screen partners. The men involved denied the claims. Channel 4 removed all episodes of the series from its streaming and linear services after the allegations surfaced.

Heggessey recommended several changes, including separating couples into different bedrooms on the wedding night and honeymoon, making the honeymoon a "getting to know you" phase, and eliminating "Intimacy Week" and "Partner Swap Week". She also highlighted the need for more objective scrutiny of production decisions and a review of how often participants are questioned about the physical aspects of their relationships.

The series, which has aired for ten seasons and attracted viewership of more than three million per episode, is part of a global franchise with versions in over 35 countries.