Married at First Sight UK allegations 'deeply disturbing', says watchdog

The allegations of rape on Married at First Sight UK are "shocking and deeply disturbing," the broadcast regulator has said.

In a letter to MPs, Ofcom said it would examine the findings of Channel 4's review into welfare on the show, and would consider whether any further action is required.

Channel 4 has also written to MPs, admitting it was aware of some, but not all, information relating to the allegations raised by BBC Panorama before the relevant series of Married at First Sight UK were broadcast.

The Panorama investigation two weeks ago revealed allegations that two women had been raped during filming on the reality TV show, while a third said she had been the victim of a non-consensual sex act. The men denied the allegations.

All episodes have been taken down from Channel 4's streaming service, and a major sponsor has pulled out.

Following the Panorama programme, a group of MPs wrote to both Channel 4 and to Ofcom to ask for answers about what they called "horrifying" allegations on the show, known to many as MAFS UK.

The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee listed a set of questions about their actions and responses to the claims.

Responding to that letter, Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Ofcom's group director of broadcast and media, said the watchdog took the allegations "very seriously" and said Ofcom had been in direct contact with Channel 4 after the concerns were raised by Panorama.

She noted that Channel 4 has commissioned an external review into contributor welfare on MAFS UK, adding: "We have asked Channel 4 to provide us with an advance copy, and we will urgently review the findings to determine whether any regulatory action is necessary."

The letter from MPs two weeks ago also asked when concerns about the alleged treatment of cast members on MAFS UK were first raised with Ofcom.

Responding to that, Squires said that where complaints are made by individuals, these are kept confidential while they investigate.

But she said Ofcom has received standards complaints from viewers about MAFS UK since the first series of the programme in 2015.

She added that it is "not unusual" for Ofcom to receive high numbers of complaints about particular broadcast scenes.

"After careful assessment, Ofcom did not consider that any of the standards complaints we received from viewers about Married at First Sight UK have raised potentially substantive issues which warranted investigation," she said.

In a separate letter, Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4, addressed questions put to the broadcaster by MPs.

One of those questions was about when Channel 4 first became aware of the allegations made in the Panorama programme.

In her letter, Dogra said: "Channel 4 was aware of some, but not all, information pertinent to the allegations ultimately raised in the Panorama programme prior to the broadcast of the relevant series of Married at First Sight UK."

She added that decisions to broadcast the series were "only made after careful consideration of the contemporaneously available information".

MPs also asked Dogra why Channel 4's initial response to the allegations was "so dismissive", with the broadcaster calling them "wholly uncorroborated and disputed".

"Channel 4 has never been dismissive of the matters raised in the Panorama programme," Dogra responded, adding that the phrase had been "taken out of context by the BBC".

She also insisted the show is produced "under some of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry".

Married at First Sight UK - known to many as MAFS - sees single people agree to "marry" total strangers, after meeting for the first time at their mock weddings.

The marriages are not legally binding, but viewers see the couples go on "honeymoon", before moving in together and navigating their relationships - all while being filmed, almost every day.

Following the Panorama programme, the Metropolitan Police urged potential victims of sexual assault on reality TV show Married At First Sight UK to get in touch.