“I want to express my sympathy to contributors"
Amid the allegations involving Married at First Sight UK (MAFS UK), Channel 4 CEO Priya Dogra expressed sympathy for the women who came forward.
A BBC Panorama investigation revealed allegations that two women were raped and a third was the victim of a non-consensual sex act, during the filming of the show.
Speaking on the situation, Dogra said: “I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight UK.
“The well-being of our contributors is always of paramount importance.
“It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors.
“Those allegations, which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused, are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on.
“We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.”
MAFS UK is a reality series where single people are matched by relationship experts and meet for the first time on their wedding day.
Channel 4 said the programme operates under “comprehensive and robust welfare protocols”, which it says include the most thorough background checks available, a Code of Conduct outlining behavioural expectations, daily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team, and access to support before, during and after filming.
The broadcaster added that the physical and psychological well-being of contributors remains a central priority throughout production.
Channel 4 also said all duty of care processes are regularly reviewed and strengthened where appropriate.
Priya Dogra defended the broadcaster’s handling of earlier concerns raised during production:
“On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre.”
However, she said the seriousness of the situation meant further scrutiny was necessary, despite those assurances:
“Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
“That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months.
“We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors.”
The review is now underway and will examine two key areas.
The first, led by law firm Clyde & Co, will assess the welfare protocols in place when concerns were raised and how Channel 4 and CPL handled them at the time.
Alongside this, former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey has been appointed to conduct an industry-focused review into whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare standards on the show.
Channel 4 said it expects the review to report in the coming months and will publish a summary of findings and recommendations at an appropriate time.
While the review is ongoing, Channel 4 has removed all previous seasons of MAFS UK from both its streaming and linear services, as well as taking down the programme’s social media channels.
The broadcaster said this decision was taken in light of the seriousness of the allegations, its ongoing duty of care to contributors, and to avoid fuelling speculation or potential identification of individuals involved.
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