Married At First Sight UK has been axed from Channel 4 following a series of sexual assault allegations involving former contestants.
British broadcaster Channel 4 confirmed on Thursday the popular reality dating show would not return, following an independent review into contestant welfare.
The decision comes months after a BBC Panorama investigation revealed three former brides had accused their on-screen husbands of sexual misconduct, including two allegations of rape.
According to the BBC, one woman alleged she was raped and threatened with an acid attack by her television husband.
Another claimed she had reported an alleged rape to Channel 4 and production company CPL Productions before her episodes aired, but they were broadcast anyway.
A third woman, Shona Manderson, who appeared on the 2023 series, publicly accused her on-screen husband of sexual misconduct.
All three men were understood to have denied the allegations.
The allegations prompted Channel 4 to launch an external review, examining the show’s welfare procedures and how complaints were handled.
While the review found the broadcaster and production company had complied with broadcasting regulations, it identified occasions when welfare procedures were not fully followed.
A separate investigation, led by former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey, raised concerns that elements of the show’s format could place pressure on contestants to be intimate.
It also found participants could become dependent on production staff and lose touch with reality, potentially affecting their decision-making.
Recommendations included scrapping Intimacy Week and Partner Swap Week, introducing panic buttons and CCTV in contestants’ apartments, and allowing participants to leave the experiment without their partner’s agreement.
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra said implementing the recommendations would fundamentally change the show’s format.
She said the programme had “run its course” after a decade on television.
Dogra also apologised to the women who came forward, saying she was “very sorry for the distress those women have clearly felt”.
The decision means a new season, which was already in production when the review began, will never air.
A planned spin-off, Second Married At First Sight, has also been scrapped.
The BBC investigation had already prompted Channel 4 to remove previous episodes from its streaming platform, while a major sponsor withdrew its support.
The broadcaster stressed the independent reviews did not determine whether the sexual assault allegations were true, with those matters remaining for the relevant authorities.
The show’s budget will instead be redirected towards developing new television programmes.
The Australian version of Married At First Sight, which airs on Channel Nine, is a separate production and is not part of Channel 4’s decision.