Rape allegations made by women who appeared on Married at First Sight (MAFS) UK are \u201cvery serious and concerning\u201d, a former Channel 4 chief executive has said.<\/p>\n
Alex Mahon said launching an investigation was \u201cthe right thing\u201d to do and the seriousness of the allegations meant current protocols around ensuring reality TV programmes met their duty of care to participants would need to be reviewed to ensure \u201cenough is being done\u201d.<\/p>\n
A BBC Panorama episode that aired on Monday evening documented accusations from three contestants about their time on the reality TV show. Two women alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands, while a third woman accused her on-screen husband of taking things too far during sex.<\/p>\n
The show, which is produced for Channel 4 by the independent production company CPL, features single people being matched by experts and then \u201cmarrying\u201d, with the couples meeting for the first time on their wedding day.<\/p>\n
Mahon was asked about the documentary while appearing before MPs on the culture, media and sport committee (CMS) on Tuesday. She told the committee: \u201cObviously, I\u2019m no longer at Channel 4 but I watched the programme last night. There are some very serious and concerning allegations in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the right thing for them to do is to launch an investigation. I think, in fact, they\u2019ve announced two investigations, a legal one and a duty of care protocols one, and then we should see what those investigations come up with and act on any findings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Channel 4 has removed all seasons of MAFS UK from its streaming platform after what it said were \u201cvery serious allegations\u201d. The broadcaster also announced that in April it had commissioned an external review of contributor welfare.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied,\u201d Channel 4 said in a statement on Monday. \u201cThe channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.<\/p>\n
\u201cRelated to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time. Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement to the BBC, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said: \u201cAll allegations must be referred to the appropriate authorities and investigated with the full cooperation of those involved, with action taken to ensure that the highest standards are upheld and there are consequences for criminality or wrongdoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
None of the women the BBC spoke to had taken their allegations to the police, it was reported.<\/p>\n
Lawyers for CPL told the BBC that its welfare system was \u201cgold standard\u201d and that it had acted appropriately.<\/p>\n
Priya Dogra, the Channel 4 chief executive, told the BBC: \u201cOn 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Channel 4 said MAFS UK was produced under \u201csome of the most comprehensive and robust welfare protocols in the industry\u201d, including background checks, a code of conduct setting out behavioural standards and \u201cdaily contributor check-ins with a specialist welfare team\u201d.<\/p>\n
The chair of the culture committee, Caroline Dinenage, told the BBC that MAFS UK had felt almost like \u201can accident waiting to happen\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a TV show that almost expects and anticipates people that have only just met each other will have to become really quite intimate with each other,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re expected to share a bed and a life together within minutes of meeting \u2013 it almost feels like an accident waiting to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking on BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme on Tuesday, Dinenage added: \u201cClearly, the programme was deeply shocking.\u201d She went on: \u201cI guess what surprised me most was how unsurprised I was by what it revealed, given \u2026 that these are couples that get married without having met each other before, and then immediately have to assume a life as a married couple.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey go on honeymoon, they share a bed, and in this kind of bubble of intimacy under the glare of a TV camera. In the cold light of day, it really is quite horrifying, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
The security minister, Dan Jarvis, told BBC Breakfast he was \u201cextremely concerned\u201d. \u201cThese are shocking and deeply concerning allegations and of course they must be very thoroughly investigated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis<\/a> offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland<\/a>, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland<\/a>. In the US, Rainn<\/a> offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect<\/a> (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org\/rcip\/internl.html<\/a><\/p>\n Get in touch<\/p>\n Contact us about this story<\/p>\n The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject, you can contact us confidentially using the following methods:<\/p>\n Secure Messaging in the Guardian app<\/p>\n The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS<\/a>\/Android<\/a>) and go to the menu. Select \u2018Secure Messaging\u2019. <\/p>\n SecureDropIf you can safely use the tor network without being observed or monitored you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform.<\/a><\/p>\n