A contestant cleared to appear on a Channel 4 dating show had assaulted an ex-girlfriend and allegedly abused a second, it has been claimed.
The 41-year-old man admitted assault at a magistrates court in late 2020, The Sun reported.
He was given a one-year community order, a two-year restraining order and was told to pay £225 over the offence in West Sussex, the newspaper said.
Earlier this week, Channel 4 pulled all episodes of Married at First Sight UK after two women claimed they were raped by their on-screen husbands during filming.
The mother of the woman who he was convicted of assaulting criticised the producers of First Dates for clearing the contestant to appear on national television.
She told The Sun: “I cannot tell you how damaging this man has been to her life physically, but also the impact to her long-term mental health has been catastrophic.
“She was so brave to take him on and she did so hoping he would be punished and other women would not have to suffer as she has done.”
The mother said she had been shocked to see the man promoted as an “ideal potential partner” in a recent First Dates show.
She added: “There obviously cannot have been any due diligence.”
A spokesman for Channel 4 said the show completes the “highest level of checks” that it is legally allowed to undertake, including a DBS check.
‘What I experienced has left lasting trauma’
Another ex-girlfriend of the contestant also came forward to question the vetting process for the show.
She told the newspaper: “What I experienced has left lasting trauma that I carry with me every single day.
“The impact has affected every part of my life.”
The woman claimed to have “completely spiralled” after seeing him appear on TV, adding: “Channel 4 should be held accountable for presenting, for entertainment, a man with a known history of violence against women as a safe and trustworthy partner.”
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “Contributor care is our highest priority. All First Dates contributors are subject to the highest level of checks we are legally able to undertake, which include a DBS and detailed online checks.
“All checks for this individual, including the DBS, were clear.”
Earlier this week, Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of Ofcom, said the allegations of rape and sexual assault made by contestants on Married at First Sight raised “really serious concerns”.
A third woman has since come forward to claim she had an abortion following a non-consensual sex act by her partner on the show.
She said the regulator would “tighten its guidance around reality shows if necessary”.
Channel 4 bosses continued to broadcast the episodes despite being aware of some of the allegations, and all episodes featuring the women had previously been available on its streaming service, according to a BBC Panorama investigation.
Priya Dogra, the broadcaster’s chief executive, said she had commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on Married at First Site last month, which had yet to report back.