Ex-Ofcom chair warns of reality TV ‘exploitation’ after Married At First Sight claims

EntertainmentLifestyle
22 May 2026 • 11:14 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Ex-Ofcom chair warns of reality TV ‘exploitation’ after Married At First Sight claims

  • Lord Grade, former chairman of Ofcom, has warned that reality television producers are at risk of “crossing a line into exploitation and taking risks with the public’s mental health.”
  • His comments follow allegations of sexual misconduct and rape made by former participants of Married At First Sight (MAFS) UK, which were featured in a BBC Panorama programme.
  • Lord Grade told Times Radio that “alarm bells ring when you see what a suite of protocols and duty of care measures have to be put in place to protect the public.”
  • Tui Group has ended its sponsorship of the UK and Australian versions of MAFS following these allegations, which the accused men deny.
  • Channel 4, which airs MAFS UK, has launched a review into contributor welfare, while police have urged potential victims of sexual assault on the show to come forward.