Former Married At First Sight UK contestant Shona Manderson has spoken out after Channel 4 confirmed Thursday that the show would not return following an external review.
The independent investigation was initiated after two women claimed they were raped by their on-screen matches during filming of the show.
Manderson, who appeared in a BBC Panorama documentary about MAFS UK that aired in May, said the show being cancelled is a “very significant moment for reality TV”.
Manderson accused her on-screen partner of sexual misconduct while filming the Channel 4 show.
All three accused men deny the claims.
In a video shared on Instagram on Friday, Manderson said the outcome is a “step in the right direction,” and she feels really “proud” that she spoke up along with other women.
She said: “As a person who contributed to the BBC Panorama around welfare on the show, and also contributed to the external review, I wanted to come in here and acknowledge it.
“I feel pleased that our voices have been heard. It was incredibly difficult speaking up about our experiences, and in doing so, I always hoped that it would contribute to meaningful change.
“I think this outcome is a very significant moment for reality TV and a step in the right direction.
“I believe this sends an important message about truly listening to people when they come forward and taking their experiences seriously, and I will always be so proud that we spoke up.”
In June, a MAFS UK cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape.
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra confirmed that season six of the show, which was filmed earlier this year, will not be broadcast.
Second Married At First Sight, a spin-off set to bring contestants from the UK and Australian versions of the show for a second chance at love, was in pre-production before being paused during the review.
It will not resume production.
Dogra said that while the review did not find that Channel 4 had breached the Ofcom Code or that the format was inherently unsafe, she felt that MAFS UK had “run its course over 10 years”.
“This review did not have the authority to adjudicate on the very serious allegations made by three women in the Panorama programme, but I would like to repeat that I am very sorry for the distress those women have clearly felt,” she continued.
“I hope our actions – in swiftly commissioning the review and taking clear, decisive steps – demonstrate our commitment to the wellbeing of all contributors and our desire to relentlessly strengthen industry standards.”
The review was conducted in two parts, with law firm Clyde & Co investigating whether the welfare protocols in place fulfilled Channel 4’s duty of care obligations under the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, and former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey assessing whether changes should be made to the current welfare protocols.
More than 31,000 documents and 20 hours of broadcast and unbroadcast footage were looked at by the teams, who also conducted interviews with relevant individuals from Channel4, CPL and the contributors.
While Heggessey suggested that the show could continue if adjustments were made, she found that contributors could become “dependent on production and lose touch with reality” due to their contact with the outside world and their family being limited, which could affect their decision-making.
She also found that some format elements support relationship development between the couples, but others “heighten tension or conflict and consequently the risk profile of the show” and that some elements “could implicitly put pressure on contributors to be intimate”.
Meanwhile, extensive background checks of the contestants didn’t pick up on information “missed or withheld by applicants” that came to light after the show started filming, and that the involvement of Channel 4 had sometimes led to a “lack of objective scrutiny” over production decisions.
As for Clyde & Co’s review, the law firm ruled that contributor welfare framework in place at relevant times “was compliant with the Code” but found areas where it considered the framework “could be further strengthened”. It highlighted that there were a small number of cases where the protocols had not been fully applied, including a time when the rules “relating to prohibited substances” were broken – with those concerned being given “a first and final warning rather than being removed from the programme”.
MAFS Australia, another popular edition of the global franchise, is not affected by the review and is due to return in 2027.
Russell Brand and Noel Fielding joke about rape in resurfaced Channel 4 clip
Producer accused of witnessing Russell Brand assault told to 'step back' from role
Taskmaster's New Year Treat: The stars competing for Greg Davies's Golden Eyebrows
Rivals star reveals reaction to finding out their character was being killed off
Netflix unveils Stranger Things prequel series set decades before events of hit show
Joanne McNally scraps ‘tell-all’ Celebrity Traitors podcast after warning from BBC
