Married at First Sight UK: Channel 4 kept contestant on air after assault arrest despite protests

A Married at First Sight UK contestant appeared on the show while on bail for domestic violence offences, according to a new report.

The news comes after episodes of the show were removed after a BBC investigation uncovered shock allegations from two brides who claim they were raped during filming, with a third describing an alleged non-consensual sex act.

Executives were informed the man had been arrested for allegedly assaulting his ex-partner just five days before his episode was scheduled to air.

However, they chose to proceed, despite requests from the alleged victim’s family to pull the episode, according to a story first reported by The Sun.

The woman’s family spoke with executives of the show and shared their concerns.

The family told The Sun that a senior executive responded: “We are not judge and jury.”

The contestant, who was on bail, is in his 20s and cannot be named for legal reasons. Police said, after a review of evidence, the man would face no action.

A family friend said the family had warned Channel 4, which airs the show in the United Kingdom, about the arrest and urged them to remove the episode, but said their concerns were dismissed.

“It seemed like bosses were more worried about their ratings. Contestant welfare should take priority,” the family friend said.

“There should have been a more rigorous safeguarding system. This show needs to be shut down.”

The woman was allegedly left with black eyes and broken ribs, and her ex-partner was also accused of attacking her dog.

The woman, who The Sun chose not to identify, told friends she felt physically ill after seeing the man appear in promotional material for the show.

Those close to her made repeated attempts to alert Channel 4 about her allegations before the episode aired.

Married at First Sight UK was available on ThreeNow - it's now been removed.

Since the BBC aired its investigation, Sky TV has also removed Married at First Sight UK from its ThreeNow platform in New Zealand.

In response to the BBC investigation, lawyers for CPL, the production company behind the show, said its welfare protocols were “gold standard”.

CPL said experts carry out psychological checks on contributors, and provide oversight by a welfare team and offer access to psychologists and ongoing support.

In a statement regarding an external review of MAFS, Channel 4’s chief executive Priya Dogra expressed her sympathy to contributors “who have clearly been distressed”.

“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,” she said.

Contestants have been edited out of the show in the past.

In February this year Micah Lomu and Ankita Karungalekar were axed from Married at First Sight Australia after the show’s producers saw social media comments claiming Lomu had been violent toward a previous partner.

“It was an allegation that had no proof,” Lomu told the Daily Mail at the time, insisting the producers instruct the accuser to take their claims to police so he could have an opportunity to clear his name.

Despite his request, the pair was asked to leave the show after they had already filmed their wedding and were edited out.