Married at First Sight UK Axed as Channel 4 Confirms Show Will Not Return
Channel 4 confirms Married at First Sight UK has been axed following a welfare review, with an unfinished series and planned spin-off also cancelled.
Married at First Sight UK has officially been cancelled after Channel 4 confirmed the popular reality dating series will not return following an independent review into contestant welfare.
The decision follows serious allegations raised in a BBC Panorama investigation earlier this year. Two former participants alleged they were raped during production, while a third alleged a non-consensual sexual act. The three men accused have denied the allegations.
Channel 4 commissioned two separate reviews. Law firm Clyde & Co found that welfare procedures complied with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, although some safeguards had not been fully implemented.
A second review, led by former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey, concluded that production could continue with additional protections and adjustments to the format. Neither review determined the truth of the allegations.
However, Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra said implementing the recommendations would fundamentally alter the programme, which she believes has now “run its course” after ten years.
The decision also means the sixth series, which had already entered production, will never be broadcast. Plans for spin-off Second Married at First Sight have also been abandoned.
Dogra apologised for the distress experienced by the women and confirmed that the show’s budget would instead support new British television programmes.
Previous UK episodes were removed from Channel 4’s streaming service earlier this year, bringing an abrupt end to one of the broadcaster’s biggest reality television successes.
