The UK’s ‘Married at First Sight’ has been canceled following allegations of sexual assault on the show, broadcaster Channel 4 confirmed today.
Based on an Australian format, the series sees experts pair up two single strangers who meet for the first time on their wedding day before immediately moving in together.
Earlier this year, a BBC investigation by documentary strand “Panorama” found that there were three cases of sexual assault during the British version of the series, produced for Channel 4 by production company CPL. A man was later arrested on suspicion of rape. All of the accused men have denied the allegations.
Season 6, already filmed, will not air and the spinoff series “Second Married at First Sight,” which was in pre-production when the allegations broke with casting scheduled for this summer, has also been canceled. Previous seasons of the show have since been removed from Channel 4’s streaming platforms, although international versions are still available.
Following the investigation, Channel 4 commissioned two separate reviews, which have now been completed. The first, carried out by law firm Clyde & Co, examined whether the social protocols sufficiently met Channel 4’s due diligence obligations as set out by media regulator Ofcom. The second review was led by Lorraine Heggessey, former controller of BBC One, to determine whether changes to the show would “enhance contributor wellbeing”.
Channel 4 CEO Priya Dogra, who was appointed just months before the allegations came to light, has now said that while the two critics effectively cleared Channel 4 of any wrongdoing, Heggessey’s proposed changes to strengthen welfare protocols – such as 24/7 recording and housing participants in separate rooms on their wedding night – would make continuing the operation too expensive. The budget for the show will instead be reinvested in other shows.
“While the review praised the welfare protocols in place and did not conclude that Channel 4 had breached the Ofcom code or that the format was inherently dangerous, I have to question when is the right time for Channel 4 to leave a format,” Dogra said in a statement. “The recommendations are entirely sensible and achievable, but their massive implementation has raised fundamental questions about the editorial proposition of a show that I believe is now ten years old.”
“Channel 4 has always thrived on reinvention and now is the time to launch a new era of creative renewal, using the considerable budget to find the next generation of distinctive and disruptive British television.”
Ofcom has launched its own investigation into the show regarding “fairness and privacy”.
The Interparliamentary Committee on Culture, Media and Sport will also hold a evidence session on Channel 4 later this month,
In a statement, committee chair Caroline Dinenage said the decision to cancel the series: “makes sense, given the findings of the review and the seriousness of the allegations. It is very clear that there are important wider lessons to be learned, not only for program makers, but also for Ofcom. Reality TV contestants have often been treated like a commodity, with duty of care a slogan rather than a real principle. Everyone involved in the production and regulation of reality TV must now learn and act.”
The committee is due to hold a testimony session on Channel 4’s work with the channel’s chairman and chief executive on November 17.
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