Channel 4 has canceled “Married at First Sight UK” after two external reviews prompted by rape and sexual misconduct allegations from three former cast members, the broadcaster said Thursday. Chief executive Priya Dogra said the dating series had “run its course.” The decision means a sixth series, filmed before the reviews began, will never air. A planned spin-off, “Second Marriage at First Sight,” also will not proceed. The five earlier series stay off Channel 4’s streaming service.
The reviews cleared the broadcaster of regulatory breaches. One, by law firm Clyde & Co, examined how Channel 4 handled the allegations and whether it broke Ofcom’s code. A second, led by former BBC executive Lorraine Heggessey, called the show’s welfare protocols extensive, thorough and of a high standard. It found no evidence that the format itself is unsafe and said continuing would be reasonable if Channel 4 strengthened welfare support and adjusted the format. Dogra said she still had to decide when a format should end.
The cancellation caps a bruising six months. BBC’s “Panorama” aired an investigation in May, “The Dark Side of Married at First Sight,” in which two women said their on-screen husbands raped them and a third alleged a non-consensual sex act. The men deny the allegations. Channel 4 had already commissioned an external review in April after receiving the claims. It pulled episodes from its platforms, and the travel company TUI ended its sponsorship. The BBC reported this summer that a male cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape. Channel 4 said the specific allegations remain a matter for the authorities.
The format is a hit for the broadcaster. Strangers are matched by relationship experts and meet at their wedding, in marriages that carry no legal weight. The series has run in Britain since 2015 and belongs to an international franchise that includes versions in the United States and Australia. Production company CPL said it understands Channel 4’s decision. Channel 4 will redirect the show’s budget. David Brindley, the new programs chief, starts in January and will decide how to spend it.
