Two female Married at First Sight UK stars claim they were sexually assaulted by on-screen partners
A new BBC Panorama documentary is set to unleash allegations of sexual assault and misconduct made by former participants on the hit reality dating series Married At First Sight UK.
Two female Married at First Sight UK stars are alleging they were sexually assaulted by their onscreen husbands during filming of the Channel 4 dating series.
A third woman has also claimed she experienced sexual misconduct from her match on the programme, according to a new Panorama investigation.
The allegations are set to be examined in the BBC documentary The Dark Side of Married at First Sight, airing on BBC One on Monday (18.05.26) evening at 8pm.
It reportedly explores concerns raised by former participants about welfare standards on the reality series, which pairs strangers who meet for the first time at the altar before honeymooning and living together during an eight-week televised relationship experiment.
The men accused deny the allegations.
The claims emerge as reality television continues to face wider questions about contestant welfare and safeguarding following controversies surrounding several high-profile dating and entertainment formats in the UK and abroad.
Noor Nanji, who presents the Panorama investigation, is said to have spoken to the three unnamed women behind the allegations.
According to the BBC, none of the couples involved remain together.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “We have not seen the programme and will comment when we know more.”
Channel 4 and CPL Productions, the production company behind the series, said their welfare protocols are “robust and comprehensive”.
The current relationship experts seen on the show are Paul Carrick Brunson, Charlene Douglas and Mel Schilling, who died in March aged 53 after a battle with colon cancer that spread to her lungs and brain.
Mel became one of the franchise’s most recognisable faces through both the UK and Australian editions of the programme, with the Oz version becoming a ratings phenomenon internationally and a major streaming hit in Britain.
The BBC declined to comment on when or where the alleged assaults are said to have taken place.
Last summer, another bride reportedly claimed she had been sexually assaulted during one of the programme’s dinner parties while filming was underway.
A spokesperson for the show said at the time: “We are aware that a report has been made to police about an alleged sexual assault during the filming of a dinner party.
“We take any issues on the show incredibly seriously. Producers follow strict welfare protocols as the wellbeing of the cast is always the first priority.
“Support would be offered to anyone who wished to report a matter to the authorities, and naturally we would cooperate with any enquiries or investigations.”
A source told The Sun: “The show's been criticised for throwing strangers together and sending them on honeymoon for viewers' entertainment.
“Now it's alleged someone was assaulted after tying the knot. It is a disastrous look for bosses.”
The format, which originated in Denmark before expanding globally, has become one of the most talked-about reality franchises in Britain, Australia and the US.
The UK version has aired nine series and regularly trends on social media during explosive dinner party episodes and commitment ceremonies. Despite its popularity, only a small number of couples from the British series have remained together after filming ended.
