A former bride on Married At First Sight UK has alleged that her on-screen husband performed a lewd act and touched her face without consent, and that production staff were aware but encouraged her to continue. The woman, who spoke to the Mirror following a BBC Panorama investigation, claimed she felt pressured into intimacy and that welfare protocols were inadequate once couples left the cameras.
She described months of psychological assessments before the show, but said: 'I told them everything about myself – that I’d been in controlling relationships before... But now I feel like I gave them the blueprint on how to expose me and use me.' She alleged that the experts were unaware of the behaviour and that production staff bought her a drink to 'smooth things over' after she complained.
The claims come after Channel 4 removed all ten series from its streaming platform and scrapped the upcoming series. The Panorama documentary revealed that two women claim they were raped by their on-screen 'husbands' during filming, and another alleged sexual assault. The Metropolitan Police has urged potential victims to come forward.
The bride said: 'They need to properly safeguard people instead of just creating drama. This Panorama story is only the beginning of hearing the nightmares people have had.' Channel 4 has commissioned an external review but insists its welfare protocols are 'some of the most comprehensive and robust in the industry'.
