Channel 4 has confirmed that Married at First Sight UK will not return to the broadcaster, following a review into the show's welfare protocols. Series 11 of MAFS UK, which was in production when the review was commissioned, will not be broadcast. The spin-off Second Married at First Sight (SMAFS), which had been in pre-production, will also not resume production.
Review findings and welfare compliance
MAFS UK was the subject of an external review in April after Panorama aired allegations from three former contestants. All seasons of the UK series were subsequently removed from streaming and from the show's official social media channels. The broadcaster has now shared the review's findings and confirmed that the show will not return, not because of any wrongdoing by the channel or production company.
An extensive document detailing the review's findings was published on Thursday (November 5). The first part of the review, conducted by law firm Clyde & Co, examined whether the "welfare protocols in place at the time the claims were initially raised, and the handling by Channel 4 and CPL of those claims, fulfilled Channel 4’s duty of care obligations under the Ofcom Broadcasting Code".
This review found that both Channel 4 and MAFS production company CPL's welfare practices were compliant with the Ofcom code. However, it also noted incidents in which the welfare protocol was not fully implemented. This review recommended changes that could improve the existing welfare procedures.
Recommendations and the decision to end the show
Another section of the review looked into whether any changes should be made to the current MAFS UK protocols to improve contributors' welfare. BBC One Controller Lorraine Heggessey led this portion of the review and found that "the welfare protocols for MAFS UK were extensive, extremely thorough and of a high standard from which other productions in the industry have learned".
"It also offered observations on the specific challenges associated with the MAFS UK format and made comprehensive future-facing recommendations," the findings state. Heggessey ultimately found that it would be reasonable to continue producing MAFS UK "with enhancements to the existing contributor welfare framework and adjustments to the format".
However, Channel 4 Chief Executive Priya Dogra took on the reviewers' findings but ultimately decided that implementing their recommendations would "fundamentally" change the format of the programme. Taking into consideration that the show has had a successful run since 2015, she decided to bring MAFS UK to an end. Its budget will be reinvested in new programmes from the UK independent production community.
Channel 4 statement and next steps
Dogra said: "I want to thank Lorraine Heggessey and Clyde & Co for their thorough and incisive work over the last few months. Welfare across all our programmes is a primary concern, so we welcome the review, its findings and recommendations. MAFS UK has been enjoyed by millions of viewers, made possible by the willingness of its contributors to embrace the social experiment at the heart of the show and the many talented people involved in its production."
"I am grateful to everyone at Channel 4 and CPL Productions who has worked on the show and want to thank them for their significant efforts to protect the welfare of contributors, something which was recognised in both reviews."
Dogra continued: "Whilst the review praised the welfare protocols in place and made no findings that Channel 4 breached the Ofcom Code or that the format is inherently unsafe, I have to consider when is the right time for Channel 4 to move on from a format. The recommendations are eminently sensible and feasible, but considering their wholesale implementation provoked fundamental questions about the editorial proposition of a show that, I believe, has now run its course over ten years."
"Channel 4 has always thrived on reinvention, and this is a moment to kickstart a new era of creative renewal, using the considerable budget to find the next generation of distinctive and disruptive British television. This review did not have the authority to adjudicate on the very serious allegations made by three women in the Panorama programme, but I would like to repeat that I am very sorry for the distress those women have clearly felt."
"I hope our actions – in swiftly commissioning the review and taking clear, decisive steps - demonstrate our commitment to the wellbeing of all contributors and our desire to relentlessly strengthen industry standards."
