A cast member from Married at First Sight UK has been arrested on suspicion of rape, following allegations of sexual misconduct on the reality television show. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest, stating that the individual has been bailed while inquiries continue. Neither the suspect nor the alleged victim has been named, as alleged victims of rape are entitled to lifelong anonymity under UK law.
The arrest comes after the Metropolitan Police issued a public appeal in May, urging anyone who believed they had been sexually assaulted during their time on the show to come forward. This followed a BBC Panorama investigation that featured allegations from two women who said they were raped by their on-screen husbands, and a third who accused her on-screen husband of a non-consensual sex act. All three men deny the claims.
Since the Panorama programme aired, the BBC has reported receiving further concerns from former Married at First Sight UK participants. The Met Police has been in contact with Channel 4, which broadcasts the show, and CPL Productions, the independent production company behind it.
Channel 4’s chief executive, Priya Dogra, has expressed that she is “deeply sorry” for the distress caused to female participants who made allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. However, she has also defended the broadcaster’s handling of the concerns raised. The channel has commissioned two investigations: one into its own handling of complaints from contestants, and another into whether safeguarding protocols need to be updated for the future.
Married at First Sight, commonly known as MAFS, involves strangers who are matched by experts and meet for the first time at a mock wedding ceremony. The couples are then housed together and decide whether to remain in the relationship. CPL Productions has previously described its welfare system for the show as “gold standard” and industry-leading, adding that contributors are not pressured or expected to be intimate.
