A former groom on Married At First Sight UK has alleged he was pressured to stay silent after reporting an alleged sexual assault involving an on-screen co-star during filming. The anonymous contestant told the Mirror that producers and welfare staff did not take appropriate action after he disclosed the incident.
He claimed the co-star became aggressive after a night of drinking with production and welfare staff. According to the groom, 'no' was not being taken for an answer before his underwear was forcibly ripped off. He eventually locked himself in a separate room after struggling to get away.
The following morning, the co-star disclosed the incident to a welfare producer, who later approached the groom at the airport. The producer allegedly minimised the situation, attributing it to intoxication, and asked: 'Can you not bring it up on TV?' The groom initially agreed to stay quiet, trusting the welfare team, but later grew frustrated when production encouraged him to remain in the experiment.
He said he informed a senior welfare team member, but his concerns were dismissed because he did not fear for his life. The groom alleged: 'I said to them, if I was a girl and we had this conversation, it would be treated completely differently.' He decided to speak out after watching a BBC Panorama investigation into the show.
Channel 4 has removed all ten series from its platforms and scrapped the upcoming series following the Panorama documentary, which revealed allegations of rape and sexual assault by two women. The Metropolitan Police has urged potential victims to come forward. Channel 4 has commissioned an external review, insisting its welfare protocols are 'some of the most comprehensive and robust in the industry'.
