Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has expressed dissatisfaction with Channel 4's response to the government following serious allegations of rape and sexual assault made by women who appeared on the reality show Married At First Sight UK.
Allegations and Denials
Participant Shona Manderson accused her on-screen partner of sexual misconduct during the show. Additionally, two other anonymous women alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands. All three men deny the allegations.
Nandy's Statement in the Commons
In the House of Commons, Ms Nandy stated: “I know members across this House will be horrified and disgusted at the serious allegations of abuse against women in the TV industry that have emerged recently. Everyone has the right to be safe and treated with dignity.”
She added: “My honourable friend has met with Channel 4 recently about the serious allegations that have emerged around Married At First Sight. We are not satisfied as a Government with the response that we have received, and I will be discussing this further with Channel 4 in the coming week.”
Channel 4's Response
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra said she was “deeply sorry” after the allegations emerged in a BBC Panorama documentary. She emphasized that “welfare across all our programmes is hugely important to us, and is a primary concern.”
