Married at First Sight UK had an “unhealthy” focus on whether cast members were having sex, former and current workers on the show have said.
One former crew member said the culture on the hit Channel 4 show was “toxic from the top down”. The claims from crew members were reported by the BBC, which previously broadcast allegations from two female cast members that they were raped by their on-screen partners.
A third woman said she had been the victim of a nonconsensual sexual act by her on-screen partner.
All three on-screen partners have denied the allegations against them. CPL, the production company behind the show, said it had gold-standard welfare policies in place.
Channel 4 has already launched two investigations into the show. One is focused on its handling of the complaints it received, while a second is looking at whether welfare protocols should be changed for the future.
The allegations have provoked debate within the TV industry about whether the show’s current format, and its expectation of intimacy, was able to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of those involved in the show. Several former contributors and staff told the Guardian they did not believe it could.
Under the current Married at First Sight (MAFS) UK format, cast members meet their on-screen partner at a mock wedding at the start of the show.
Soraya Spiers, a former worker on the show, told the BBC she had concerns about a “toxic” culture. She said the emphasis on sex was “unhealthy”.
“You could argue that’s the same in real life, but if you meet someone on a date, you can leave if you need,” she said. “Putting it in the framework of a TV show makes it much harder to just walk away.
“On the wedding night, there’s an expectation, for those of us who were working on the show, that you should get some sort of hint if the couples are going to sleep together … Even though they’ve only known each other for two seconds by that point.”
Another former staff member, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said senior producers would express concerns if a couple were not having sex. “It wasn’t good for storylines,” they told the BBC. Another said the cast were given access to excessive alcohol.
In response to the reports, CPL said: “These accounts do not reflect the vast majority of positive experiences of the more than 1,200 production team members who have worked across all series.
“Contributors are not pressured in any way or expected to be intimate. Contributors are clearly informed there is no expectation to share a bed and alternative solo sleeping arrangements have always been available throughout the process.
“It is incorrect to say the cast are allowed as much alcohol as they want. CPL has an ‘alcohol protocol’, giving clear guidance on alcohol consumption, as part of its robust welfare policies.
“Team members are required to familiarise themselves with this and adhere to it. Alcohol intake during dinner parties, including reunions, is limited and overseen by executive producers and the welfare team.”
Channel 4 said: “Contributor welfare is always our primary concern across all productions. Within days of being contacted by the BBC in April, we commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK.
“The review now needs to run its course.”
