The former CEO of Channel 4 has expressed concern about the rape allegations made by two women who participated in Married at First Sight UK (MAFS).
Alex Mahon was in charge of Channel 4 during the period when the MAFS allegations originated. She said the matter was “very serious and concerning,” adding that it was right that Channel 4 had launched reviews into the allegations, which were revealed in a BBC Panorama documentary.
Mahon was speaking in UK Parliament on Tuesday, giving evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee about the future of the BBC. She left Channel 4 last year to become the CEO of Superstruct Entertainment, a festival and live entertainment group.
Asked if there were appropriate protections for reality TV contestants, Mahon responded: “The industry is always trying to evolve and take allegations of incidents fairly seriously, and the duty of care protocols, therefore, do advance all the time. But it’s always worth another look.”
BBC Panorama reported on Monday that two anonymous women had alleged that they were raped by their partners on MAFS. A third woman, Shona Manderson, accused her onscreen husband, Bradley Skelly, of a non-consensual sexual act.
The three men accused of wrongdoing denied the allegations, none of which have been reported to the police. Channel 4 and CPL Productions, the producer of MAFS, said welfare protocols were followed, but the UK network has opted to examine the claims in more detail.
Channel 4 CEO Priya Dogra said it commissioned an external review in April. The work is comprised of two elements: One being overseen by law firm Clyde & Co, which is “examining the welfare protocols in place on this programme at the time claims were raised, as well as the handling by Channel 4 and CPL of those claims.”
The second element is being led by former BBC executive Lorraine Heggessey, who is probing whether “any changes should be made to current protocols for MAFS UK to further strengthen contributor welfare.”
While noting “it would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors,” Dogra said she believes Channel 4 “acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre” when “concerns about contributor welfare were raised.”
“Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare,” she added. “We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors.”
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson weighed in on the matter. They said: “All allegations must be referred to the appropriate authorities and investigated with the full co-operation of those involved, with action taken to ensure that the highest standards are upheld and there are consequences for criminality or wrongdoing.”
Married at First Sight UK is one of Channel 4’s biggest hits and has been airing for more than a decade. As of now, all episodes have been removed from Channel 4’s streaming service. The show airs in multiple territories around the world, including in the U.S. on Peacock.
