Channel 4 boss apologises after Married At First Sight sexual misconduct allegations

Channel 4’s chief executive has stood by the broadcaster’s treatment of concerns raised by contestants on Married At First Sight, as she said she was “deeply sorry” for the distress of female participants making allegations of rape and sexual misconduct.

Priya Dogra said she believed the channel had acted appropriately at the time of the allegations, but had commissioned an external review to ensure the show was safe for those taking part.

She spoke as a committee of MPs demanded answers from the broadcaster and Ofcom, the media regulator, over what they described as the “horrifying allegations” made about the hit show.

An edition of the BBC’s Panorama aired allegations by two women that they were raped by their on-screen husbands on Married At First Sight (MAFS) UK. They have not been named. A third woman, who agreed to be identified, Shona Manderson, accused her on-screen husband of subjecting her to a non-consensual sex act. All the men deny the claims.

The BBC has since been contacted by a number of former MAFS UK cast members raising concerns, according to its culture and media editor, Katie Razzall.

The Metropolitan police also reiterated its appeal to anyone with allegations of abuse during the show to come forward. They are already in touch with Channel 4 and CPL, the independent production company that makes the show for the broadcaster.

“We are ready to listen to them,” said the Met assistant commissioner Matt Twist. “We are ready to investigate.”

The show features single people being matched by experts and then “marrying”, with the couples meeting for the first time on their wedding day.

Speaking at Channel 4’s annual report, Dogra said that while she believed the broadcaster had acted appropriately, she had ordered external reviews to take a “second look”, given she only took up her role in March.

“I have watched the programme and heard the women’s accounts, which are very troubling,” she said. “Their distress is clear, and for that I am, of course, deeply sorry.

“Welfare across all our programmes is hugely important to us, and is a primary concern. However, I’m sure you, you’ll appreciate that Channel 4 cannot investigate the specific allegations against the men – which they have denied – nor can I comment on them in any way. We are a broadcaster, not an adjudicator, and allegations of this type are investigated by other bodies, including when complaints are raised by the police.

“I do believe that a handling of concerns raised at the time was appropriate, but as I took up the role only recently, I wanted this looked at again.”

Ian Katz, Channel 4’s chief content officer, said: “I am very confident that, based on the knowledge that we had at the time, that we made the right decisions, that we ensured that women involved were kept safe when any issues were raised to us, that we gave them the appropriate support – and that we took the right decisions through the production process and beyond that.