A former bride on Married At First Sight UK has alleged that her on-screen husband performed a lewd act and touched her face without consent, leaving her traumatised for years. Speaking to the Mirror after the BBC Panorama investigation, she claimed production staff were aware of incidents but encouraged her to continue, even buying her a drink to smooth things over.
The bride alleged she felt pressured into intimacy and said welfare staff presented as friends but were more like 'grooming'. She stated: 'I had sex with my partner and whilst I wasn’t forced, I felt pressured.' She added that couch ceremonies were supposed to be safe spaces, but couples returned to apartments with no cameras or protection.
She revealed that despite months of psychological assessments, she believes she gave producers a 'blueprint on how to expose and use me'. She said: 'They knew I had a history of abusive relationships and paired me with someone who controlled my every move.'
The bride described intense filming conditions, including 14-20 hour days, isolation in apartments, and long waits in shipping containers. She questioned how much information the relationship experts received, saying: 'The experts had zero idea what was going on.'
Channel 4 has removed all ten series from its platforms and scrapped the upcoming series after the Panorama investigation revealed allegations of rape and sexual assault. The Metropolitan Police has urged potential victims to come forward. Channel 4 has commissioned an external review, though industry sources say the show is unlikely to return.
