Channel 4 confirmed on November 5 that it has cancelled “Married at First Sight” U.K. following allegations of sexual assault involving the programme. The decision also ends plans for a spin-off, while a sixth season that has already been filmed will not be shown.
Earlier this year, the BBC’s “Panorama” documentary strand reported allegations of three instances of sexual assault during the British series, which CPL produces for Channel 4. One man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of rape. All of the men accused have denied the allegations.
Adapted from an Australian format, the programme pairs single strangers through a panel of experts. The couples first meet on their wedding day and move in together immediately afterwards. Previous U.K. seasons have been taken off Channel 4’s streaming platforms, although international editions remain available.
The proposed spin-off, “Second Married at First Sight,” was in pre-production when the allegations emerged, with casting scheduled for the summer. Channel 4 has now cancelled that project alongside the main programme and plans to redirect the show’s budget into other television commissions.
In response to the BBC investigation, Channel 4 commissioned two reviews, both of which have concluded. Law firm Clyde & Co examined whether the programme’s welfare procedures adequately met the broadcaster’s duty of care obligations under media regulator Ofcom’s requirements. Former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey separately assessed potential changes intended to improve contributor welfare.
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra, who took up the role only a few months before the allegations surfaced, said the reviews effectively cleared the broadcaster of wrongdoing. She said the review praised the existing welfare arrangements and found neither a breach of the Ofcom Code by Channel 4 nor that the format was inherently unsafe.
Heggessey’s recommendations included recording around the clock and giving participants separate bedrooms on their wedding night. Dogra described the proposals as “eminently sensible and feasible,” but said implementing them in full raised fundamental questions about the programme’s editorial premise. In her view, the format had “run its course over ten years.”
Dogra said the cancellation would allow Channel 4 to pursue creative renewal, putting the programme’s considerable budget towards a new generation of distinctive British television. Separately, Ofcom has opened its own investigation into the show, focused on fairness and privacy.
