CHANNEL 4 CANCELS MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT UK

Channel 4 has cancelled Married at First Sight UK following two external reviews into welfare on the show, after allegations were raised earlier this year. Chief executive Priya Dogra said the programme has "run its course." A sixth series, already filmed, will not be broadcast, and the spin-off Second Marriage at First Sight will not go ahead. The previous five series remain removed from Channel 4's streaming service, having been pulled earlier this year, though other international versions, including the US edition, remain available to watch.

A BBC Panorama documentary broadcast in May carried allegations from three women, two alleging rape and one alleging sexual misconduct, against their on-screen husbands from the show. In June, a cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape. The three men involved have denied all the allegations against them. Channel 4 then commissioned two reviews: law firm Clyde & Co examined welfare protocols in place when the claims arose and how Channel 4 and production company CPL handled them, drawing on 31,172 documents and 20 hours of footage, while former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey assessed whether current protocols needed strengthening. Clyde & Co found the protocols compliant with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

Channel 4 said the reviews did not seek to adjudicate on the allegations themselves, which it said remain a matter for the relevant authorities. One review concluded it would be reasonable to continue producing future series, but the broadcaster proceeded with cancellation regardless. The show's budget will instead be "reinvested in distinctive new programming." Second Marriage at First Sight, which had been in pre-production with CPL and was to bring together contestants from the UK and Australian versions, will not resume.