Channel 4 boss 'deeply sorry' after MAFS sexual assault and rape allegations

Channel 4’s chief executive said she is “deeply sorry” after allegations of rape and sexual assault were made by contestants on Married At First Sight (MAFS) UK.

It comes after Shona Manderson accused her on-screen partner of sexual misconduct while on the Channel 4 show. At the same time, two other anonymous women alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands while speaking in a BBC Panorama documentary.

All three men deny the allegations.

On Wednesday, senior figures at Channel 4, including chief executive Priya Dogra, spoke at a briefing for the broadcaster’s annual report at an event in London.

She said a review into contributor welfare was now underway and there were “limitations” on what she could say until this was complete in late summer.

Welfare across all our programmes is hugely important to us, and is a primary concern

Ms Dogra added: “That said, I have watched the programme and heard the women’s accounts which are very troubling.

“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’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.”

Ms Dogra said she commissioned the review in April “within days” of being contacted by the BBC regarding the accusations featured in the Panorama episode.

Also present was Ian Katz, the channel’s chief content officer, who said he was aware of “some” of the allegations included in the documentary when they were initially raised and was “very confident” the correct decisions had been made by the channel at the time.

He said, “I would just say I was obviously here and making decisions relating to some of the issues that you raised in the Panorama, and 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.”

Mr Katz went on to say that it was “clearly right to take a second look” at the allegations and whether the channel “got it right at the time” or could do anything to improve welfare.

He added that contestant welfare was “at the absolute centre” of the channel’s approach to commissioning programmes.

Ms Dogra said reports the show had been cancelled were “wholly inaccurate” and that “no decision has been made” regarding the broadcast of the next series.

New episodes of MAFS UK have been “substantially filmed” and are currently being edited, Mr Katz said.

He said the channel was “constantly looking” at welfare protocols across all of its shows, in particular any reality programmes or those involving contributors, adding he was “not aware of any issues” being raised regarding other shows.

It was announced last month that Mr Katz will be stepping down from his post in October after nine years at the channel.

On Wednesday, MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee wrote to Channel 4 and Ofcom about their response to allegations raised in the BBC documentary.

Chairwoman of the committee Dame Caroline Dinenage called the accusations “horrifying”, adding: “Both Channel 4 and Ofcom, as the broadcasting regulator, have urgent questions to answer.”

A letter to Channel 4 asks about its complaints process for contestants on the programme and the steps taken to ensure the allegations were fully investigated, along with the review announced by the broadcaster.

It also questions the broadcaster about its approach to the duty of care to participants on its other reality TV programmes.

Police have urged potential victims of sexual assault on the TV show to get in touch.