Married at First Sight UK had an ‘unhealthy’ interest in sex, say show insiders | Television

Married at First Sight UK had an “unhealthy” idea of ​​the cast having sex, former staff and current members of the show have said.

One former member of staff said the culture on the hit Channel 4 the show was “horrendous from top to bottom”. The staff members’ claims were reported by the BBC, which previously aired the stories of two women who were sexually assaulted by their partners on TV.

A third woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted without consent by her online partner.

All three of their on-screen partners have denied the allegations against them. CPL, the production company behind the show, said it has a gold standard.

Channel 4 has already started double screening for the show. One is looking at how they handle the complaints they received, while the second is looking at whether the development plans should be changed in the future.

The statement has caused a debate among the TV industry as the format shown here, as well as the prospect of friendship, was able to guarantee the safety and health of the participants of the show. Many former contributors and employees he told the Guardian they did not believe that.

Under the UK’s latest version of Married at First Sight (MAFS), actors meet their on-screen partners in a mock wedding at the start of the show.

Soraya Spiers, a former employee of the show, told the BBC she was concerned about the “dangerous” culture. He said the emphasis on sex was “unhealthy”.

She said: “You could say it’s the same in real life, but if you’re dating someone, you can walk away if you need to. “Putting it on a TV show makes it harder to walk away.

“On the wedding night, we expected, for those of us who were working with them, that you should know if the couple slept together…

A former employee, who chose not to be identified, said senior producers would express concern if couples were not having sex. “It wasn’t good for the news,” he told the BBC. Another said that the players were given the opportunity to drink too much alcohol.

In response to the reports, the CPL said: “These accounts do not reflect the merits of the more than 1,200 members who have served in all ranks.

“Parents are not forced in any way or expected to be intimate. Patrons are well informed that there is no expectation of sharing a bed and private accommodation options have been available throughout.

“It is not wrong to say that players are allowed to consume as much alcohol as they want. The CPL has a ‘licensed alcohol’ policy, which provides clear guidelines on alcohol consumption, as part of its health regulations.

“Team members need to be aware of this and follow through. Alcohol consumption at dinner parties, including reunions, is limited and monitored by the production and health team.”

Channel 4 said: “The quality of service providers is always the biggest challenge in any production.” Within days of being contacted by the BBC in April, we commissioned an external audit of MAFS UK’s service providers.

“A review now needs to be done.”