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Reality TV dating show “Married at First Sight UK” has been axed in outrage after former cast members were accused of raping the women they were matched with.
Channel 4 confirmed Thursday that the dating series will not return after 10 seasons, following the investigation into allegations by three female contestants that they were attacked — with one saying her husband threatened to throw acid at her.
The broadcaster’s CEO, Priya Dogra, apologized to the women for “the distress they have clearly felt,” according to a news release.
The show — where singles are matched with strangers and meet for the first time at the altar — came under fire after two women alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands, the BBC reported.
One of these women also alleged that her partner threatened her with an acid attack.
A third woman, Shona Manderson — the only woman publicly identified — accused her on-screen husband of a non-consensual sexual act, according to the BBC.
The accused men have denied the allegations. At least one male cast member has been arrested on suspicion of rape.
In a statement Thursday, Dogra said the decision to scrap the series followed an independent review of the show’s welfare procedures and the broadcaster’s handling of complaints.
Dogra said implementing the review’s recommendations raised “fundamental questions about the editorial proposition of a show that, I believe, has now run its course over 10 years.”
She also stressed that the review was not tasked with determining whether the allegations were true.
“It did not have the authority to adjudicate on the very serious allegations made by three women,” she said, referring to the BBC investigation that brought the allegations to light.
Britain’s broadcasting regulator Ofcom has also launched an investigation.
In June, a male cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape. He has not been publicly identified.
“Married at First Sight UK” follows singles who agree to marry strangers selected by relationship experts.
The weddings are not legally binding, but couples go on honeymoons and move in together as cameras follow their relationships.
