It's just not safe. It's not OK': can Married at First Sight ever be risk-free?

Filming can leave participants alone, exhausted, and without support or access to normal communication. Adrian Sanderson described being left by producers at around 1am after marrying a stranger, feeling confused, unsafe, and unable to process what was happening. He also recalled uncontrollable sobbing and not knowing why he was upset when asked by an expert. He later argued that welfare teams cannot fully protect participants because the show’s format and pressures create unavoidable risk. He said he could not reach friends and family and felt isolated. His concerns followed allegations of rape and non-consensual sex involving other contestants, which Channel 4 is reviewing.

"It was about 1am. After a day of relentless filming in which he had met and married a stranger, the Married at First Sight UK cameras stopped rolling and Adrian Sanderson was left alone with his new TV partner. Honestly, I'll never ever forget that feeling it was so difficult, he says. When those producers leave you and you're, like: I'm alone I don't get this. How is this about to happen?' It would be daunting for anyone. You're exhausted by this time. You just don't have a minute to process anything. You don't have your phone. You don't know what's going on. In my opinion, it's just not safe. It's not OK."

"At another moment during filming, Sanderson remembers sobbing uncontrollably. One of the show's experts asked him why he was upset. I remember thinking: I've got no idea. I've got no clue.' What concerns are you going to raise? I now have my experience in television. But remember, that's day one. You have no idea. Adrian Sanderson. Photograph: Wenn Rights Ltd/Alamy Sanderson, who took part in the 2022 edition of the show, is among those who now believe that whatever welfare protocols are in place, the format and pressures involved mean it simply cannot be made completely safe for those taking part."

"It's unfair on the welfare team [looking after the cast], he says. They seem to get a lot of criticism, but it's not them. It's the format of the show. I couldn't really get near my friends and family. So I felt so isolated. He spoke after a week in which two women, who have not been named, told the BBC's Panorama they had been raped by their on-screen husbands. A third woman who agreed to be identified, Shona Manderson, accused her on-screen husband of subjecting her to a non-consensual sex act. All the men deny the claims."

"Channel 4 now has two reviews in place, examining its handling of previous concerns and whether new welfare protocols are needed. CPL, which makes the show, has said its welfare processes are gold standard. Shona Manderson, a contestant on Marrie"

Read at www.theguardian.com