"Two women have alleged they were raped during the filming of the show, which is one of Channel 4's most popular and profitable programmes, and said not enough was done to protect them. Channel 4 is conducting an external review into contributor welfare and has removed all episodes from its streaming service. Lawyers for the independent production company that makes the UK version have told the BBC that its welfare protocols are gold standard."
"The behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings, who has previously worked on shows including MAFS UK and Big Brother, said that while duty of care standards are exceptionally high, reality shows have to keep upping the conflict and drama to keep attracting big audiences. Participants are in a bubble and quite vulnerable, they are thoroughly checked psychologically throughout the process. Duty of care psychologists and welfare staff keep meticulous notes and reports all the way through filming."
"But the boundaries of entertainment are always being pushed for each series. They have to keep the audiences. The welfare teams are highly aware of this, but the more you push the boundaries, the more incidents might happen no matter what you do. MAFS UK sees single people embark on non-legally binding marriages to strangers. Couples are matched by experts, and meet for the first time on their mock wedding day."
"Channel 4 moved to adopt the style of the hugely popular Australian version, which engineers high-tension situations by having regular group dinners and excursions, which has made the UK edition one of the broadcaster's biggest shows. The first series aired in 2015, and was not the ratings hit the show proved to be in other markets. It was originally a very different kind of"
Two women allege they were raped during filming of a popular Channel 4 reality show and say protections were insufficient. Channel 4 is conducting an external review into contributor welfare and has removed episodes from its streaming service. A behavioural psychologist and an executive previously involved with Married at First Sight UK say duty of care standards are exceptionally high, with psychological checks and welfare staff monitoring throughout production. They also say reality formats must continually escalate conflict and drama to maintain audience attention, which can increase the likelihood of incidents even with careful safeguards. The show’s UK version uses high-tension group activities and excursions modeled on the Australian format.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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