Culture Secretary Not Satisfied with Channel 4's Response to MAFS UK Allegations

The culture secretary has warned Channel 4 she is "not satisfied" with the broadcaster's response to the government following allegations of rape and sexual assault made by women who appeared on Married at First Sight UK.

Last month, the show, known to many as MAFS UK, was plunged into crisis after BBC Panorama reported rape allegations from two female cast members - allegations the men involved have denied.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Lisa Nandy said she knew MPs would be "horrified and disgusted" by the claims, adding that she would be discussing the matter with Channel 4 "in the coming week".

The broadcaster has pulled all episodes of MAFS UK from its streaming service, and has commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on the show.

Channel 4 has said it only intends to publish "a summary of findings" from its review, rather than the full report.

Speaking to MPs, Nandy said: "I know members across this House will be horrified and disgusted at the serious allegations of abuse against women in the TV industry that have emerged recently.

"My honourable friend has met with Channel 4 recently about the serious allegations that have emerged around Married At First Sight. We are not satisfied as a government with the response that we have received, and I will be discussing this further with Channel 4 in the coming week."

The Panorama investigation into MAFS UK revealed allegations that two women had been raped during filming on the reality TV show, while a third said she had been the victim of a non-consensual sex act. All three men deny the allegations.

The women making the allegations all say Channel 4 did not do enough to protect them.

Following the broadcast in May, Channel 4 has faced questions over the claims made about the hit show.

At the time, the prime minister's official spokesperson called the claims "extremely serious" and said they must be investigated - while the media regulator Ofcom said broadcasters needed to take "due care" over the welfare of show participants.

The Metropolitan Police encouraged "anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault" after participating on the show to contact them.

Holiday company Tui has also ended its sponsorship of the show, as well as its Australian spin-off.

Its boss Priya Dogra initially declined to apologise when asked by a reporter following the broadcast of Panorama, although she did express her "sympathy" for those who had spoken up.

Two days later, she went further, saying she was "deeply sorry" over the rape allegations, adding that the women's distress was "clear".

"I do believe that our handling of concerns at the time was appropriate but as I only took this role up recently, I wanted this looked at again," she told a press briefing on Wednesday to mark the release of the network's annual report.

Lawyers for CPL, an independent production company which makes the UK version of the show, have said its welfare system is "gold standard" and industry-leading, and that it had acted appropriately in all these cases.