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Tui Ends Sponsorship of Married at First Sight After Allegations
Holiday company Tui has ended its sponsorship of three versions of Channel 4's Married at First Sight following allegations of rape made by women on the UK edition. The decision came after a Panorama programme aired details of the claims.
May 21, 8:35 AM·2m read2 sources
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Holiday company Tui has ended its sponsorship of three versions of Channel 4's Married at First Sight following allegations of rape made by women on the UK edition. Tui told BBC News it reached the decision after the broadcast of the Panorama programme and discussions with Channel 4. The company said it was pausing its sponsorship activity on Monday.
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Two women told the BBC they were raped during the filming of Married at First Sight UK, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. The women said the show did not do enough to protect them. Lawyers for CPL, the independent production company that makes the UK version, said its welfare system was gold standard and industry-leading, and that it acted appropriately in all these cases.
The network's CEO said on Wednesday she was deeply sorry over the women's distress.
Ofcom's chief executive said the media regulator will tighten its guidance around reality shows if necessary. She added that the responsibility lies with Channel 4 and its production company to get welfare right. Police urged potential victims of sexual assault on the UK TV show to get in touch.
A spokesperson said the force had not received any criminal reports at this time but would approach production teams to ensure anyone spoken to knows how to report allegations.
TV critic Scott Bryan said the decision to pull out of the Australian edition as well as the UK one was a big deal because the show is hugely popular and lucrative for Channel 4. He noted that although non-UK versions do not have anything to do with these recent allegations, the reputation of the MAFS brand itself is being affected.
Channel 4's CEO clarified that the latest season of MAFS UK has not been axed. She said welfare across all Channel 4 programmes is a primary concern but added that the broadcaster cannot investigate the allegations.
