Channel 4 boss ‘very confident’ right decisions made regarding MAFS allegations

By Rosie Shead, Press Association

A Channel 4 boss said the broadcaster “ensured that women involved were kept safe when any issues were raised to us” after allegations of rape and sexual misconduct were made by participants of Married At First Sight UK.

The broadcaster’s chief content officer, Ian Katz said women who appeared on the show were given “appropriate support” after allegations were first raised.

It comes after Shona Manderson accused her on-screen partner of sexual misconduct while on the Channel 4 show, while two other anonymous women alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands, while speaking in a BBC Panorama documentary.

All three men deny the allegations.

Senior figures at Channel 4 were speaking at a briefing for the broadcaster’s annual report at an event in London on Wednesday morning.

I am very confident that based on the knowledge that we had at the time that we made the right decisions

Among them was the channel’s chief content officer, who said he was aware of “some” of the allegations included in the Panorama episode when they were initially raised and had been involved in decision-making surrounding these.

He added: “I would just say I was obviously here and making decisions relating to some of the issues that you raised in the Panorama and I am very confident that based on the knowledge that we had at the time that we made the right decisions – that we ensured that women involved were kept safe when any issues were raised to us, that we gave them the appropriate support and that we took the right decisions through the production process and beyond that.”

Mr Katz went on to say that it was “clearly right to take a second look” at the allegations and whether the channel “got it right at the time” or could do anything to improve welfare.