By Christian Edwards, CNN
(CNN) — Two women have alleged they were raped during the filming of Married at First Sight UK, according to a BBC investigation that prompted Channel 4, a British broadcaster, to remove all previous seasons of the reality TV show while it reviews the allegations.
The show, known as MAFS, bills itself as a “bold social experiment” in which single people “marry” strangers who meet for the first time on their wedding day, although the marriage is not legally binding. The couples – while being filmed almost daily – then go on “honeymoon,” move in together and navigate their relationship.
A third woman has alleged she was subjected to a non-consensual sex act during the filming of the show. The three former participants told BBC Panorama, which broadcast an investigation into the allegations on Monday, that the show did not do enough to protect them.
The BBC claimed that Channel 4 was aware of some of the allegations before the MAFS series in question were broadcast and that the episodes featuring the women had been available on its streaming service until recently.
Channel 4 said it had removed all episodes of the show from its streaming and linear services, as well as from the MAFS social channels, and commissioned an external review.
“In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied,” it said.
“The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.”
The broadcaster said that when concerns about the welfare of the show’s participants were raised through its existing protocols, “prompt and appropriate action” was taken. “Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary,” it added.
Priya Dogra, Channel 4’s chief executive, expressed her sympathy to the participants who had “clearly been distressed” after appearing on the show. “The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance.”
The show is part of a hugely successful international franchise spanning multiple countries, including the United States and Australia.
Lawyers for CPL, an independent production company that makes the British version, told the BBC its welfare system was industry-leading and “gold-standard,” and that it had acted appropriately in all of these cases.
In response to the BBC investigation, the British government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the allegations are “serious” and that “everyone working and participating in television must be treated with dignity and respect at all times.” It warned there must be “consequences for criminality or wrongdoing.”
‘You can’t say no, you’re my wife’
One participant, whom the BBC did not name, said her onscreen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack.
She claimed that she noticed “red flags” about her partner on the show almost immediately, and that their sex soon turned violent. He would bruise her during sex, she said, even though she “kept saying stop.”
“We were in our apartment, on the sofa, and he tried to have sex with me. And I kept saying no, that I didn’t want to do it,” she said. “But he kept saying, ‘You can’t say no, you’re my wife.’ And he just did it anyway.”
Lawyers acting for the woman’s onscreen husband told the BBC that he denies rape and said that all sexual contact had been entirely consensual. They also said that he denies any violence or violent threats towards her.
Lawyers for CPL said the bruises were described to its welfare team at the time as the result of rough, but consensual sex. They said the woman did not tell the company about her partner telling her she “can’t say no” to him, and that she had re