Channel 4 has cancelled Married at First Sight UK after an external review prompted by serious allegations of misconduct during filming, the broadcaster confirmed on Thursday 5 November 2026. The show, in which strangers are matched by experts and marry on first meeting, will not return, and a sixth series filmed earlier this year will not be broadcast.

The review followed a BBC Panorama investigation broadcast in May, in which two women who took part alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands, and a third participant, Shona Manderson, alleged a non-consensual sex act by her on-screen husband, Brad Skelly. All three men have denied the allegations. A cast member was arrested in June on suspicion of rape, and a Metropolitan Police investigation remains ongoing.

What the reviews found

Law firm Clyde & Co reviewed 31,172 documents and 20 hours of broadcast and unbroadcast footage, and interviewed staff from Channel 4, production company CPL and contributors. It found the welfare protocols complied with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, with no breach in how complaints were handled, although there were isolated incidents where the framework was not fully implemented. A second review, by former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey, described the protocols as extensive, extremely thorough and of a high standard. Channel 4 said neither review sought to adjudicate the allegations, which remain with the relevant authorities.

Why the show is ending

The reviews recommended changes including separate bedrooms on wedding nights and honeymoons, CCTV and panic buttons in apartments, lockable en-suite bathroom doors, and dropping Intimacy Week and Partner Swap Week. Channel 4 said implementing them would fundamentally alter the show, and chief executive Priya Dogra said it was the right time to move on. A planned spin-off has also been cancelled, and the budget will be reinvested in new programming.

Sources: Reuters, UK’s Channel 4 cancels ‘Married at First Sight’ after rape allegations, 5 November 2026; The Times, Married at First Sight UK cancelled after review into rape claims, 5 November 2026.