Married At First Sight UK axed by Channel 4 after 10 years and here’s what’s replacing it

Married At First Sight UK has been axed by Channel 4 after a decade on screen, with the broadcaster confirming the show’s budget will be reinvested in new television programmes. The decision follows an external review into contributor welfare after serious allegations were raised in a BBC Panorama investigation.

• Is Married At First Sight UK cancelled? Yes. Channel 4 Chief Executive Priya Dogra has confirmed the show will not return to the broadcaster.
• Will Married At First Sight UK series 6 air? No. The series currently in production will not be broadcast, while spin-off Second Married At First Sight (SMAFS) has also been cancelled.
• Why has MAFS UK been axed? Channel 4 says implementing recommended welfare improvements would fundamentally change the show’s format and editorial proposition.
• What happens to the show’s budget? The money will be used to commission new programmes from the UK’s independent production industry.

The decision marks the end of one of Channel 4’s most recognisable reality TV formats, which has attracted millions of viewers with its social experiment matching single people with strangers for marriage.

The announcement follows a major independent review commissioned by Priya Dogra in April, after Panorama presented serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of former Married At First Sight UK contributors. Those individuals have denied the allegations.

Channel 4 has now published a summary of the review’s findings, which examined the broadcaster and production company CPL Productions’ approach to contestant welfare, alongside recommendations for improving protections in future reality television productions.

Why has Married At First Sight UK been cancelled?

Channel 4 has confirmed that Married At First Sight UK will not return because of the changes that would be required to implement the review’s recommendations.

While the reviews praised the existing welfare procedures, Priya Dogra said that fully implementing the recommended changes would require a significantly greater level of intervention, monitoring and supervision.

She explained that this would fundamentally alter the format and editorial proposition of the programme.

The broadcaster also pointed to the show’s maturity after ten years, suggesting it was the right time to move on and invest in new television formats.

In a statement, Priya Dogra said:

“I want to thank Lorraine Heggessey and Clyde & Co for their thorough and incisive work over the last few months. Welfare across all our programmes is a primary concern, so we welcome the review, its findings and recommendations.

“MAFS UK has been enjoyed by millions of viewers, made possible by the willingness of its contributors to embrace the social experiment at the heart of the show and the many talented people involved in its production. I am grateful to everyone at Channel 4 and CPL Productions who has worked on the show and want to thank them for their significant efforts to protect the welfare of contributors, something which was recognised in both reviews.

“Whilst the review praised the welfare protocols in place and made no findings that Channel 4 breached the Ofcom Code or that the format is inherently unsafe, I have to consider when is the right time for Channel 4 to move on from a format. The recommendations are eminently sensible and feasible, but considering their wholesale implementation provoked fundamental questions about the editorial proposition of a show that, I believe, has now run its course over ten years. Channel 4 has always thrived on reinvention and this is a moment to kickstart a new era of creative renewal, using the considerable budget to find the next generation of distinctive and disruptive British television.

“This review did not have the authority to adjudicate on the very serious allegations made by three women in the Panorama programme, but I would like to repeat that I am very sorry for the distress those women have clearly felt. I hope our actions – in swiftly commissioning the review and taking clear, decisive steps – demonstrate our commitment to the wellbeing of all contributors and our desire to relentlessly strengthen industry standards.”

Will Married At First Sight UK series 6 be shown?

No. Channel 4 has confirmed that the sixth series of Married At First Sight UK will not be broadcast.

The series was already in production when the external review was commissioned in April, meaning it was not made under the strengthened welfare protocols recommended by the review.

The decision also affects Second Married At First Sight (SMAFS), a spin-off which was in pre-production with CPL Productions before being paused during the investigation.

Channel 4 has confirmed that production of the spin-off will not resume.

What did the Married At First Sight UK welfare review find?

The external review had two separate elements, led by law firm Clyde & Co and former BBC One Controller Lorraine Heggessey.

The first review, conducted by Clyde & Co, examined whether the welfare protocols in place when the allegations were initially raised, and the way Channel 4 and CPL handled those concerns, fulfilled the broadcaster’s duty of care obligations under the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

The legal team reviewed 31,172 documents, 20 hours of broadcast and unbroadcast footage and interviewed relevant individuals from Channel 4, CPL and former contributors.

Its findings concluded that, based on the available evidence and the balance of probabilities, Channel 4 and CPL’s welfare protocols were compliant with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

It also found no breach of the Code in relation to the handling of issues raised at the relevant times.

However, the review identified isolated incidents where the welfare framework had not been fully implemented. It also said Channel 4 and CPL could have undertaken a more structured, longer-term review across multiple series and recommended further improvements to contributor welfare procedures.

The second review, led by Lorraine Heggessey, considered whether changes should be made to the existing protocols to strengthen protections for future MAFS UK contributors.

Her findings described the welfare protocols as extensive, extremely thorough and of a high standard, noting that other productions in the television industry had learnt from them.

The review also identified specific challenges associated with the Married At First Sight format and made comprehensive recommendations for the future.

Heggessey concluded that it would be reasonable to continue producing the programme with enhancements to the existing welfare framework and adjustments to the format.

However, Channel 4 ultimately decided not to continue with the series.

Importantly, neither review was tasked with investigating or reaching conclusions on the serious allegations highlighted by Panorama. Those allegations remain a matter for the relevant authorities.

What will happen to the Married At First Sight UK budget?

Channel 4 has confirmed that the money previously allocated to Married At First Sight UK will be reinvested in new television programmes.

The broadcaster wants to use the budget to commission distinctive, bold and innovative programming from the UK’s independent production community.

The decision forms part of what Priya Dogra described as a new era of creative renewal for Channel 4, with the broadcaster looking to develop the next generation of British television formats.

Will Married At First Sight UK ever return?

There are currently no plans for Married At First Sight UK to return to Channel 4.

Although Lorraine Heggessey’s review concluded that the programme could continue with improved welfare measures and format changes, Priya Dogra has made the decision to bring the Channel 4 series to an end.

The broadcaster has also confirmed that it intends to share the findings and recommendations from both reviews with other broadcasters, encouraging the television industry to work together to improve welfare standards across reality TV.

For now, the future of the format on Channel 4 appears to be over, with the broadcaster turning its attention towards new programming.

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