A second female contestant on Married at First Sight UK has said she also raised concerns about Shona Manderson’s groom Brad Skelly during filming, after his on-screen wife claimed he committed a non-consensual sex act against her.
Laura Vaughan, a bride on the 2023 series alongside Ms Manderson, said she went to the welfare team on the Channel 4 show because of Mr Skelly’s ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘challenging’ conduct.
Ms Manderson accused Mr Skelly of sexual misconduct in a Panorama documentary which aired this week, which also featured two other women who alleged they were raped by their partners.
While on the show, Mr Skelly was also called out for ‘controlling’ behaviour towards her by MAFS experts, with the couple ultimately asked to leave as a result.
Taking to social media, Ms Vaughan shared a video in which she told followers that the documentary has raised questions around the safeguarding processes for reality television.
Ms Vaughan said that while she enjoyed ‘large parts’ of her experience on MAFS UK, there were also ‘systemic failures’ within the process.
She went on: ‘I had my own interactions with Shona’s groom that I found challenging and uncomfortable.
‘I raised these concerns to welfare and to their credit they were taken seriously at the time.
Laura Vaughan, who was a bride on the 2023 series, has said she raised complaints about Brad Skelly’s ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘challenging’ conduct
Shona Manderson (right) was one of three women to speak to Panorama, and said her on-screen husband Brad Skelly (left) committed a non-consensual sex act
‘Shona made a really valid point about welfare afterwards. Particularly in a situation such as Shona’s where there is ongoing trauma, I think having access to the right professionals is absolutely key.’
Ms Manderson told Panorama that she got an abortion after Mr Skelly ejaculated inside her without her permission during filming.
Waiving her anonymity, she described how she ‘completely lost her light’ during the process, and said that after the incident she went with a member of the welfare team to get the morning after pill.
But she later discovered she was pregnant and made the difficult decision to get an abortion. Ms Manderson says she does not know for sure if the pregnancy was a result of the incident.
Mr Skelly has denied any suggestion of sexual misconduct and allegations that he was ‘controlling’.
In her response to the documentary, Ms Vaughan said: ‘The documentary has raised a much bigger and broader conversation around safeguarding, particularly on shows where individuals are living intimately with strangers under intense emotional pressure.
‘Reality is, the checks to get on a show like MAFS are extensive, the vetting process is robust but unfortunately no vetting can safeguard against someone that’s maybe a first time offender or maybe incredibly manipulative and able to conceal problematic behaviours.
‘I think particularly when we’re casting men for shows like this, given the current climate that we’re in, we need to be having far deeper conversations around attitudes towards women, attitudes towards sex, emotional control and misogyny because we live in a world where ideologies like this are becoming increasingly normalised online.’
As well as Shona’s account, a second woman referred to by the pseudonym Lizzie said her on-screen husband raped her and subjected her to violent sex that often left her with bruises, despite her telling him to stop.
When she tried to refuse sex, he is alleged to have told her ‘You can’t say no, you’re my wife’ before raping her.
Shona Manderson, who has waived her anonymity, alleged that Bradley Skelly engaged in a non-consensual sex act while they filmed the Channel 4 show, a claim he denies
It is claimed he also told Lizzie that if she told anyone about his actions, he would throw acid over her.
Lawyers for CPL told Panorama that Lizzie did not mention the ‘can’t say no’ comment to its team and the ‘acid’ remark was mentioned as a ‘passing comment’, not a threat. CPL took action as soon as Lizzie said she felt unsafe, the lawyers added.
A third woman, Chloe, also described being raped by her MAFS husband, with her allegations being raised both with CPL and Channel 4 prior to them being shown to the public – but the episodes in which she featured were aired anyway.
Chloe – also a pseudonym – added that once her partner noticed she was not participating during the alleged rape, he told her: ‘You’re making me feel like a rapist’.
It is understood that both men implicated in the allegations deny the accounts.
Since the documentary aired, Channel 4 has pulled all ten series of MAFS UK from its streaming service. It said no decision as to whether the eleventh series, which has finished filming and was set to air in September, will go ahead has been taken.
Bosses commissioned an external review into contributor welfare last month after they were made aware of the claims in the documentary.
Experts have warned the allegations could end the show – which sees singletons matched before meeting each other for the first time at a non-legally binding wedding ceremony – for good in the UK.
Today politicians raised concerns, with Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, writing to Channel 4 and Ofcom with ‘serious concerns’ about their response to ‘the horrifying allegations’.
Farah Nazeer, the chief executive of Women’s Aid, said the Panorama episode made for ‘disturbing and sobering viewing’.
‘For years, Women’s Aid, and countless viewers, have been calling out abusive behaviours aired on Married At First Sight UK and other dating and entertainment programmes,’ she said.
‘Panorama has exposed some troubling and incredibly worrying allegations. We are told that these programmes are about finding love, yet abuse and control are not love.
‘Producers have a duty of care to contestants and a responsibility to younger viewers – it is time they take it seriously. We stand ready to help all involved get this right.’
Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra has said she is ‘deeply sorry’ for the distress caused to Married At First Sight UK participants.
Speaking to reporters today, she said: ‘While I attempt to do my best to answer questions, I’ll ask their forbearance because there are limitations on what I can say before this review is complete late in the summer.
‘That said I have watched the programme and heard the women’s accounts which are very troubling. Their distress is clear, and for that I am, of course, deeply sorry. Welfare across all our programmes is hugely important to us, and is a primary concern.
‘However, I’m sure you’ll appreciate that Channel 4 cannot investigate the specific allegations against the men, which they have denied, nor can I comment on them in any way.
‘We are a broadcaster, not an adjudicator, and allegations of this type are investigated by other bodies, including when complaints are raised by the police. What I can do, and have done, as you have heard, is to commission an external review, which I did just days after being first contacted by the BBC back in April.’
Lawyers for CPL told the BBC that its welfare processes are ‘gold standard’.
Channel 4 and CPL have been contacted for further comment.
