Met Police is urging 'MAFS victims of rape and sex assault' to come forward - as latest UK series 'is axed' over brides' claims they were attacked by their on screen husbands

By PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:24, 19 May 2026 | Updated: 18:29, 19 May 2026 The Metropolitan Police has urged any women with allegations of rape or sexual assault linked with Married at First Sight to get in contact with them. Its callout comes after two former participants of the show alleged they had been raped by their on-screen husbands, and a third woman claimed she had been the victim of sexual misconduct. Channel 4 bosses have axed the new series of the show in light of the allegations., and all ten series of Married at First Sight UK, known as MAFS UK, were removed from the channel's streaming service. A Met spokesperson said this afternoon: 'We are aware of media reporting relating to allegations of rape and sexual assault following the airing of a television programme on Monday, 18 May. 'At this time, we have not received any criminal reports in relation to this matter. We will be making approaches to the relevant production teams to ensure that anyone they have spoken to is aware of how to report any criminal allegations to police. 'We continue to encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, to get in touch with us.' The dating show was set to return to screens for its eleventh series in September, but plans to air the episodes, which wrapped last month, have now reportedly been scrapped. Among the alleged victims is Shona Manderson, who says she got an abortion after her on-screen husband, Brad Skelly, took things 'too far' during sex and 'a boundary was crossed' when he ejaculated inside her without permission. 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 Mr Skelly said he understood his on-screen wife (pictured together) consented and said in a statement he categorically denied 'any allegations of sexual misconduct' or that he was 'controlling' Waiving her anonymity, she described how she 'completely lost her light' during filming, which saw experts raise concerns about Mr Skelly's alleged 'controlling' manner towards her that saw them ultimately be asked to leave the show. Two other female contestants reported being raped by their on-screen husbands, with one informing both Channel 4 and the production company only for the episodes to still be aired anyway. The other described being left with bruises from the attack and said her partner also threatened to throw acid over her. All the men are understood to deny the allegations against them. The women say the show, produced by independent firm CPL, did not do enough to protect them and that welfare protocols were not sufficient. And it's been warned the series could even face a police probe. Security Minister Dan Jarvis has said he is 'extremely concerned', adding: 'I think it's highly likely that there will be a referral to the police and it will be a police matter for them to investigate.' Ms Manderson, the only woman of the three who is identified, alleged her partner, Mr Skelly, ejaculated inside her without her permission leaving her 'shocked' and 'confused' as 'we said we weren't doing that'. Ms Manderson later went to get the morning after pill and was accompanied by a welfare producer. But soon after she discovered she was pregnant and made the difficult decision to have an abortion. She says she does not know for sure whether the pregnancy was a result of the incident. Ms Manderson later informed production company CPL about it, but lawyers for the firm say she told them she did not have a problem with it. Around the same time, Mr Skelly was being called out on air by the show's experts for speaking to his partner in a controlling manner. The couple were later removed from the show due to concerns that their relationship was unhealthy. In a statement to the BBC, Mr Skelly said he categorically denies 'any allegations of sexual misconduct, or that he was controlling'. A second woman, referred to by the pseudonym Lizzie, told Panorama her on-screen husband raped her and subjected her to violent sex that often left her with bruises, despite her telling him to stop. She described how one night: 'He tried to have sex with me. And I kept saying no, that I didn't want to do it. 'But he kept saying, "You can't say no, you're my wife". And he just did it anyway.' Lizzie added that she was too scared to tell anyone about what was happening as: 'He said that if I told anybody what had happened, that he would get someone to throw acid at me.' 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. This is a breaking news story, refresh for updates.  Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.