TUI ends sponsorship of Channel 4's Married at First Sight

TUI ends sponsorship of Channel 4's Married at First Sight Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNoor Nanji,Culture correspondentandPaul Glynn,Culture reporter BBCEurope's leading travel operator Tui has ended its sponsorship of three versions Married at First Sight Australia on Channel Four - the UK, Australia and US versions. Tui told BBC News: "Following the broadcast of the Panorama programme and discussion with Channel 4, we have taken the decision to end our sponsorship of Married at First Sight".Tui told BBC News it was "pausing" its sponsorship activity on Monday, after two women told the BBC they were raped during the filming of one of Channel 4's biggest shows, Married at First Sight UK, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act.TV critic Scott Bryan on Thursday that although non-UK versions "do not have anything to do with these recent allegations, it shows how the reputation of MAFS brand itself is being affected by this news". The women featured in Panorama said the show did not do enough to protect them.Lawyers for CPL, the independent production company that makes the UK version of the show, said its welfare system was "gold standard" and industry-leading, and that it acted appropriately in all these cases.Bryan said it was "a big deal" for TUI to pull out of the Australian edition - sometimes called MAFS Oz - as well as the UK one, because "it's a hugely popular and lucrative show for Channel 4, especially with younger viewers". Channel 4 was aware of some allegations before broadcast, and all the episodes featuring the women had been available on its streaming service.Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Ofcom's chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said the media regulator will tighten its guidance around reality shows if necessary."What we always try to avoid is being really specific about, 'You can do this and you can&...