Married at First Sight UK expert Charlene Douglas has broken her silence following the BBC Panorama investigation into the Channel 4 reality show, in which two brides from the show alleged they had been raped by their on-screen husbands (which they deny) and one bride Shona Manderson accused her on-screen husband Bradley Skelly on a non-consensual sex act, which he denied.
Posting on her Instagram grid yesterday afternoon, Charlene, who is a psychotherapist and relationship coach and has been on one of the resident experts on MAFS UK for many years, shared a video about "silence in relationships".
During the video Charlene explained how "silence" can mean different things for different people in relationships, saying in her accompanying caption: "For one person, silence feels peaceful, safe, and comfortable. For another, it can feel like rejection, distance, tension, or punishment. And that’s where so many couples misunderstand each other."
Charlene then added: "Are they withdrawing? Processing? Avoiding conflict? Or simply feeling calm and content in your presence? Understanding the meaning behind the silence can change the way you respond to it 🫶🏾."
She also went onto amplify her services as a therapist, either for couples or individuals, who are struggling with their communication.
On Monday night, BBC's Panorama revealed an investigation into Married at First Sight UK.
The special episode featured two anonymous brides from the show allege they had been raped by their on-screen husbands during filming of the Channel 4 series. Shona Manderson accused her on-screen husband Bradley Skelly of ejaculating inside her without her permission (lawyers for Bradley told the BBC he categorically denies "any allegations of sexual misconduct" or that he was "controlling").
Since the episode of Panorama aired Channel 4 has removed all previous episodes of Married at First Sight UK from their streaming site.
Channel 4 also announced they had launched an external review into contributor welfare back in April this year, with a spokesperson for the channel saying: "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied."
MAFS UK is produced for Channel 4 by independent production company CPL, and Channel 4 also added to their statement on Monday that they believed, "that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time. Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary.”
CPL said its welfare system was "gold standard" and industry-leading, and that it acted appropriately in all these cases.
Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4 also said: “I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married At First Sight UK.
"The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."
Paul C Brunson, who appears as an expert guiding the couples of Married at First Sight UK alongside Charlene, has not commented on the allegations, but has shared clips from his interview with Akon on his podcast We Need to Talk on his Instagram.
New MAFS UK expert John Aiken, who was brought into for filming of season 11, following previous expert Mel Schilling's passing, has not shared anything on social media since the Panorama documentary aired.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, support is available:
Rape Crisis England & Wales (0808 500 2222), The Survivors Trust (0808 801 0818), Victim Support, and NHS Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) all offer free confidential support.
