Married at First Sight UK won't return to Channel 4 as it axes show and confirms it won't air already-filmed sixth season after sexual assault allegations

Married at First Sight (MAFS) UK will not return to Channel 4, it was confirmed today, following allegations from former participants of sexual assault.A recorded sixth series of the popular show, which sees couples take part in non-legally binding marriage ceremonies at their first meeting, will never be aired, bosses said.It follows an external review into the show after a BBC Panorama investigation earlier this year which saw several women make allegations of rape and non-consensual sexual activity during filming.Among them was Shona Manderson, 34, who said she had to have 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.Two other female participants alleged in the documentary that they had been raped. All the men are understood to deny the allegations against them.In June, a cast member from the show was arrested on suspicion of rape and released on bail. The first part of the review by law firm Clyde & Co looked at whether welfare protocols for participants were sufficient at the time the claims were initially raised, drawing from 20 hours of footage and 31,172 documents.It found that the provision by Channel 4 and production firm CPL were in line with Ofcom's Broadcasting Code, but that there was room for improvement.Authors of the review also found 'a small number of instances in which the show's established protocols had not been fully applied' including when contributors 'contravened the Code of Conduct relating to prohibited substances'. 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 - he denies the claim Channel 4's chief executive, Priya Dogra (pictured), has confirmed today MAFS UK will not return to screensIn this instance, they were given a final warning, instead of being removed from the programme. The second half of the review was carried out by former BBC One Controller Lorraine Heggessey into current welfare provision, and ruled that, with 'enhancements' to existing welfare protocols, MAFS could continue to be produced.It added the show was considered by bosses to be 'high risk' but that welfare protocols were 'extensive, extremely thorough and of a high standard'. Neither part examined the specific allegations of sexual misconduct.Ms Heggessey highlighted how aspects of the show can 'put pressure on contributors to be intimate' and filming with limited contact with friends and family can cause them to 'lose touch with reality, which can affect contributors' decision making'.She recommended changes including keeping couples in separate bedrooms on their wedding night and honeymoon, which should be changed to a 'getting to know you' phase, and removing 'Intimacy Week' and 'Partner Swap Week' from the show.MAFS should also remove couples from the show after one person chooses to leave, rather than force them to continue, she said - current rules mean that if only one person requests to leave, the couple stay for another week. Ms Heggessey also suggested having individual 'safe words' for participants, panic buttons, lockable ensuite bedrooms and CCTV and sound recording that would be monitored around the clock.But Channel 4 said today that the show will be permanently axed.Chief Executive Priya Dogra is said to have ruled that the review's recommendations would 'entail a materially greater level of intervention, monitoring and supervision that would fundamentally alter the format and editorial proposition of the programme'.As a result, she 'decided that the right course was to bring MAFS UK on Channel 4 to an end'.Series six, which was still in production at the time of the allegations, will not be aired, and no further work on it will take place.Instead, the budget previously allocated to MAFS UK will be redistributed and put towards new programmes.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'. Shona Manderson (right) was one of three women to speak to Panorama, and said Brad Skelly (left) ejaculated inside her without consent, which he deniesA second woman alleged 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 said to have told her 'You can't say no, you're my wife' before raping her.It is claimed he also told her that if she told anyone about his actions, he would throw acid over her.A third woman said she had been raped by her on-screen husband, but the episodes featuring her were aired anyway, despite her making both Channel 4 and CPL aware of what had happened. Farah Nazeer, the chief executive of Women's Aid, said at the time that the Panorama episode made for 'disturbing and sobering viewing'.After the documentary was aired, the Met Police appealed for any victims of sex offences to come forward.Ms Dogra said: '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.'A spokesperson for CPL said: 'CPL understands Channel 4's decision to bring Mafs to an end on the channel.'The independent reviews gave CPL the opportunity to discuss in depth the welfare processes already in place and that the Heggessey review found that 'the welfare protocols for Mafs UK were extensive, extremely thorough and of a high standard from which other productions in the industry have learnt'.'CPL has always put contributor welfare at the heart of its programme making and will continue to do so.'CPL have worked closely with Channel 4 for many years and throughout the review process, and we look forward to working with them again in the future.'Do you have a story? Email elizabeth.haigh@dailymail.co.uk