DR removes British “Married at First Sight” seasons following rape allegations

Danish public broadcaster DR has removed two seasons of the British version of “Married at First Sight” from its streaming platform DRTV following allegations of rape and sexual assault against participants in the show. DR Communications confirmed the removal took place on Thursday morning.

The decision follows a BBC report in which two women say they were raped by the men they were paired with during filming of the popular programme. A third woman has accused her match of inappropriate sexual behaviour. All three men deny the allegations. DR Communications stated the seasons had been “unpublished for the time being due to the allegations that have emerged.”

According to the BBC, none of the women have reported the incidents to police. One of the women says she informed both Channel 4 and production company CPL, which produces the British version of the show, that she had been raped, yet her episodes were broadcast regardless. Channel 4 denies having been aware of any assault while the series was airing. The same woman now intends to pursue legal action against CPL.

The British version of the programme, which is based on a Danish television format, draws approximately three million viewers per episode. Norwegian broadcaster TV2 has also removed two seasons of the British edition from its platform. TV2 Norway’s programme editor Trygve Rønningen said: “The allegations that have come forward are serious, and we will now take time to gain clarity on what this is about together with the distributor of the TV format.”

Only one of the three women has chosen to be identified by name in the BBC report. DR News does not know the identities of the other two women.