MAFS UK star Shona Manderson has said she does not believe the show “should be on air” following shocking allegations of ‘rape’ and ‘sexual misconduct’ linked to the series.
Shona appeared on Panorama: The Dark Side of Married At First Sight on Monday night and opened up about her experience on the Channel 4 show.
Speaking to BBC journalist Noor Nanji, Shona claimed a “boundary was crossed completely” during her relationship with on-screen husband Bradley Skelly in 2023.
The former bride described an alleged incident in the bedroom which she says she did not consent to.
Two other former MAFS UK brides, whose identities were hidden in the documentary, also accused their on screen husbands of raping them during filming.
The men involved deny the allegations.
MAFS UK’s Shona Manderson calls for show to be axed
During the BBC documentary, Shona explained why she decided to speak publicly about her experience.
“I want to share my story so it can start a serious conversation about moving forward and putting more things in place. At the end of the day, I shouldn’t have been in that situation,” she said.
Shona then gave her account of an incident she says happened while she and Bradley were living together in the MAFS apartments in London alongside the other couples from the 2023 series.
She said: “In bed we were being intimate. Consensual, completely. We were having sex and a boundary was crossed completely. My partner came inside me without my consent.
“We had agreed we were pulling out. I was shocked, I was confused. We said that we weren’t doing that.”
Baroness Kennedy, Chair of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, told Panorama she believed the alleged act could be viewed as “sexual misconduct”.
She said: “If someone has made it clear, ‘I’m not going to have sex with you if you ejaculate into me and I do not want any risk of pregnancy’ then I think that can amount to a sexual violation.”
Shona also said a member of the welfare team later took her to get the morning after pill.
She and Bradley were eventually removed from the experiment in order to “safeguard the couple’s welfare”. The relationship experts had raised concerns about what they described as Bradley’s “controlling” language towards Shona.
Reflecting on the future of the show, Shona admitted she no longer believes MAFS should continue.
“I do not think it should be on air at all,” she said.
Bradley Skelly responds to Shona’s claims
Bradley has not publicly addressed Panorama on social media since the documentary aired.
However, in a statement given to the BBC, the barber said “he understood Shona consented that night”. He also “categorically denies any allegations of sexual misconduct or that he was controlling”.
Bradley added that their relationship was “based on mutual consent, care and affection”.
MAFS UK is produced by CPL. Lawyers for the production company told the BBC it “took appropriate measures to safeguard Shona’s wellbeing”.
Channel 4 also stated that “Shona was clear at the time that all sexual contact was consensual”.
The broadcaster has since confirmed an external investigation into welfare procedures on the show has been launched.
Speaking on Instagram today, Shona said: “I chose to speak because I hoped that sharing my experience could contribute to a wider conversation about welfare and positive change.”
She admitted she left the experiment carrying “a lot of self blame”.
Shona added: “I believe there is room for accountability and change.
“And I hope moving forward more women feel empowered to trust themselves, speak up and know that they matter.”