Note: This article contains discussion of sexual assault that readers might find distressing.
At least six former Married at First Sight UK contestants are set to take legal action against CPL Productions, the company that makes the show, it has been reported.
The Channel 4 show has been mired in scandal ever since an episode of the BBC's Panorama aired that saw two anonymous women claim they were raped, while one woman accused her on-screen partner of sexual misconduct.
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Days after it was reported that a former contestant on the show had been arrested due to an allegation of rape, The Sun states that at least six people who appeared on the show are intending to sue CPL, having contacted a media lawyer.
The report claims that the former cast members are taking legal action due to alleged 'welfare failures' and a lack of duty of care, and that more former MAFS UK stars could be joining them.
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Digital Spy has reached out to CPL Productions for comment.
Towards the end of May, former workers on the show came out and publicly accused CPL of fostering a "toxic" and "unhealthy" culture, labelling it "toxic from the top down" and claiming that there were bets made on if and when the 'married' couples would have sex.
Lawyers for CPL at the time said that the claim "is not something which our client recognises at all", while there has been no response from the production company or its representative to The Sun's newest report.
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Following the airing of the Panorama episode, Channel 4 removed all episodes of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming service. The future of the show, which includes an already-filmed season and an announced-but-unfilmed 'all stars' spin-off Second Marriage at First Sight, is up in the air.
The broadcaster has also commissioned an external review of the safety and welfare processes, while its new CEO Priya Dogra made a public apology to the women at the centre of the allegations.
Lawyers for CPL have said its welfare procedures are "gold standard" and were followed appropriately.
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, which works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on its website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
