Post #30 - Two Shows, One Question: Who is protecting Reality TV contestants?
- GINA
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Two reality shows. Two different scandals. But one question neither has been able to answer: who is responsible for keeping the people on screen safe?
Married at First Sight UK: Did she say, “I do?”
In May 2026, a BBC Panorama investigation revealed that three former Married at First Sight UK participants had come forward with allegations against their on-screen partners. Two women reported that they were raped during filming. A third, Shona Manderson, reported that her on-screen husband, Bradley Skelley, subjected her to a non-consensual sexual act. As a result, she became pregnant and had an abortion.
All three men deny the allegations. The women told the BBC that production did not do enough to protect them, and that Channel 4 was aware of some concerns before the episodes featuring them were broadcast.
In response, Channel 4 removed all previous series of the show from streaming while an external review takes place. Chief executive Priya Dogra said she was "deeply sorry" for the distress caused to participants, and that the wellbeing of contributors was of paramount importance.
And it’s not just in the UK that these issues have occurred. A report from BBC stated that contestants on Married at First Sight Australia were left feeling unprotected and unsafe after finding out their partners had criminal pasts, including domestic abuse and drugs charges. One woman from last year's Australian series says she was not told the man she had been matched with had a previous drug conviction and only found out after the show ended. "There should be informed consent," she told BBC.
Love Island: Different Show - Same Story
Married at First Sight UK is not the first British reality format to face controversy over its duty of care. Since 2018, three people connected to Love Island have died by suicide: contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, and the show's former host, Caroline Flack. Each death prompted questions about the pressure placed on ordinary people who step, briefly, into extraordinary public scrutiny.
Following Gradon and Thalassitis' deaths, ITV introduced expanded duty of care protocols, including a minimum of eight therapy sessions for contestants after filming and over a year of proactive aftercare contact. These changes were welcomed, however this was too late, and could have prevented these deaths had TV production teams considered this sooner.
Love Island's format has long been built on the same foundations now under question elsewhere in the genre, deliberately placing people in emotionally heightened, artificial conditions, filming everything, and inviting the public to judge. Contestants on these shows are not just playing a part. They are real people whose relationships, bodies, and actions are picked apart by millions, and the criticism tends to continue for months for participants even after the show has finished airing.
Sharon Gaffka, a former contestant on Love Island UK, is now a VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) advocate and ambassador for Refuge UK, a charity that provides specialist services to survivors of domestic abuse. She featured in the Guardian speaking about her experience on the show and how TV companies need to do more to keep contestants safe.
“It is this charged environment that makes reality television so entertaining to millions. Calm, healthy relationships make boring TV, but conflict, intensity and emotional volatility keep audiences watching.”
“The industry also needs to think much more seriously about prevention. Yes, criminal record checks happen. But what about disclosures under Clare’s law? What about enhanced social-media vetting specifically for misogynistic, abusive or coercive behaviour?”
What Needs to Change
Broadcasters have a duty of care that cannot be limited to therapy sessions after the cameras stop rolling. It must include genuine, proactive safeguarding during filming - environments where contestants feel able to disclose harm without fear of being removed from a process they have placed their trust in, and a culture that does not platform people's most painful, traumatic experiences for the sake of drama.
Audiences have a role too. Every view, every clip shared, and every social media comment sends a message about what we are willing to accept in the name of entertainment. Our society need to do better to not rely on drama to keep us entertained, and think about how this is truly affecting those who participate on the show.
If This Has Brought Something Up for You
If anything in this article has resonated with your own experience, please explore GINA’s support: www.gina.uk.com
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, Samaritans are available free, any time, on 116 123.
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