Channel 4 has broken its silence after reports emerged thatMarried At First Sight UK contestant Brad Skelly was removed from the show.
Following reports, published inThe Sun, thatBrad, 27, had been axed from the E4 show due to his behaviour towards his on-screen wife Shona Manderson, the channel has confirmed that Brad and Shona departed the experiment.
In a statement shared with OK!, a spokesperson for Channel 4 said that the show’s experts, Charlene Douglas, Paul Brunston and Mel Schilling, had agreed that the MAFSUK “environment was not working for the couple” and that the pair’s exit would play out during the series.
"The couple’s exit plays out in the show. It was agreed alongside experts Paul, Mel and Charlene that the intensive Married at First Sight environment was not working for the couple and it was the right time to leave the experiment,” it read.
The statement added that the relationships of the couples are “closely monitored” and that if any relationship is deemed “potentially unhealthy”, independent advice is taken.
It continued: “The relationships on Married at First Sight UK are closely monitored off screen, by production and an independent psychologist.
"If any of the relationships develop in a way that is deemed to be potentially unhealthy for either party, we would take expert psychological advice as to whether it was time for them to leave the process.
“The welfare of all contributors on Married at First Sight UK is our top priority and we ensure that appropriate support is available to contributors at all times during filming, including 24/7 access to a member of the welfare team or psych support."
The announcement comes after after scenes aired last week which appeared to showBrad telling Shona to “shut up”. He also claimed that he’d “allowed” Shona to feel all of the emotions that she wanted to.
After the scenes aired, domestic violence charity Women's Aid made a statement which said: “It is really important that the experts on the show called this out as controlling behaviour and challenged Brad's view that it was acceptable to say that he had the right to 'allow' Shona to be angry.
“TV programmes like these, which are based on the formation of relationships, need to be aware of the dynamics of controlling and coercive behaviour, and always send a clear message that it is wholly unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, after a different dinner party scene aired, Brad tookto social media to claim the show only showed "snippets" of the true story. He shared a picture of himself, alongside the caption: "That edit was difficult to watch."
He added: "Always remember you are only seeing snippets for drama. Try not to have an emotional resilience to a person you have never sat down and had a conversation with physically."
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