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Married At First Sight in chaos as scores of women accuse contestant of abuse – one year after arrest of another groom
Channel 4 has confirmed he will not be removed from the programme despite the serious allegations
CHANNEL 4’s Married At First Sight has been plunged into chaos after a contestant was accused of abuse - for the second time in as many years.
A groom named Alex Henry has been pelted with allegations after the broadcaster shared his promo reel online, with one user branding him a “dangerous individual”.
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A group of women have clubbed together to petition Channel 4 to reconsider airing scenes including the personal trainer from Birmingham, and even reached out to Married At First Sight UK's celebrity dating expert Mel Schilling.
They say they have presented evidence of their allegations to Channel 4.
Despite acknowledging the claims, Channel 4 has confirmed Alex will remain in the edit.
It comes after the arrest of another groom in 2022, George Roberts, on suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour. He was later cleared.
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A user called Shannon Munnelly wrote online: “@alexander.henry_ should never have been allowed on this show.
“In situations where people are marrying each other at first sight, allowing a domestic abuser to join the show is not acceptable at all. I have seen first hand the damage that this man has done. Something needs to be done about this situation. @e4mafsuk @e4grams domestic abusers should NOT be provided platforms.”
It is understood Shannon is campaigning on the behalf of a friend who dated Alex.
In another comment, she wrote: “We have messaged, pictures, videos everything required and we have not yet received an update on the urgent matter that you are investigating.
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“We are petitioning to not have him aired on this show as he is a dangerous individual @e4mafsuk @e4grams.”
Since launching their online campaign, the women formally contacted the broadcaster and also the dating show’s celebrity advisors.
Mafs couples that have stood the test of time
Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.
The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam's Doncaster home.
Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.
Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.
Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: “I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out - and excited for everything to come.”
Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.
Owen recalled: “I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.
"While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.
“The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I signed up?’
“A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.”
Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.
Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna's vegan lifestyle, the show's first same sex pairing are still going strong.
They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.
Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: "We're not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship."
One of them, Mel Schilling, confirmed that she would pass their message on to C4.
Later, a C4 advisor responded to the women directly and said they did not intend to remove Alex from the programme.
A message read: “MAFS UK was filmed several months ago and is not live, so Alexander will feature in the programmes that have been edited and are due for broadcast later this month. There will also be promotional activity on the channel’s social media platforms during this time, in which Alexander may appear.”
The allegations have thrown the show into chaos just days before its launch.
The show, which invites singles to meet for the first time at the wedding altar, is one of Channel 4’s highest-rated shows.
When approached by The Sun, a Channel 4 spokesperson said: “MAFS UK contributors are subject to rigorous background vetting, including multiple independent psychological evaluations and a criminal record check before they can be cleared to take part.
"We cast contributors based on the information we are legally able to access and we continue to review this process to ensure checks are as thorough as legally possible."
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