Married at First Sight, a reality show broadcast on Channel 4, has refused to remove one of its participants despite allegations of domestic abuse. Alexander Henry, one of the programme’s groomsmen, has been accused of abusive behaviour by an un-named woman.The allegations were initially made in messages sent to Channel 4, in which the complainant urged the broadcaster to delete Henry’s scenes. Critics have called for the removal of the personal-trainer from Birmingham, who was sentenced to 34 days in jail by military authorities following his unauthorised absence from the Royal Air Force.
Channel 4 has defended its decision to retain Henry on the show, citing a clean criminal records check as evidence that the allegations are not true. In a statement, the broadcaster said that it took all allegations of undesirable behaviour seriously.“Everyone taking part in MAFS UK undergoes a rigorous vetting process, involving a criminal record check and multiple psychological evaluations, 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.” Channel 4 also confirmed that it has received only one allegation against the participant.
Henry’s alleged victim was unimpressed with Channel 4’s decision to keep him on the show. Women’s Aid made a statement condemning the broadcaster, in which it expressed “incredible disappointment and concern” that an alleged abuser had not been removed. The statement added: “Having seen the direct impact of abusive behaviours displayed on the show in previous years on survivors, we would have hoped that protection and tolerance levels for abuse would leave no room for perpetrators to be given a platform again, with their actions being televised as ‘entertainment’.”
The domestic abuse allegations are not the first to be aimed at Henry. In a message sent to the un-named woman before his appearance on Married at First Sight, Henry admitted to “flashbacks” of their relationship, before describing it as “mostly bad”. The participant has previously appeared on Let’s Make a Love Scene, another Channel 4 show. The episode featuring Henry was never aired after the broadcaster received a complaint from the trainer’s former partner
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
