Channel 4 will not remove alleged abuser from show

Channel 4 world amusement Married astatine First Sight has rejected calls to region 1 of its participants aft accusations of home maltreatment were made against him.

Criticism has been aimed astatine Alexander Henry, who is successful the ninth bid which starts connected Monday, successful the comments connected E4's Instagram promotion reel.

Channel 4 confirmed it would not beryllium cutting Mr Henry's scenes arsenic "the DBS (criminal record) cheque carried retired connected the contributor raised successful the allegation was returned clear".

The Sun has reported that Mr Henry was sentenced to 34 days successful a subject situation for taking unauthorised leave.

The insubstantial says Mr Henry was arrested by subject constabulary for abandoning his relation successful the RAF to enactment connected the show, contempt his permission petition being denied by his commander.

A spokesperson for Mr Henry told The Sun: "He returned aft filming of his ain volition and handed himself into the subject authorities. He was sentenced to 34 days successful a subject situation and served 24 arsenic a exemplary inmate."

The BBC has contacted the RAF and Mr Henry for comment.

Married astatine First Sight is simply a bold societal experimentation wherever azygous radical wed full strangers whom they conscionable for the precise archetypal clip astatine the altar.

Mr Henry, a idiosyncratic trainer from Birmingham, is 1 of the groomsmen connected the show.

Channel 4 has confirmed it has received "a azygous allegation against a Married astatine First Sight UK 2024 contributor and we person responded straight to those who came to america with that allegation".

In a connection it added that the "welfare of our contributors is of paramount value and, arsenic such, we instrumentality each allegations of unacceptable behaviour seriously".

It went connected to say: "Everyone taking portion successful MAFS UK undergoes a rigorous vetting process, involving a transgression grounds cheque and aggregate intelligence evaluations, earlier they tin beryllium cleared to instrumentality part.

"We formed contributors based connected the accusation we are legally capable to access, and we proceed to reappraisal this process to guarantee checks are arsenic thorough arsenic legally possible."

The BBC has seen grounds of the emails and pictures which the alleged unfortunate sent to Channel 4 alongside her petition for him to beryllium removed from the show.

In a effect to that email, Channel 4 said the programme was "filmed respective months agone and is not live, truthful Alexander volition diagnostic successful the programmes that person been edited and are owed for broadcast".

It added that "there volition besides beryllium promotional enactment connected the channel's societal media platforms successful which Alexander my appear".

The BBC understands that Mr Henry attempted to interaction his erstwhile spouse up of filming the amusement and successful 1 connection said: "I get flashbacks astir what happened betwixt us, the good... but mostly the bad, and it makes maine consciousness sick."

Last twelvemonth helium participated successful different Channel 4 dating world show, Let's Make a Love Scene, but the occurrence helium appeared successful was ne'er aired aft his erstwhile spouse reported his behaviour to the show's producer.

The alleged unfortunate was told by Channel 4 that MAFS UK is "produced by a antithetic accumulation institution to the 1 who made the erstwhile show, truthful they would person been unaware of Alexander's information successful a programme that was ne'er broadcast".

Based connected Channel 4's determination to support Mr Henry connected the show, foundation Women's Aid said successful a connection that it was "incredibly disappointed and acrophobic to perceive that the producers person taken the determination not to region an alleged abuser".

It added: "Having seen the nonstop interaction of abusive behaviours displayed connected the amusement successful erstwhile years connected survivors, we would person hoped that extortion and tolerance levels for maltreatment would permission nary country for perpetrators to beryllium fixed a level again, with their actions being televised arsenic 'entertainment'."