Channel 4 will not drop alleged abuser Alex Henry from Married at First Sight

Alexander Henry has faced allegations of domestic violence made by an ex-partner.

The reality series Married at First Sight on Channel 4 has decided not to eliminate one of its cast members despite allegations of domestic violence leveled against him.

Alexander Henry, who is set to appear in the upcoming ninth series starting on Monday, has faced criticism in the comments section of E4's promotional video on Instagram.

Channel 4 announced that they would not be removing Mr. Henry's scenes because "the criminal record check conducted on the individual mentioned in the allegation came back clean."

According to The Sun, Mr. Henry received a 34-day sentence in a military jail for taking leave without permission.

The article states that Mr. Henry was apprehended by military police for leaving his position in the RAF to take part in the show, even though his commander had rejected his request for leave.

A representative for Mr. Henry informed The Sun that he came back on his own accord after completing filming and reported himself to the military officials. He received a 34-day sentence in a military prison, out of which he spent 24 days as an exemplary inmate.

The BBC has reached out to the RAF and Mr. Henry for their feedback.

Married at First Sight is an adventurous social experiment in which singles tie the knot with complete strangers, meeting for the first time as they walk down the aisle.

Mr. Henry, a fitness coach hailing from Birmingham, is one of the groomsmen featured on the program.

Channel 4 has stated that they have received one complaint regarding a participant in Married at First Sight UK 2024, and they have communicated directly with the individuals who made that complaint.

In a statement, it emphasized that the well-being of our contributors is of the utmost importance, so we treat all claims of inappropriate behavior with the seriousness they deserve.

The blog continued: "Before anyone can participate in MAFS UK, they must go through a thorough screening process. This includes a background check for any criminal history and several psychological assessments to ensure they are fit for the show."

"We select contributors using the information that we're legally allowed to obtain, and we actively evaluate this process to make sure our checks are as comprehensive as the law permits."

MAFS UK returns for its ninth season this Monday evening.

The BBC has obtained proof of the emails and images that the claimed victim forwarded to Channel 4, along with her appeal for his removal from the program.

In reply to that email, Channel 4 stated that the show was recorded months earlier and is not being aired live, meaning Alexander will appear in the pre-recorded episodes that have been edited and are scheduled to be shown.

It mentioned that there will also be promotional activities on the channel's social media accounts featuring Alexander.

"Memories Of What Happened"

The BBC has reported that Mr. Henry tried to reach out to his ex-partner before the filming of the show. In one of his messages, he mentioned, "I often think back on our relationship—some of it was good, but mostly it was bad, and it really disturbs me."

Last year, he took part in a different dating reality show on Channel 4 called Let's Make a Love Scene. However, the episode featuring him was never broadcast because his previous partner filed a complaint about his actions with the show's producer.

Channel 4 informed the supposed victim that MAFS UK is created by a different production company than the one behind the earlier show, which means they likely had no knowledge of Alexander being involved in a program that was never aired.

Following Channel 4's choice to retain Mr. Henry on the program, the charity Women's Aid expressed in a statement that they were "extremely disheartened and worried to learn that the producers decided against removing someone accused of abuse."

It went on to say, "After witnessing the real effects of abusive behavior shown on the program in past years on those affected, we had hoped that the standards for protecting individuals and the tolerance for abuse would be so strict that it would prevent offenders from having a platform once more, especially with their actions being broadcast as 'entertainment'."