And just like that... MAFS is over

It has led to (allegations) Rape.
How many women were overpersuaded and experienced regret.
Surely that was inevitable.

The Sarah and Dean situation was awful, really felt for her being attacked every week. And also Caspar and Emma. He was vilified every week because he didn’t want to be intimate with a woman that reminded him of his sister. Women are up obviously more vulnerable in these situations but the so called experts were guilty of pushing reluctant men and women

But this is skewed. People that have watched it already were not aware of these allegations. People that watch it in the future would hope that measures are put in place to prevent this in the future.

As for your 'abused and exploited', that statue over the top of law courts, the woman holding the balance and wearing a blindfold. She has a blindfold for a reason.

I don't believe the 'masses of people are desperate to sign up' thing though. Certainly in relation to MAFS Aus. They had to head hunt quite a few of the cast members. If they had the pick of hundreds of potentials, I can't see that happening. They can't all have had a 'face for radio'.

Like a few pp’s, I liked Big Brother when it first aired. I watched a couple more series and that was it. The very obvious push towards controversy was sickening. At least there used to be some interesting discussion and debate in among the antics, but it just descended into farce with everyone being a ‘larger than life’ character. Yawn. I liked Survivor and Castaways was really good (the one on the Scottish island.) I did watch a few other reality shows which were definitely supposed to be titillating rather than highbrow, but I stopped when I realised I was feeling uncomfortable and voyeuristic rather than entertained. And although some of them have rightly been consigned to history, others replaced them that didn’t push boundaries but rather ignored their existence. I’m actually ashamed of some of the stuff I used to watch. I’d love to say that it’s because we live in enlightened times. But we don’t. I still love shit TV in among all the more ‘worthy’ stuff, but I veer away from shows with people in forced, often sexually charged situations, being manipulated and humiliated. Even with their supposed consent.

it amazes me how people are desperate to sign up. Year after year, they surely can see how exploitative the show is and it getting worse.

inwould hate to be in an intimate situation with a perfect stranger.

It is a modern day freak show. These contestants are thrown to the lions. It’s not about finding a love match. It’s actually the opposite. The couples are put together for maximum entertainment.

Dont people realise? If you are selected, its because you are vulnerable!

It's always been the way though.

These people would be the same ones watching gladiators fighting to the death, setting up a chair by the gallows, paying to visit Bedlam, watching 'freak' shows...

Low intelligence entertainment for the low intelligence masses 🤷🏻‍♀️

Indeed, viewing pleasure before raped women and vulnerable 'contestants'.

Its horrible to believe that people put their TV enjoyment over real people's dreadful experiences.

It’s got sleazier over time.

I enjoy the program and hope it doesn't die a death as a result.

And here we have it - never mind how many women are abused and exploited as long as someone gets their not so guilty pleasure.

Sex sells and money talks. It's as simple as that.

One of the grooms accused of sexual assault was named. As for the others, we all know how this goes in the modern world. There doesn't need to be direct accusations at first for it all to be revealed.

I enjoy the program and hope it doesn't die a death as a result. I do think the SAS reality TV show should be stopped. It's only a matter of time before someone dies or gets a life changing injury with the production company using the excuse that it's the nature of the challenge that.....blardy blar

Same.

I've not watched any reality TV. I saw the first series of IACGMOOH, which I only saw because my exh liked Ant and Dec! But nothing before or since.

Some humans have always enjoyed exploiting other humans and being excited in one way or another by the degradation of people they see as beneath them.

Along with culturally accepted attitudes of men as a class towards women as a class, I can't believe anyone is surprised to hear this tbh.

I truly hope this show never airs again. Please.

Neither of you have watched the programme, have you? The “grooms in question” who are alleged to have committed rape and sexual assault weren’t named and nor were their accusers - how can anyone sue for defamation when they’re not identified?

Panorama has served a very useful function - it’s extremely doubtful that MAFSUK will ever see the light of day again.

Why was Love Island allowed to keep being made after the suicides of contestants? Never understood that.

I find things like Naked Attraction and MAFS and other programmes along similar lines really sleazy.

I would be glad to see less of these programmes where everyone is after their 15 minutes of "celebrity fame".

More quality drama and programmes about the real world not the Z-list shite that fills the TV schedules because it's cheap to make and pushes the boundaries of what many people find acceptable as entertainment..

I agree with this. The reality of this situation, unless the content of Panorama is wrong, is that these cases would be thrown out before they even get to a hearing. The grooms in question would be well advised to lawyer up and start suing for defamation. The time to act was at the time and if and when there was evidence. Panorama overhyped a situation that, arguably, should not even be in the public domain.

Hopefully they will be and this era of trash TV exploiting the vulnerable and enabling bullies, narcissists and abusers will end.

No idea how that is seen as entertaining with the abuse, rapes and sometimes suicides of the participants with viewers contributing to that by encouraging ever more vulgar, exploitative TV.

OP Would you.prefer women to continue to be sexually abused, just so you get entertainment??

I’ve just watched the Panorama programme. The most shocking aspect for me was the way “welfare” dismissed and minimised the women’s experience when they were told about it. I hope the production company is sued to extinction.

Speaks volumes about those who watch them and have done in the past -Jeremy Kyle et al.
As soon as someone says to me they life reality t.v I think I.Q.. um.. about 56 then and disengage as they are probably a brain dead to find such stuff 'entertaining'.
Such a low bar.

FFS This isn't sad or funny or even light hearted. It's totally pathetic.

I hope the production company goes bankrupt - I mean financially as they're already morally bankrupt. "Reality" TV isn't reality. At least I can't imagine anyone carrying on like this in real life. It's a sad indictment of the modern world that people are willing to demean themselves like this to become Z listers, and that's even before the rapes and sexual abuse are taken into account. It's the exploitation of vulnerable people. None of this surprises me in the least. It's sickening.