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Channel 4 has removed all episodes of Married at First Sight UK from its platform after serious sexual assault allegations. Two brides were allegedly raped by their onscreen husbands, while a third described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act, according to a BBC Panorama documentary.

All three victims have slammed CPL, an independent production company which makes the UK version of the show, as they feel they should have been better protected. One said she wants the company to stop "allowing harm to come to people". The men accused of sex attacks deny all the allegations against them in the documentary: The Dark Side of Married at First Sight.

The broadcaster said that all previous seasons of MAFS UK have been removed from its streaming and linear services, and it announced that in April, it commissioned an external review into contributor welfare. "In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied," Channel 4 said in a statement on Monday.

The show sees single people matched by experts 'marry' strangers who they meet for the first time on their wedding day.

Priya Dogra, chief executive of Channel 4, said: "I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married At First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance."

An insider suggested it would be difficult to see the series recover from this.

They told The Sun: "Very serious conversations are being had about the future of Married At First Sight UK in light of the concerning allegations. No formal decisions will be made until the documentary airs but it's hard to see how the series can recover from this.

"The claims are being taken extremely seriously. It could be all over for the British spin-off of the show."

Baroness Kennedy, chair of Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, spoke on BBC Panorama: "If someone has made it clear, 'I'm not going to have sex with you if you ejaculate into me, I do not want any risk of pregnancy', then I think that can amount to a sexual violation. That's why this kind of programme is so dangerous because the vigiliance that's required of producers, of directors, of the welfare people who are around, is very very real. And I think that it's fallen, it's fallen down here."