Married At First Sight star Amy Kenyon has opened up about her experience on the show, claiming she was “sexually degraded” both on and off camera during filming.
The UK version of the reality series has been under intense scrutiny in recent days following a BBC Panorama investigation that featured claims from two women who alleged they were raped by their on-screen husbands while taking part in the Channel 4 programme. A third woman also alleged a non-consensual sex act.
Following the allegations, Channel 4 issued an apology to the brides. Executive Priya Dogra said she was “deeply sorry” after watching the documentary and learning about the women’s “distress”.
“Welfare across all our programmes is hugely important to us and is a primary concern,” Dogra said in a statement. “However, I’m sure you’ll appreciate that Channel 4 cannot investigate the specific allegations against the men, which they have denied, nor can I comment on them in any way.”
In the wake of the controversy, all episodes of MAFS UK have been removed from streaming platforms, while a final decision regarding the future of the series has yet to be made.
Now, Kenyon, who appeared on MAFS UK in 2024 and later featured on Celebrity Ex on the Beach, has shared her own account, revealing she required therapy after experiencing what she described as “sexual harassment” and feeling uncomfortable around her partner, Luke Debono.
Speaking to The Sun, the 29-year-old said: “Sexual harassment went on, and mine happened on camera. I just had to deal with it, and everybody was just laughing at it. It was making good TV, even if I did feel uncomfortable 80% of the time.”
She described her experience on the programme as “very, very, very difficult”, recalling how she told producers that her match felt more like a “creepy guy [she] would avoid at the bar” than someone she would choose to approach.
“I remember having to share a bed with him that evening. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can’t do this’,” she shared. Kenyon and Debono entered the experiment later as an “intruder couple”.
Kenyon claimed that while they were sleeping in the same bed, she would “put pillows up as a barrier to keep him away from [her]” while trying to convince herself that the unusual nature of the experiment was perhaps why everything felt so uncomfortable.
“But you can’t help but feel sometimes, ‘Is this right?’”
Reflecting on her time on the show, Kenyon said she began questioning her decision to take part as Debono, who is from Malta, allegedly made “very sexually explicit” comments and “derogatory jokes”.
“I’m not that sensitive, but it was the fact that I was asking him to stop, and he wouldn’t.”
According to Kenyon, the behaviour began “straight away”, and she said she even asked him to “tone it down” while they were on their honeymoon in the Bahamas.
However, she claimed that because other cast members laughed at his comments, “it just got worse and worse and worse”.
Among the incidents she recalled were Debono discussing their sex life in front of fellow contestants and experts, removing his shirt during a pottery session, and making comments including that he “wished the stool he was sitting on were her face”.
“I wish I’d have got down on my knees while you were cooking in the kitchen and terrorised your b*****e,” he allegedly told her at one point.
Kenyon further claimed that contestants were encouraged to have sex and discuss their intimate lives on the show. However, she explained that she would typically prefer to get to know someone “for a few weeks” before becoming intimate.
Channel 4’s statement after announcing review of welfare on Married At First Sight UK
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 well-being of our contributors is always of paramount importance.
“It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors. Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on. We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.
“On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively, and with wellbeing front and centre.
“Nevertheless, because we aspire to the highest standards of contributor welfare, I felt strongly as Channel 4’s new CEO that it was right that we look again at how we handled issues raised at the time and ask whether changes should be made to further strengthen contributor welfare.
“That’s why last month I commissioned an external review of contributor welfare on MAFS UK. That review will report to me in the coming months.
“We take these issues very seriously and are committed to ensuring that we continue to lead the industry in our duty of care for contributors.”
“The experiment is fast-paced, and you have to move at a faster pace. Looking back now, I wish I hadn’t,” Kenyon admitted.
After the pair became intimate, Kenyon said she specifically asked Debono not to reveal any details about their sex life during filming.
“Please don’t humiliate me,” she recalled telling him, explaining that she wanted her father to be able to watch the programme comfortably.
According to Kenyon, Debono “promised he wouldn’t”, but she later learned that a conversation between him and another groom discussing their bedroom experiences had been included in the final broadcast. She said producers informed her beforehand that the scene would air.
Kenyon described the remarks as “disgusting” and claimed that much of the alleged sexual harassment, along with other “weird, sick things”, never made it onto camera.
Watching the series unfold on television left her feeling “humiliated”, and she has since described Debono as “the most vile human being [she’s] ever met”.
The couple ultimately ended their relationship during the final vows ceremony. Looking back, Kenyon believes she had a “lucky escape”, noting that Debono was not allowed to return for the reunion episode. According to the Daily Mail, producers removed him after he allegedly “shocked both cast and crew with his aggressive behaviour”.
Despite her criticism, Kenyon praised Channel 4 for carrying out “thorough” background checks before filming. However, she believes additional safeguards are necessary and has suggested 24-hour CCTV monitoring in the MAFS apartments if the show returns.
“They can vet the people, but you don’t truly know who somebody is. So there is the risk,” she said.
As for Debono, the former prison education manager recently celebrated his 33rd birthday and marked the occasion on Instagram, where he has more than 102,000 followers.
“33 today 🤍 Another year of blessings and lessons,” he wrote in the caption.
Debono regularly posts updates from his travels and daily life on social media, though Kenyon revealed she blocked him immediately after their time together on Married At First Sight.
Responding to criticism from viewers while the season was airing, Debono previously stated: “In light of recent episodes, as much as the support is appreciated, please bear in mind that [you] only see a snippet of our time together, and we are sometimes caught in vulnerable or heightened moments. Both Amy and I have zero tolerance towards negativity or hate.”
Source: MSN