Brad Skelly, a participant on Married At First Sight, has announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Toni, just one month after his ex-wife, Shona Manderson, publicly accused him of sexual misconduct. Skelly shared the news on Instagram on Friday, posting images and videos from the proposal and marking it as "the next chapter 26.06.26."
Toni, who began a public relationship with Skelly in 2024, was present at the proposal and displayed a diamond ring. Her support for Skelly has continued throughout the allegations.
The engagement follows Shona Manderson's appearance in a BBC Panorama documentary where she detailed accusations of a non-consensual sex act during filming. Manderson claimed that Skelly ejaculated inside her without permission during an encounter she described as a boundary being crossed. She also stated she had an abortion after the incident.
Skelly has denied these allegations. His legal representatives stated that he understood Manderson to be consenting and denied any sexual misconduct, adding that suggestions of violence or controlling behavior were false. They maintained the relationship was based on mutual consent and affection.
Manderson, who waived her anonymity, described a significant negative shift in her experience on the show, detailing instances of harsh criticism from Skelly after an initially positive start. She expressed that experts raised concerns about his alleged controlling behavior toward her, which ultimately led to their departure from the program. Manderson stated that while many appeared concerned for her well-being and noted her diminishing spark, there were no direct interventions regarding Skelly's conduct toward her.
According to Panorama, Channel 4 and production company CPL removed the couple from the show due to concerns about the relationship's health. CPL stated that appropriate safeguarding measures were implemented to protect Manderson's well-being.
Manderson discovered she was pregnant approximately one week after leaving the show. She and Skelly separated about six weeks after their departure from the program. She told Panorama that participation in reality television should not subject individuals to such experiences.
Channel 4 has removed all episodes of Married At First Sight UK from its streaming and linear services while an external review of welfare procedures on the program is conducted. The broadcaster stated that contributors had consistently assured producers of their safety and desire to continue participating. A spokesperson for Channel 4 confirmed that the review, commissioned in April, is examining welfare protocols at the time the claims were raised and how they were handled, as well as assessing current protocols to potentially strengthen contributor welfare.