Channel 4 has clapped back against Nathanial’s claims MAFS UK ‘manipulated’ him

‘He entered the process with more information than we’d normally disclose, and did so with full consent’

7 months ago

After Nathanial Valentino went to The Mirror and told the paper he quit MAFS UK 2023, and accused the show of multiple things, Channel 4 have clapped back – refuting the claims he’s made and they did NOT mince their words.

Nathanial told The Mirror in an explosive interview “I told producers that I wanted to marry a man, or a woman with a very masculine energy, because that’s normally who I go for. Then I was told they matched me with a lovely girl who was transgender. My first reaction was ‘no’ because I felt that just wasn’t me, and I told them so.

“But they encouraged me to think about it, saying if I didn’t take part it would ruin this girl’s story. And by that point I had also turned down a work contract because I thought I’d be going on the show. So I agreed. My only deal-breakers were that she didn’t smoke and didn’t work in the sex industry

‘That’s why I was angry when I learned, before we went on honeymoon, Ella worked as a stripper. But when I asked to speak to my welfare person, I was told it wasn’t a good time. Another occasion, a producer told me I wouldn’t be asked about my family. Not long after, Ella asked me why she was being encouraged to ask me about my family.

Via Channel 4

“That was the kind of manipulation that went on. The Story were like goblins whispering in people’s ears. I’d be having a great conversation with Ella, she would be pulled away and, five minutes later, we’d have an argument about the exact same thing. One couple were really broken down by their manipulations. I watched a person have a full-on panic attack in my apartment.”

Channel 4 have now responded to what Nathanial has said about his MAFS UK experience, and to say they fully deny his claims might be the understatement of the decade. A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “Nathanial openly describes his sexuality and preferences on the show, at multiple points, as pansexual. After being initially notified of his bride’s gender identity, he took some time to decide and chose to continue in the process voluntarily and marry his bride.

“He entered the process with more information than we would ordinarily disclose, and did so with full and informed consent. Whilst we cannot go into specifics, all contributors provide their detailed dating preferences and what they’re looking for, as well as information on past relationships and experiences. The methodology our experts then use is underpinned by in-depth profiling and research to discover everything they need to know in order to match couples for compatibility.

“Duty of care to all contributors is of paramount importance and MAFS UK takes its commitment to matching couples correctly very seriously and matchmaking is undertaken by a panel of experts.”

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