Vanessa Feltz Exposes Rolf Harris Live TV Misconduct

has recalled the uncomfortable moment 'put his hand on her thigh' while they filmed The Big Breakfast together, as she discussed the sexual assault claims towards the hit reality show Married At First Sight UK.

Two women who appeared on the British version of the hit show say they were raped by their on-screen husbands, while a third claims she was subjected to a non-consensual sexual act. 

Discussing the allegations, Vanessa recalled her own experience appearing on The Big Breakfast with convicted paedophile Rolf, sharing she felt him 'move his hand up her dress' while they filmed in a bed together.

Speaking on her show, Vanessa admitted she 'didn't want to ruin the atmosphere' on The Big Breakfast by asking Rolf to stop. 

The former children's entertainer was jailed in July 2014 for five years and nine months after being found guilty of a dozen indecent assaults against four young girls. He died in May 2023 at the age of 93.

She said: 'It's well documented that Rolf Harris was on the bed with me on The Big Breakfast. 

'And I felt something and I heard a noise and it was my dress going up and up and up and up and up on live television, as Rolf Harris, you know, moved his hand further and further and further and further up my thighs.

'And one of the issues is you don't want to ruin the atmosphere of the programme, you know, the Big Breakfast was watched by children. It was very positive. It was very good fun. 

'It was lively... Rolf Harris, his wife, was standing right next to him about three feet away. And... I didn't want to ruin the atmosphere of the show by saying, you know, ''Rolf Harris, get your hand off my thigh.''

Vanessa's guest, former Big Brother star Narinder Kaur, shared her thoughts, saying: 'I think there's a very fine line between entertainment and exploitation. 

'And I think that, I mean, I watched that Panorama last night and, you know, it didn't really surprise me. Some of it was so shocking. 

'The point is, this is a show that requires intimacy, and as a production company, can you really guarantee well-being and safety? You actually can't. And they took a huge risk.'

It comes as the has urged any women with allegations of rape or sexual assault linked with MAFS to get in contact with them.

bosses have axed the new series of the show in light of the allegations, and all ten series of Married at First Sight UK, known as , were removed from the channel's streaming service.

A Met spokesperson said on Tuesday: 'We are aware of media reporting relating to allegations of rape and sexual assault following the airing of a television programme on Monday, 18 May.

'At this time, we have not received any criminal reports in relation to this matter. We will be making approaches to the relevant production teams to ensure that anyone they have spoken to is aware of how to report any criminal allegations to police.

'We continue to encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, to get in touch with us.'

The dating show was set to return to screens for its eleventh series in September, but plans to air the episodes, which wrapped last month, have now reportedly been scrapped.

Among the alleged victims is Shona Manderson, who says she got an abortion after her on-screen husband, Brad Skelly, took things 'too far' during sex and 'a boundary was crossed' when he ejaculated inside her without permission.

Waiving her anonymity, she described how she 'completely lost her light' during filming, which saw experts raise concerns about Mr Skelly's alleged 'controlling' manner towards her that saw them ultimately be asked to leave the show.

Two other female contestants reported being raped by their on-screen husbands, with one informing both Channel 4 and the production company only for the episodes to be aired anyway.

The other described being left with bruises from the alleged assault and said her partner also threatened to have acid thrown at her

All the men are understood to deny the allegations against them.

The women say the show, produced by independent firm CPL, did not do enough to protect them and that welfare protocols were not sufficient.

And it's been warned the series could even face a police probe. Security Minister Dan Jarvis has said he is 'extremely concerned', adding: 'I think it's highly likely that there will be a referral to the police and it will be a police matter for them to investigate.'

Ms Manderson, the only woman of the three who is identified, alleged her partner, Mr Skelly, ejaculated inside her without her permission leaving her 'shocked' and 'confused' as 'we said we weren't doing that'.

Ms Manderson later went to get the morning after pill and was accompanied by a welfare producer. But soon after she discovered she was pregnant and made the difficult decision to have an abortion.

She says she does not know for sure whether the pregnancy was a result of the incident. Ms Manderson later informed production company CPL about it, but lawyers for the firm say she told them she did not have a problem with it.

Around the same time, Mr Skelly was being called out on air by the show's experts for speaking to his partner in a controlling manner. The couple were later removed from the show due to concerns about their relationship.

In a statement to the BBC, Mr Skelly said he categorically denies 'any allegations of sexual misconduct, or that he was controlling'.

A second woman, referred to by the pseudonym Lizzie, told Panorama her on-screen husband raped her and subjected her to violent sex that often left her with bruises, despite her telling him to stop.

She described how one night: 'He tried to have sex with me. And I kept saying no, that I didn't want to do it.

'But he kept saying, 'You can't say no, you're my wife'. And he just did it anyway.'

Lizzie added that she was too scared to tell anyone about what was happening as: 'He said that if I told anybody what had happened, that he would get someone to throw acid at me.'

Lawyers for CPL told Panorama that Lizzie did not mention the 'can't say no' comment to its team and the 'acid' remark was mentioned as a 'passing comment', not a threat. CPL took action as soon as Lizzie said she felt unsafe, the lawyers added.

A third woman, Chloe, also described being raped by her MAFS husband, with her allegations being raised both with CPL and Channel 4 prior to them being shown to the public - but the episodes in which she featured were aired anyway.

She told the programme: 'He smirked and climbed on top of me, moved my leg… By that time, I'd really given up and I just didn't want him to be angry at me when the cameras came.

'I just lay there, and I stared out the window.'

Chloe - also a pseudonym - added that once her partner noticed she was not participating, he told her: 'You're making me feel like a rapist'.

It is understood that both men implicated in the allegations deny the accounts.