SBS-TV’s 'Match to Marry: With Parents' has begun an emergency re-edit following revelations about a contestant’s past that could spark public controversy.
On January 21, the production team stated, “We recently became aware of information indicating that one of the contestants has a past history that could become a social issue. We have requested verification of the facts, but as of now, we have not received a concrete response.”
'Match to Marry: With Parents' is SBS’s latest dating reality show. The program follows 10 single men and women who, accompanied by their mothers, live together for five nights and six days while participating in arranged matchmaking.
The controversy arose after a woman identified as 'A' appeared on JTBC’s 'Crime Chief' on January 20, alleging that contestant 'B' from 'Match to Marry' had been her husband’s extramarital partner. According to 'A,' she won a civil lawsuit against 'B' as a third party involved in the affair.
In response, the production team issued an apology, saying, “Regardless of whether the allegations are ultimately confirmed, we sincerely apologize for causing discomfort to viewers due to an unfortunate controversy involving a contestant.”
The producers immediately began an emergency re-edit upon learning of the issue. “To ensure viewers can watch the program without discomfort, we have decided to completely remove all footage of the contestant in question from every remaining episode,” they explained.
Addressing criticism over whether the cast had been properly vetted, the team said, “Through pre-interview questionnaires and in-depth face-to-face interviews, we repeatedly confirmed that there were no disqualifying issues in the contestants’ past or present backgrounds.”
They added that the participation agreement explicitly includes a clause stating that contestants affirm and guarantee they have not been involved in crimes, drugs, extramarital affairs, or school violence, with penalty clauses specified in the event of violations.
Despite these measures, the controversy still emerged. The production team said, “Within the limits permitted by law, we made every effort to verify whether participants were suitable for broadcast. The production staff is also shocked and deeply distressed by this situation.”
The team concluded, “We will take this incident as a lesson and further strengthen our verification procedures to ensure that similar issues do not recur in the future.”
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