Channel 4 has defended its inclusion of George Roberts, 40, on the dating show Married at First Sight UK.

The dad-of-four from Worcester has faced backlash after national newspapers have made serious allegations about his character.

A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “We work incredibly closely with our production partners to ensure all Married at First Sight UK contributors are subject to rigorous background and psychological checks, including the most detailed police checks a production is able to undertake.

"Any allegations of this nature are taken extremely seriously by Channel 4.”

READ MORE: Married at First Sight UK's George almost leaves the show

Mr Roberts is a financial advisor and business owner from Worcester, who previously attended Malvern College, and also played for Malvern Rugby Club.

He has had a rocky experience on the show so far, arguing with his wife frequently after she kissed another woman on their honeymoon.

Married at First Sight is a social experiment where single people, matched by experts, marry total strangers, who they meet for the very first time on their wedding day.