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16th Sep 2024

Married At First Sight star Alex Henry has been jailed

Zoe Hodges

He went Awol to film the show

A member of the RAF, who went Awol to appear on the reality TV show Married at First Sight, has been jailed by a military court.

Alex Henry, 28, abandoned his post at an electric warfare base to take part in the Channel 4 dating show.

Henry, who was based at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria, had requested extra leave last winter to take part in the show but this request was denied by his commanding officer.

He ignored the officer’s decision and attended filming for the show.

However, upon his return, he was arrested by military police and sentenced to 34 days in a military prison. He served 24 before being sacked.

A spokesperson for Henry told The Sun: “He returned after filming of his own volition and handed himself into the military authorities.

“He was sentenced to 34 days in a military prison and served 24 as a model inmate.”

Following filming for the show, Henry posted on social media: “Anything worth having in life comes with a risk.”

In promotional material for the show, he said he knew the meaning of ‘work hard and play hard’.

His inclusion on the show had already come under criticism after allegations were made against him about his alleged past behaviour around women.

At the time, a Channel 4 spokesperson said: “MAFS UK contributors are subject to rigorous background vetting, including multiple independent psychological evaluations and a criminal record check before they can be cleared to take part.

“We cast contributors based on the information we are legally able to access and we continue to review this process to ensure checks are as thorough as legally possible.”

As protests continued, a Channel 4 advisor responded, clarifying that the show was filmed ‘several months ago’ and that the former RAF Air Specialist will feature in the programs that are due to air later this month.