Turbulent, let down, and hard.
These are just some of the words Allan Beier and Katrine Asthing use about the process in the DR program 'Married at First Sight'.
- What the hell am I supposed to believe, what am I supposed to think? says Katrine Asthing.
The couple has been cut out of the final program after "new information" came to light. Anne Garlichs, head of external TV at DR, announced this earlier in the week ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/kultur/dr-klipper-par-ud-af-gift-ved-foerste-blik ) and emphasized that it was not a criminal matter.
But the decision to cut the couple out now leads the two participants to direct sharp criticism at DR.
- I simply think it has been a poor process, and I don't think it has been handled properly in any way, says Katrine Asthing.
>
> I mean, they married me to the man, but they won't say what it is they've
> found.
> Katrine Asthing
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'Extremely upset'
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The couple says they were married on May 4 and decided to stay married in June. They describe their relationship throughout the recordings as "loving and beautiful."
Allan Beier and Katrine Asthing are not a couple today, but they say they have a close relationship and are good friends.
Two weeks later, when the recordings are over, the production company and DR contact the couple, they say. The production received a concerning email from an anonymous sender containing serious allegations against Allan Beier, they explain.
They want to speak with them as soon as possible.
- It was about me having subjected women in my past to psychological and physical violence and abusive behavior.
- Something I couldn't recognize at all. I could sincerely say that there was nothing to these accusations, says Allan Beier.
According to him, he has previously experienced anonymous people contacting his former workplaces with serious allegations. He describes it as harassment, which he says he also informed DR about during casting.
He does not know who is behind the anonymous inquiries.
For Katrine Asthing, the meeting is a huge shock.
- I became extremely upset, because that's not the Allan I met at all. I can't recognize any of the things, she says.
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Lawyer investigates - then they are cut out
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Allan Beier gives consent to DR and the producer to have a lawyer investigate the allegations and talk to his former employers and collaborators.
That takes two weeks, the couple explains. Allan Beier says he subsequently spoke with former employers, and according to him, they did not tell DR anything that should have led DR to cut the couple out.
- I simply think DR was worried about bad headlines. They wanted to cut it away before it got too big, and therefore made a decision on an extremely thin basis, he says.
After the two weeks during which the lawyer investigated the allegations, the couple is told they have been cut out. During those two weeks, neither the production company nor DR contacted Allan Beier.
Both participants say they have not seen the anonymous email.
- Allan hasn't been allowed to defend himself in this at all. Another thing is that they married me to the man.
- You knew he was subjected to harassment, you chose to include him anyway. When this happens, you haven't had our backs at all—neither his nor mine, says Katrine Asthing.
If the allegations have any merit, isn't that the right way to handle things?
- They should have handled it completely differently. If there is anything to those accusations, they could at least have helped me. I mean, they married me to the man, but they won't say what it is they've found.
- Try to think about where that leaves me. I think that's completely appalling, says Katrine Asthing.
If you hadn't chosen to come forward, the rest of Denmark wouldn't know all this. Why come forward?
- Or else we wouldn't get to respond. DR robbed us of that opportunity with their press release on Monday. Within a few hours, our names had become known.
- If we didn't come forward with this story, it would only cast more suspicion on me and on us.
In the press release from DR, the two participants were not mentioned by name.
The couple now hopes that DR will "look inward" and offer an apology.
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'Would not have proceeded with the participant'
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DR News would have liked to interview Anne Garlichs, head of external TV at DR, but that has not been possible.
Instead, she has commented in a written response.
Here it says that DR has great understanding for Katrine and Allan's situation and therefore offered them psychological help—an offer that still stands, she says.
Anne Garlichs and DR, however, do not share the couple's account of the process.
- After the recordings were completed, we had thorough considerations where we obtained enough information to make the overall editorial assessment that we should only have eight participants in this year's edition of 'Married at First Sight'.
- If we had known about this information in connection with the casting process or before the recordings, we would not have proceeded with the participant, says Anne Garlichs.
Anne Garlichs is program manager for external production at DR. (Photo: © Bjarne Bergius Hermansen, DR)
DR News has asked DR about what information this is that led to the decision, and what has changed since the program managers were previously informed—according to Allan Beier—that someone was "harassing" him.
DR's press department or Anne Garlichs, however, have not wished to answer that.
DR will now go over the casting process with a fine-tooth comb.
- We already have a very thorough casting and screening process, but we will of course evaluate and review our processes with a fine-tooth comb going forward, says Anne Garlichs.
It is also stated that the season will go from eight to seven episodes after the couple was cut out. The season premieres on DR1 and DRTV on September 3.
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