Why was E4 Off air? Why channel and E4 Plus 1 were not working - and where to watch Married at First Sight UK

Channel 4’s audience were left cut off from their favourite shows over the past two days, as technical difficulties and a fire alarm caused the broadcaster’s channels to malfunction.

Viewers missed out on the latest instalment of Married at First Sight UK, as well as a string of other popular shows.

The Channel 4 app was also down, as well as streaming platform All4.

So, what caused the issue and when will Channel 4’s app, streaming service and sister channel’s be working again? This is what we know.

Why was E4 and All 4 off air?

The channels and other output streams began failing on Saturday evening when a fire at a TV broadcasting studio used by Channel 4 and Channel 5.

The fire knocked several of the two broadcasters’ channels off air and many Channel 4 channels such as E4 and 4Music still aren’t working properly.

The issue continued throughout Monday (27 September) and left MAFS fans reeling, as the latest instalment was not accessible on the All 4 app.

What channels were affected?

Channel 4, Channel 5, E4, More4, Film4 and more channels froze or showed a blank screen when viewers tuned in.

Channel 4 made viewers aware of the issue in a tweet on Sunday night, it read: "Channel 4 and More 4 are currently off air due to a technical problem. We are working to restore them as quickly as possible."

E4 added in a social media statement: "Due to a technical problem there are a number of channels off air right now - including E4. We are working to restore them as quickly as possible."

Red Bee Media, who handles the broadcasting for a number of channels, said in a statement: "We confirm that all staff at our Broadcast Centre in West London were safely evacuated following activation of the fire suppression systems this evening.

"As a result of this incident and the automatic safety measures set in motion at the time, several services originating from the Broadcast Centre have been disrupted.”

Then again on Monday night, Channel 4 made a second statement, this time relating to the All4 app.

“Following the incident at the weekend, All 4 is still experiencing some problems. We suggest that you watch your favourite programmes on television until further notice,” it read.

Live television is only available to those who pay their tv licence, meaning anyone who relies on the app for Channel 4 shows would need to wait until it begins working again.

E4 apologised on social media on Monday night, telling fans: "We’re sorry some people are experiencing issues viewing #MAFSUK.

"Rest assured we’ll find a way for you to view it (including the subtitled version) as soon as we’re able. Follow @E4Tweets for updates as and when we know more."

When will All4 be working again?

All 4 appears to be working for the meantime, allowing fans of Married At First Sight UK to watch episode 17 in full.