“A true depiction of dating in the modern age. This format needed to happen”
Twofour for BBC
Twofour’s I Kissed A Boy carved out a unique space in the reality landscape as the UK’s first exclusively LGBT+ dating show.
The format takes a group of single men and sets them up in a sun-kissed villa, with host and gay icon Danii Minogue overseeing their romantic entanglements.
The men are paired up and share their first kiss before even introducing themselves, and the series also features dramatic ‘kiss-offs’ where the men decide if they want to continue their relationships. But while the storylines are dramatic, the contestants are treated with respect throughout and never caricatured.
To make the show as authentic as possible, the crew were themselves mainly LGBT+, while the cast were men who challenged gay stereotypes, helping the show more accurately represent the gay community.
One judge described it as a “true depiction of dating in the modern age within a community often misunderstood and misrepresented”.
I Kissed A Boy was a hit not only with gay audiences but also with female viewers, who accounted for 53% of the show’s overall audience. A female-led spin-off is already in the works.
As one judge summed up: “This format needed to happen.”
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