The BBC is set to release the UK’s very first gay dating show this summer.
The eight-part reality show called “I Kissed A Boy” will be hosted by pop music icon Kylie Minogue’s sister, Dannii Minogue.
The show, whose tagline is “The path to love is never straight”, features ten gay male contestants between 23 and 29. The men are paired up based on who the producers feel would be best suited for each individual.
It’s only after the first kiss that the contestants will then get to know one another.
“I Kissed A Boy” has released a 30-second trailer showing the men standing back-to-back in pairs. Minogue says, “If you’re saving your kiss for a different boy, don’t turn.”
The premise of the show is to test the “chemistry” of the contestants after one kiss.
The BBC’s website describes the show as “packed with explosive drama, gripping cliffhangers and powerful untold stories – from coming out in a strict religious family to the pressures of body image in the gay dating scene, to navigating self-acceptance, sex, and first gay relationships.”
Though this is not the first British match-making show to feature LGBTQ contestants, it is the first exclusively gay show.
Past reality dating shows have included both straight and same-sex attracted cast members.
For example, during the pandemic, the BBC offered viewers Lovedown, which had contestants film from home using their own devices. They’d then send their footage to the network.
BBC Three and BBC iPlayer’s Controller of Youth Audience, Fiona Campbell, said the audience is already built into the network. Many viewers already tune in for shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and documentaries that focus on identity and sexuality.
According to Variety, census data shows that 16 to 24-year-olds are now twice as likely to identify as something other than heterosexual than the rest of the population.
After Minogue was announced as the host of “I Kissed A Boy,” she said that she believes love is for everyone. She also expressed excitement at the prospect of a gay dating show.
“I have been a staunch ally of the LGBTQ+ community for as long as I can remember. My close friends know that my dream job title would be ‘Cupid’ — so this gives me that flutter-of-love feeling inside too, just to be a part of it. Let’s hope there is love, sealed with a kiss!”
Minogue also briefly spoke about the show in September 2022 on Lorraine, a British talk show that airs weekdays on ITV.
In the interview, Minogue said it’s time the LGBTQ community was better represented in reality television shows, particularly dating shows.
Host Lorraine noted that Minogue is an ally of the LGBTQ community and called Minogue a “gay icon.”
“Hopefully we’ll make some beautiful guys really happy,” Minogue told Lorraine.
The BBC show “I Kissed A Boy” will air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on May 14th, with the BBC telling audiences the show will be “serving joy, entertainment and a sparkling soundtrack full of gay anthems.”
