I Kissed a Boy is a British dating game show on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer,[1] which began on 13 May 2023 and is the first British dating show to feature exclusively gay men.[2][3] It is hosted by Dannii Minogue and narrated by Layton Williams.[4][5]
| I Kissed a Boy | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality |
| Presented by | Dannii Minogue |
| Narrated by | Layton Williams |
| Theme music composer | Ian Masterson Hayley Sanderson |
| Opening theme | "We Could Be the One" by Dannii Minogue |
| Ending theme | "We Could Be the One" by Dannii Minogue |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Production location | Italy |
| Editor |
|
| Running time | 42–46 minutes |
| Production company | Twofour |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC |
| Release | 13 May 2023 – present |
| Related | |
| I Kissed a Girl | |
Format
editThe series follows ten single gay men who are matched up and meet for the first time "...with a kiss. No small talk. No messages. Just one kiss to test out their chemistry". The show is set in an Italian country house called the "Masseria". Prior to the show the contestants are matched, based on what they're looking for in a partner. After meeting their match for the first time with a kiss, the men are encouraged to get to know their new partners and try out their relationship.[6][7]
Contestants
editThe original contestants on I Kissed a Boy were announced on 26 April 2023.[8][9][10][11]
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Entered | Exited | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie King | 27 | Brighton | Episode 1 | Episode 8 | Committed with Dan |
| Dan Harry Glendinning | 27 | Glasgow | Episode 4 | Episode 8 | Committed with Ollie |
| Subomi Onanuga | 29 | London | Episode 1 | Episode 8 | Committed with Gareth |
| Gareth Graham | 28 | Kilkeel | Episode 1 | Episode 8 | Committed with Subomi |
| Jake Devline-Reed | 27 | Swansea | Episode 1 | Episode 8 | Committed with Kailum |
| Kailum Webster | 25 | Brighton | Episode 1 | Episode 8 | Committed with Jake |
| Ross Bester | 27 | Manchester | Episode 1 | Episode 8 | Committed with Ceejay |
| Ceejay Knight | 26 | London | Episode 4 | Episode 8 | Committed with Ross |
| Ben Clark | 28 | Edinburgh | Episode 1 | Episode 8 | Eliminated |
| Matty Holehouse | 27 | TBA | Episode 6 | Episode 8 | Eliminated |
| Vitor Moreira | 27 | London | Episode 4 | Episode 7 | Eliminated |
| Jake Watkins | 26 | TBA | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Eliminated |
| Joseph Mendez | 23 | London | Episode 1 | Episode 5 | Eliminated |
| Mikey Connor | 28 | Liverpool | Episode 1 | Episode 5 | Eliminated |
| Josh Cemaloğlu | 24 | Rhyl | Episode 1 | Episode 4 | Walked |
| Robert "Bobski" Budzynski | 23 | Harlow | Episode 1 | Episode 3 | Eliminated |
Kiss Off Progress
edit| Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 5 | Episode 6/7 | Episode 8 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie | Ben | Ben | Dan | Dan | Ben & Matty to Eliminate |
Dan | ||||||
| Dan | Not in Masseria |
Ollie | Ollie | Ollie | ||||||||
| Subomi | Gareth | Gareth | Gareth | Gareth | Ben & Matty to Eliminate |
Gareth | ||||||
| Gareth | Subomi | Subomi | Subomi | Subomi | Subomi | |||||||
| Jake | Kailum | Kailum | Kailum | Kailum | Ben & Matty to Eliminate |
Kailum | ||||||
| Kailum | Jake | Jake | Jake | Jake | Jake | |||||||
| Ross | Joseph | Joseph | Ceejay | Ceejay | Ben & Matty to Eliminate |
Ceejay | ||||||
| Ceejay | Not in Masseria |
Ross | Ross | Ross | ||||||||
| Ben | Ollie | Ollie | Vitor | Matty | Ross & Ceejay to Eliminate |
Eliminated (Episode 8) | ||||||
| Matty | Not in Masseria |
Ben | Eliminated (Episode 8) | |||||||||
| Vitor | Not in Masseria |
Ben | Not Kissed (Episode 7) | |||||||||
| Jake W | Not in Masseria |
Not Kissed (Episode 7) | ||||||||||
| Mikey | Not in Masseria |
Josh | Not Kissed (Episode 5) | |||||||||
| Joseph | Ross | Ross | Not Kissed (Episode 5) | |||||||||
| Josh | Bobski | Mikey | Walked (Episode 4) | |||||||||
| Bobski | Josh | Not Kissed (Episode 2) | ||||||||||
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in series | Title [12] | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 14 May 2023 | N/A |
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 15 May 2023 | N/A |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 21 May 2023 | N/A |
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 22 May 2023 | N/A |
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 28 May 2023 | N/A |
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 29 May 2023 | N/A |
| 7 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 4 June 2023 | N/A |
| 8 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 5 June 2023 | N/A |
| 9 | 9 | "The Reunion" | 11 June 2023 | N/A |
International broadcast
editThe series was available to be streamed in New Zealand on TVNZ , from 1 July 2023, and in Australia on 10 Play, from 13 September 2023. One year later, it was also made avaiable in the Netherlands on VIDEOLAND starting 1 June 2024 and in Brazil, on Globoplay, from 12 November 2024.[14][15][16]
Reception
editBenjamin Lee in The Guardian said, "It's in the show's easy balance of the basic and the specific that it most succeeds, conversations over who is top or bottom casually mixed with inane flirting over cheap wine. At a cautious eight episodes, it's unlikely to infect the nation in quite the same way as the woozy, all-consuming Love Island but it's a fun and grounding reminder that we all deserve a chance to graft around the pool while a Dua Lipa song plays in the background. Luv is luv."[17]
Writing for The Tab, Harrison Brocklehurst said, "True equality is us having the space to get bluntly pied on the telly, like Ben did to Ross. True equality is letting Bobski and Mikey have secret terrace snogs where they both end up with raging semis and Josh eye rolls his way into oblivion about it all. I want the messy gay drama that isn't RuPaul's Drag Race – and I Kissed A Boy is the carnage we deserve. I am salivating for more mess, more men and more Minogue."[18]
Spin-off
editPrior to the final episode of series 1 airing on 5 June 2023, the BBC announced that a spin-off of I Kissed a Boy for lesbian women titled I Kissed a Girl, would be commissioned.[19] Dannii Minogue returned as host, with the programme commencing filming in September 2023.[20] The programme debuted on 5 May 2024.
References
edit- ^ Doherty, Réiltín (15 May 2023). "Opinion: I've just watched I Kissed a Boy and it might just be the best reality show EVER". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ Lee, Benjamin (13 May 2023). "I Kissed a Boy review – historic gay dating show is a queer summer treat". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ^ "The UK's first ever gay dating show, I Kissed a Boy, is coming to the BBC". The Independent. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "I Kissed A Boy host Dannii Minogue: 'You don't think of yourself as a gay icon'". BBC Three. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "I Kissed a Boy will be "groundbreaking and probably shocking" for many". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ I Kissed a Boy - Series 1: Episode 1, retrieved 20 May 2023
- ^ "I Kissed a Boy will be "groundbreaking and probably shocking" for many". Radio Times. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "I Kissed a Boy Cast: Meet the line-up of Dannii Minogue's new dating show". Radio Times. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "I Kissed A Boy cast: Meet the boys looking for love on the new gay dating show". BBC. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Meet the cast of gay dating show, I Kissed A Boy". Cosmopolitan. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "BBC's gay dating show I Kissed A Boy shares first-look at contestants". Digital Spy. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "BBC Three - I Kissed a Boy". BBC. Choose appropriate episode. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ "Most Viewed Programmes (See relevant week(s))". BARB.
- ^ "I Kissed A Boy... and the rise of hot new gay dating shows". Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ Knox, David (12 September 2023). "10 Play: I Kissed a Boy". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "I Kissed a Boy: assista agora!". Globoplay. Globoplay. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ Lee, Benjamin (13 May 2023). "I Kissed a Boy review – historic gay dating show is a queer summer treat". The Guardian.
- ^ "I Kissed a Boy is the drama-filled, unfiltered dating show us gays have always deserved". 18 May 2023.
- ^ Robledo, Jordan (4 June 2023). "BBC Three announces I Kissed A Boy follow-up series I Kissed A Girl". Gay Times. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ^ "I Kissed A Girl | Shows and tours". BBC Online. Retrieved 5 June 2023.