Ever since the success of Love Island back in 2015, dating shows have been a hot topic. This almost personal and private insight into people’s love life has got viewers hooked, wanting to know every juicy detail to help satisfy our curiosity. Dating shows are now on the rise, with every major platform having one, seeing new shows come out all the time with different concepts and themes, but with finding love at its core.
Below Voir looks at some the hottest dating shows to hit our screens:
Love in the Flesh
Hosted by former Love Island contestant Zara McDermott, ‘Love in the Flesh’ compares couples’ connections that are formed through online-dating apps to those made face to face.
The one-week experience at a Greek beach house sees couples who have been speaking online finally meet with their match in the flesh. With a mixture of dates and challenges, Zara whittles down the couples to find those who’ve made a ‘real genuine connection’ and give those who haven’t, the opportunity to ‘disconnect.’ In the end, the three final couples are each given a prize, to be claimed after a certain time-period once the show has ended.
Watch Love in the Flesh now on BBC iPlayer.
Love is Blind
Netflix’s answer to ‘Married at First Sight,’ Love is Blind follows 15 men and women who are looking to find love. For 10 days, the 30 singles speed-date each other using ‘pods’ (rooms specifically designed to allow them to converse without seeing one another). Over the course of the 10 days, relationships deepen and for some lead to a marriage proposal. If accepted, the couples meet face to face and set off to the next stage, the couples retreat.
During the retreat, the couples spend more time together in this honeymoon-esque setting and become more physically intimate. They also meet the other successful couples who made it through the first stage.
After the couples retreat, each couple move in together and return to their ‘normal lives.’ From then on, the couples meet their partner’s friends and families, and have to take on each other responsibilities, all as part of a build up to their wedding day. The show culminates at the altar with each couple deciding whether or not to say ‘I do.’
Watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Love is Blind on Netlfix now
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move on
An experiment that comes from the host and creators of ‘Love Is Blind’. The ultimatum features six long term couples, whereby at the start of the show they enter an experiment to find out whether the grass is greener on the other side, or if they have already found the best match for them in their existing partner.
The show stages a breakup and goes on to make every contestant enter a trial marriage with someone newly single from a different relationship. After this, they will enter a second three-week trial marriage with their original partner. At the end of the show decide whether they want to propose to the old person or propose to the new or leave the how single.
Watch Marry or Move on now on Netflix.
Love Island
After rebooting in 2015, Love Island has become the ‘Big Brother’ of reality dating shows and a personal fan favourite at Voir. Set in sunny Majorca, Love Island provides an 8-week experience for ‘islanders’ to find love, all the while under constant video surveillance. In order for contestants to remain in the villa, they must remain in a couple with a fellow islander. Over the course of the series, these newly formed relationships are put to the test with a series of challenges, forced re-couplings and the addition of new islanders.
At the end of the series, the winning couple has the opportunity to win £50,000 when the ultimate test occurs. Only one person in the couple wins the money and has to decide whether or not to split it with their other half or walk away having played the biggest game of their lives.
Catch up on all seasons of Love Island on ITV Player.
Whilst these shows bring about much needed entertainment to a typical boring night at home, it’s difficult to say that these ‘love games’ portray genuine connection in a relationship. But let’s face it, we’re all a sucker for a show that takes us away from our day-to-day routine, for an hour or so every night!
Words By Seraphina Volpi
Photo Credit: Love In The Flesh – BBC Iplayer
