BBC confirms acclaimed reality TV show format has been axed due to cost-cutting issues
All good things must come to an end.
The BBC has confirmed that acclaimed reality TV shows I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl have been axed due to cost-cutting issues.
The same-sex dating show was the first of its kind for the BBC and was hosted by Australian pop legend Dannii Minogue, who was dubbed "Cupid".
It launched in 2023 with an all-male cast with the following year's all-women edition called I Kissed a Girl, before switching back again in 2025.
Despite the show's success, it's now been confirmed that "there are no current plans for the show to return" due to "funding challenges".
A spokesman for the BBC told The Sun: "We are exceptionally proud of I Kissed a Boy/Girl, the UK’s first dating show for the LGBTQ+ community.
"We would like to thank our fabulous Cupid Dannii Minogue and the entire team at Twofour for bringing the series to screen.
"Unfortunately, we have to make difficult choices in light of our funding challenges and there are no current plans for the show to return."
A final season of I Kissed a Girl will be going ahead this year on BBC Three after which there won't be any future editions.
Speaking of her time on the show, Minogue said: "Thank you Twofour Productions and BBC for allowing me to be a part of I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl series, it is such a powerful and important show.
"I’m so proud the show has given us the chance to celebrate so many people from the LGBTQ+ community, who made up our cast.
"I can’t wait for you to see the brand new series of I Kissed a Girl, bringing all the excitement and joy that this show represents.
"The integrity and intention of why it was created, along with the love and care from the crew and production over the four seasons, has made it the most special experience for me in almost 40 years of television."
As with similar dating shows currently popular, I Kissed a Boy/Girl features a cast of young people searching for love while living in a sunny Italian villa.
Upon initially meeting the matches would kiss, as the title suggests, before even exchanging names or basic formalities. The couples would then attend regular "kiss offs" where they had to decide whether they wanted to stick with their current partner or seek a new connection. Whoever was not chosen was sent home.
I Kissed a Girl will return to BBC Three this summer.
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Authors
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
