I Kissed a Boy is a British dating game show on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, which began on 13 May 2023. It is the first British dating show to feature exclusively gay men. It is hosted by Dannii Minogue and narrated by Layton Williams.
Production The first series of I Kissed a Boy aired throughout mid-2023. Following a successful first series, it was announced that it had been renewed for a second, which aired in mid-2025. In 2026, it was announced that the BBC had decided to cancel the series, citing budget reasons as the deciding factor.
Format The 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.
Series 1 (2023) Contestants The first contestants were announced on 26 April 2023.
+Series 1 I Kissed a Boy contestantsContestant 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 Matty Holehouse 27 TBA Episode 6 Episode 8 Vitor Moreira 27 London Episode 4 Episode 7 Jake Watkins 26 TBA Episode 6 Episode 7 Joseph Mendez 23 London Episode 1 Episode 5 Mikey Connor 28 Liverpool Episode 1 Episode 5 Josh Cemaloğlu 24 Rhyl Episode 1 Episode 4 Robert "Bobski" Budzynski 23 Harlow Episode 1 Episode 3
Kiss Off Progress
Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 5 Episode 6/7 Episode 8 Ollie Ben Ben Dan Dan Ben & Mattyto Eliminate Dan Dan Not in Masseria Ollie Ollie Ollie Subomi Gareth Gareth Gareth Gareth Ben & Mattyto Eliminate Gareth Gareth Subomi Subomi Subomi Subomi Subomi Jake Kailum Kailum Kailum Kailum Ben & Mattyto Eliminate Kailum Kailum Jake Jake Jake Jake Jake Ross Joseph Joseph Ceejay Ceejay Ben & Mattyto Eliminate Ceejay Ceejay Not in Masseria Ross Ross Ross Ben Ollie Ollie Vitor Matty Ross & Ceejayto EliminateEliminated (Episode 8) Matty Not in Masseria BenEliminated (Episode 8) Vitor Not in Masseria BenNot Kissed (Episode 7) Jake W Not in MasseriaNot Kissed (Episode 7) Mikey Not in Masseria JoshNot Kissed (Episode 5) Joseph Ross RossNot Kissed (Episode 5) Josh Bobski MikeyWalked (Episode 4) Bobski JoshNot Kissed (Episode 2)
Episodes
Series 2 (2025) Contestants The first contestants were announced on 30 April 2025.
+Series 2 I Kissed a Boy contestantsContestant Age Hometown Entered Exited Status Aron Awofadeju 27 Croydon Episode 1 Episode 9 Committed with Jas Jaskeran "Jas" Singh 27 Glasgow Episode 1 Episode 9 Committed with Aron Callum Akinade 27 St Leonards-on-Sea Episode 1 Episode 9 Committed with Jordan B Jordan Burrow 25 Lake District Episode 1 Episode 9 Committed with Callum Hugh Brien 25 Cork Episode 4 Episode 9 Not committed Jack Smith 22 Wigan Episode 1 Episode 9 Not committed Lars Fellows 23 Wolverhampton Episode 1 Episode 9 Not committed Ruben Bø Dower 24 London Episode 1 Episode 9 Not committed Adam Williams 27 Reading Episode 1 Episode 8 Alex Hayden 28 Nevis, Caribbean Episode 5 Episode 8 Jack Doherty 26 Glasgow Episode 1 Episode 8 Baraka Meena 24 Berkshire Episode 4 Episode 8 Justin Young 26 Sydney, Australia Episode 4 Episode 8 Jordon Reid-Haigh 27 Leeds Episode 1 Episode 5 Rory Jennings 22 Galway Episode 1 Episode 3
Kiss Off Progress
Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 5 Episode 8 Episode 9 Aron Jas Jas Jas Jas Jas Jas Aron Aron Aron Aron Aron Jordan B Jack S Jordon R Callum Callum Callum Callum Not in Masseria Jack S Jordan B Jordan B Jordan B Hugh Not in Masseria Jack S Jack SNot Kissed (Episode 9) Jack S Jordan B Callum Hugh HughNot Kissed (Episode 9) Lars Jack D Jack D Ruben RubenNot Kissed (Episode 9) Ruben Adam Adam Lars LarsNot Kissed (Episode 9) Adam Ruben Ruben Justin AlexEliminated (Episode 8) Alex Not in Masseria AdamEliminated (Episode 8) Baraka Not in Masseria Jack DNot Kissed (Episode 8) Jack D Lars Lars BarakaNot Kissed (Episode 8) Justin Not in Masseria AdamNot Kissed (Episode 8) Jordon R Rory Jordan BNot Kissed (Episode 5) Rory Jordon RNot Kissed (Episode 2)
International broadcast The 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 available in the Netherlands on VIDEOLAND starting 1 June 2024 and in Brazil, on Globoplay, from 12 November 2024. In Ireland, the show and I Kissed a Girl, were available on Virgin Media Two.
Reception Benjamin 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."
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."
The second series of I Kissed a Boy sparked controversy among conservative media with the inclusion of Lars Fellows, a transgender man. Transgender exclusionary group LGB Alliance argued that featuring a trans man pressured gay male participants to engage with someone who was assigned female at birth. However, the BBC emphasized that all contestants were matched based on their stated "dating preferences". Elsewhere, the show received praise for including transgender representation.
The decision to cancel I Kissed a Boy was met with criticism from the general public. They deemed it a step back for LGBTQ+ representation in the media. Digital Spy wrote that in a world where dating shows are afraid to even broach queerness, it was dangerous to cancel a show that completely revolved around the subject.
Spin-off Prior 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 sapphic women titled I Kissed a Girl, would be commissioned. Dannii Minogue returned as host, with the programme commencing filming in September 2023. The programme debuted on 5 May 2024. In June 2025, it was confirmed the show would return for a second season.
References
External links