The must see dating shows to fill that love island shaped hole wales online


The must-see dating shows to fill that Love Island-shaped hole
The expert said in the clip: "Well, I know you've enjoyed Married at First Sight Australia here in the UK because I'm hearing from you all the time and I know you're loving it. Well, guess what? The UK one is coming soon, in fact, we're filming it right now."
The must-see dating shows to fill that Love Island-shaped hole
The summer series of Love Island 2023 has finally come to an end. The new season, which crowned Jess Harding and Sammy Root winners, kicked off on Monday, June 5, and ran all the way until Monday, August 31, so you'd be forgiven if you were feeling a little bit lost come 9pm every night.
Such is the appetite for dating shows, ITV, who has broadcast two series of Love Island this year alone, recently confirmed Love Island for 'grown ups' called My Mum, Your Dad was in the works. Hosted by Davina McCall, the series does not yet have an air date, so what dating shows are out there to fill that Love Island void?
From the latest series of Netflix's Too Hot to Handle to BBC Three's, I Kissed a Boy, which sees pop goddess Dannii Minogue play Cupid, there's plenty to catch up on. What's more, the latest series of Married At First Sight UK is rumoured to be kicking off later this month.
Here are all the dating shows that landed in 2023 or that are still yet to come in 2023.
Too Hot To Handle - Netflix
The season 5 cast of Too Hot To Handle (Image: Netflix)
Season five of the dating series landed on the streaming service on Friday, July 14 at 8am in the UK. The popular format sees a cast put together in a gorgeous location with a cash prize up for grabs. However, there's a catch, as there's no physical intimacy allowed, if the contestants break the rules then money will be docked from the group prize fund.
A synopsis for series five reads: "A cast of 10 hot singles think they are retreating to a lavish yacht in the Caribbean and competing on a new dating show, 'Love Overboard', hosted by a handsome and mysterious captain. Little do they know that Too Hot to Handle is back for a fifth season and Lana is ready to put their romantic connections to the test. There's a $200,000 cash prize at stake and all they have to do is avoid all physical intimacy." You can read more about the cast here.
I Kissed a Boy - BBC Three
I Kissed A Boy's Dannii Minogue (Image: BBC/Two Four)
The groundbreaking television show landed on BBC Three on Sunday, May 14 and is now available for binging on BBC iPlayer. I Kissed A Boy is the UK's first exclusively gay dating show, where "the path to love is never straight. It's loud, it's proud. and it all starts with a kiss".
Presented by pop icon Dannii Minogue, who plays Cupid, and narrated by Bad Education and Everybody's Talking About Jamie's Layton Williams, the programme follows ten single guys, two of whom are Welsh, who are matched and upon meeting for the first time, without even speaking beforehand, share a kiss to test their natural chemistry. You can read everything you need to know about the show here.
What's more, BBC Three recently announced I Kissed A Girl is in the works, with casting now open for the series.
Perfect Match - Netflix 
The cast of Netflix's "Perfect Match" (Image: Getty Images for Netflix)
For dating show superfans Perfect Match is the series for you. The new reality show aptly launched on the streaming service on Valentine's Day and took a number of former Netflix reality stars from shows including Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle and put them in one villa.
A synopsis reads: "Couples who prove their compatibility gain the power to make or break other matches in this strategic and seductive dating competition."
What's more, a new season will see Nick Lachey bring together players from Love Is Blind, Too Hot to Handle, and The Circle, although a release date is yet to be announced.
First Dates - Channel 4
Maître D’ Fred Siriex of First Dates (Image: ©MarkJohnson)
This year's season kicked off in April and was filled with more singletons looking for love. The Channel Four series filmed at a Manchester-based restaurant for the first time with maître d’ Fred Siriex back at the helm.
The 2023 series was the show's twentieth season, making it a pretty special one. All episodes of series 20 are currently available to watch on All4.
The Ultimatum: Queer Love - Netflix
The Ultimatum Queer Love
The Netflix dating show returned in 2023 with an all-female and non-binary cast. The spin-off of the 2022 dating show landed on the streaming service in May, with episodes dropping throughout the month and into June.
It follows couples at a crossroads in their relationship, with one ready for marriage, while the other is having doubts. The synopsis reads: "The Ultimatum universe is expanding to showcase more stories of love, relationships, and the ups and the downs of commitment. In The Ultimatum: Queer Love, five new couples, made up of women and non-binary people, are at a crossroads in their relationship.
"One partner is ready for marriage, the other may have doubts. An ultimatum is issued. And in just over eight weeks, each couple will either get married, or get out, after they each choose new potential partners in a life-changing opportunity to get a glimpse of two different futures."
Married at First Sight UK - Channel 4
Married at First Sight UK experts Charlene Douglas, Mel Schilling and Paul C Brunson (Image: Matt Monfredi/Channel 4)
Okay, an official date for MAFS UK is yet to be announced, so don't get too excited. However, back in May, Channel 4 told fans to keep a lookout for information as they shared a video of dating coach Mel Schilling.
The expert said in the clip: "Well, I know you've enjoyed Married at First Sight Australia here in the UK because I'm hearing from you all the time and I know you're loving it. Well, guess what? The UK one is coming soon, in fact, we're filming it right now."
She then teased: "You just wait we've got some amazing surprises coming next season. Right here on E4." You can read more on this here.
And while nothing has been confirmed by the broadcaster, last year the show kicked off on August 29, so it is likely we'll see it back on screens soon. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.