A YEAR ago, just over a million people watched Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan crowned Love Island winners as Britain’s telly fans seemed to well and truly ditch dating shows.
The genre was haemorrhaging viewers faster than a broken heart and even must-have host Maya Jama couldn’t stem the bleeding.
Fast forward 16 months though and we are more loved-up than ever.
This summer’s series of ITV2’s romantic reality show has been streamed some 137million times on its ITVX platform, which is more than the Euros football tournament at 132million.
Viewers are up 24 per cent on 2023’s two disastrous series — that abysmal winter run followed by just a 200k boost for summer.
Last night the latest series drew to a close in a glittering finale and bosses will be hopeful that a more impressive set of statistics will land on their desks this morning.
And all signs suggest their optimism might not be misplaced.
Love Island yesterday officially became the biggest reality show of the past decade.
Since 2017 it has been streamed two billion times.
It celebrated 400 shows as the most- watched programme of the day for the crucial 16 to 34-year-olds.
And it even compares to its heyday, hitting an average of 3.3million per episode.
It is great news for ITV — but even better news for armchair romantics because it has sparked a boom in the genre.
Love Island’s success this summer has instilled confidence in TV bosses and now a new wave of dating shows are coming to our screens.
A TV source said: “Love Island has always been the market leader when it comes to dating shows so it’s not just ITV that watches its ratings like a hawk.
“Other broadcasters and production companies also commission programmes based on what kind of telly is trending well with viewers.
“So when Love Island went through its limper years, fewer shows of its ilk came to screens.
“There is no bigger sign that love is back on the menu than the fact so many new formats are now coming to screens.”
Viewers can look forward to a hot new bunch of programmes within days.
From next Wednesday, Emma Willis and husband Matt will introduce Love Is Blind UK for Netflix, where singles date by chatting from two adjoining rooms without seeing each other.
Then, among others, there is Amanda Holden’s new effort for the same streamer, Cheaters: Unfinished Business, as well as Rylan Clark’s Dating Naked for Paramount+.
The boom has also seen familiar formats recommissioned, with Channel 4’s First Dates back for its 22nd series next week, while Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle has already started its sixth series.
ITVX will also stream the much-hyped recent series of Love Island USA next month.
So how has this incredible turnaround come about?
Ironically, by embracing drama, not love.
A poll of Sun readers, to mark the Love Island final, found some 38 per cent said they only watch the programme for the drama.
And 42 per cent said the “perfect episode” had conflict alongside romance.
Ranking their favourite ever series of the show, our readers placed the class of 2017 top, known for bust-ups and fallouts from the likes of Olivia Attwood, Chris Hughes and Amber Davies.
Second was 2022’s output with the argumentative Ekin Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti.
The series was pitted with rows so toxic they attracted Ofcom complaints.
Canny bosses identified this trend early, even assigning this series a new catchphrase: “Where there’s love, there’s fire.”
At the show’s villa, executive producer Mike Spencer told The Sun: “We got into a bit of a repetitive pattern. The audience wants to be entertained for the whole series.
“So it’s good to keep everyone on their toes. It might be time for a change and we don’t need to rely so heavily on format points.”
He wasn’t wrong.
This series brought in a swathe of changes.
Bosses made the sexy Hideaway “No Invite Needed” so couples could check-in for alone time whenever they fancied.
They added a celebrity bombshell in Joey Essex while another twist added a “saucy sleepover”, where fledgling pairings were shipped off to a separate villa and sparks flew.
They also dispensed with some of the false-feeling shmaltz which usually permeated the final week.
Instead of budget-busting dates, the couples had simple set-ups in the garden.
There was also no Baby Challenge, where the new couples were forced to care of their own crying doll for the day.
But time will tell whether the new lust for dating shows is a holiday fling or something more serious.
NETFLIX (Coming soon)
WHY do people cheat?
Amanda Holden aims to find out by reuniting a group of exes whose relationships ended over infidelity.
With the aid of a relationship expert, she’ll help guide eight former couples as they finally confront each other at a retreat in Majorca.
But, ultimately, it is up to them to decide whether to move past the betrayal or say goodbye to their relationship forever.
Will the couples find their way back to one another?
Or is cheating really the ultimate deal-breaker?
CHANNEL 4 (August 8th)
Much-loved format First Dates is back for its 22nd series with all the gang back together.
Fan favourites, Maître d’ Fred Sirieix, bartender Merlin Griffiths, waitress Cici Coleman will be on hand as a string of hopefuls are set up by blind dinner dates at a plush restaurant in Bath.
Since it first aired in 2013 viewers have loved the heart-warming and often funny exchanges between singles, helping
match up hundreds of couples in that time, leading to a host of engagements, marriages and even a baby.
It’s even collected a clutch of awards along the way.
NETFLIX (August 7th)
THE global dating hit comes to UK shores, with Emma Willis and husband Matt in the driving seat.
Singles sit either side of a piece of frosted glass to date in what the show calls “pods”.
They form connections through their conversation alone and after falling in love, some go on to propose.
Only then are they allowed to meet face to face before heading on a luxury holiday and later moving in together.
After just one month, there is a legally binding wedding day when the bride and groom have the chance to say “I do”.
Or, indeed, “I don’t”.
PARAMOUNT+ (August 23)
Rylan Clark’s new dating show promises to make Love Island seem tame as his raunchy new series Dating Naked sees the cast bare all — literally.
The brave bunch spend 24/7 as nature intended, even taking dates outside the luxury villa in Colombia.
Being nude means there is plenty of raunchy action, but it also leads to surprisingly deep connections as the singles shed inhibitions.
In each episode contestants are dumped as cast mates vote for their favourites, with a prize pot of £50k at stake.
ITVX (August 5)
What Brits can do, Americans can often do better – especially when it comes to reality TV.
The last series of the Yanks’ Love Island has been hailed as one of their best ever, with huge ratings and massive noise online.
It featured a familiar face too, in The Traitors series one winner Aaron Evans and our homegrown star Maura Higgins is co-host.
Expect a messy combination of love triangles, tempting bombshells and a group of young, beautiful people acting like no one is watching.
NETFLIX (Streaming now)
This sexy show is now on to its sixth series and remains a firm favourite across the world.
A group of horny hellraisers learn that they are in with a chance of winning a £100k prize pot – on one condition.
They must stay celibate.
Only hugs are allowed as the sizzling hot cast undergo intimacy workshops to try and encourage them to look beyond lust and grow meaningful connections.
Of course, rules are made to be broken and it delivers a long, hot summer of raunchy action.
ITV2 (Coming soon)
Love Island star turned Loose Woman and documentary-maker Olivia Attwood will whip bad lads into shape in this new format.
Eight unsuspecting men are flown to a Greek island under the premise of filming a series about manhood and bromance.
But they’re in for a big surprise when Olivia reveals in fact they’re there to be taught how to be better partners, at the behest of their girlfriends.
The men will compete in a series of challenges designed to rectify their ways and battle it out to become the most improved boyfriend.
