“You can’t be what you can’t see” says Amy Spalding, a London-based contestant from series one of the lesbian ‘Love Island’.
The “I Kissed a Boy/Girl” series has been axed by the BBC following a lack of funding. The show has been greatly praised since it started airing in 2023.
With “Cupid” taking human form in Dannii Minouge, the show saw 10 LGBTQ+ people placed into a sunny Italian masseria and given different tasks to couple up with their future loves.
A wave of upset and anger hit social media following the news, with fans protesting the cancellation. Over 12,000 people have signed a petition demanding “the BBC [to] fund Queer representation”. It highlights that in the BBC’s Royal Charter, there is a duty to “reflect the diversity of the UK”.
Throughout the series, the show explores important themes for the LGBTQ+ community, such as going through gender transitioning, internalised homophobia and lesbian stereo-types.
The show was important to the LGBTQ+ community
As the UK’s first LGBTQ+ dating show, it was widely welcomed and the overwhelming support for the show led to many people taking to social media saying they are finally feeling seen within the media.
With an impressive audience of 163.6k viewers on the first episode of I Kissed A Girl, it had an increase of 103% from the average number of viewers during that slot on BBC Three, according to FormatBiz.
The online backlash
Previous stars of the show have taken to social media to share their thoughts; such as Londoner Amy Spalding who emphasises the importance of visibility of gay relationships on the television.
“Queer story lines and queer stories sidelined again, whilst straight story lines blossom in their thousands”, Amy adds.
This isn’t the first time that LGBTQ storylines have been removed from the television scene, as GLAAD found that 41% of LGBTQ characters have been removed from our screens this year due to series cancellations, endings or limited series format.
Spalding expresses that:
“in a time as politically scary as this, shows like this were a lifeline”
She has made sure to continue the show’s success and create events in London for the LGBTQ+ community to continue the shows legacy, such as D**onic in Clapham Grand.
Cara Kinney, another previous contestant, has questioned how to reduce the costs to keep the show running.
Cara Kinney on the first series of I Kissed A Girl
“I feel like she’s expensive, let’s cut Dannii”
Many of the shows fans have agreed and commented on her TikTok that the lesbian comedic genius Charley Marlow should take over as the main host.
This may not be far from the truth, with reports that she could be hosting a new iteration of the show called ‘It Started With a Kiss’. It is rumoured that the production company Twofour will work with Tinder to create this new version of the show to be solely aired on the Tinder app, Youtube and Instagram.
As we patiently await news of the show’s future, viewers can rest assured that there will be one final series of “I Kissed A Girl” airing this summer on BBC Three.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineI kissed no girls: the fightback since the BBC axes LGBTQ+ dating show
Short HeadlineThe fightback to keep the UK's first LGBTQ+ dating show alive
StandfirstWith petitions and pushbacks, there is a growing pressure to continue the "I kissed a boy/girl" franchise
“You can’t be what you can’t see” says Amy Spalding, a London-based contestant from series one of the lesbian ‘Love Island’.
The “I Kissed a Boy/Girl” series has been axed by the BBC following a lack of funding. The show has been greatly praised since it started airing in 2023.
With “Cupid” taking human form in Dannii Minouge, the show saw 10 LGBTQ+ people placed into a sunny Italian masseria and given different tasks to couple up with their future loves.
A wave of upset and anger hit social media following the news, with fans protesting the cancellation. Over 12,000 people have signed a petition demanding “the BBC [to] fund Queer representation”. It highlights that in the BBC’s Royal Charter, there is a duty to “reflect the diversity of the UK”.
Throughout the series, the show explores important themes for the LGBTQ+ community, such as going through gender transitioning, internalised homophobia and lesbian stereo-types.
The show was important to the LGBTQ+ community
As the UK’s first LGBTQ+ dating show, it was widely welcomed and the overwhelming support for the show led to many people taking to social media saying they are finally feeling seen within the media.
With an impressive audience of 163.6k viewers on the first episode of I Kissed A Girl, it had an increase of 103% from the average number of viewers during that slot on BBC Three, according to FormatBiz.
The online backlash
Previous stars of the show have taken to social media to share their thoughts; such as Londoner Amy Spalding who emphasises the importance of visibility of gay relationships on the television.
“Queer story lines and queer stories sidelined again, whilst straight story lines blossom in their thousands”, Amy adds.
This isn’t the first time that LGBTQ storylines have been removed from the television scene, as GLAAD found that 41% of LGBTQ characters have been removed from our screens this year due to series cancellations, endings or limited series format.
Spalding expresses that:
“in a time as politically scary as this, shows like this were a lifeline”
She has made sure to continue the show’s success and create events in London for the LGBTQ+ community to continue the shows legacy, such as D**onic in Clapham Grand.
Cara Kinney, another previous contestant, has questioned how to reduce the costs to keep the show running.
Cara Kinney on the first series of I Kissed A Girl
“I feel like she’s expensive, let’s cut Dannii”
Many of the shows fans have agreed and commented on her TikTok that the lesbian comedic genius Charley Marlow should take over as the main host.
This may not be far from the truth, with reports that she could be hosting a new iteration of the show called ‘It Started With a Kiss’. It is rumoured that the production company Twofour will work with Tinder to create this new version of the show to be solely aired on the Tinder app, Youtube and Instagram.
As we patiently await news of the show’s future, viewers can rest assured that there will be one final series of “I Kissed A Girl” airing this summer on BBC Three.
More than 330,000 people across the UK sought support from the Stop It Now helpline in 2025 over concerns about their own or someone else’s online sexual behaviour towards children, according to new charity data. The anonymous service says contacts by phone, email and webchat rose significantly over the year.
