Dating shows: The best and worst in TV history
Dating shows have become our common guilty pleasure, although we may not want to admit it. For over a decade now, we've replaced rom-coms with rom-competitions.
Movie romances have simply not been enough and instead, we've been watching real people try (sometimes, too hard) to find love in what many would call a hopeless place - national television. But alas, it has worked for some, while proving to be a complete train wreck for others.
Either way, dating shows have continued to make good telly and we clearly can't seem to get enough of them - demonstrated this summer when Love Island became a national obsession.
So with that being said, we take a look back at the best and worst dating shows of the past 15 years.
Just a little warning - some of them are truly shocking...
Rex FeaturesLove Island
The revival of ITV’s 2005 dating show Love Island has became bigger than ever this summer when it returned for a third season. The show, presented by Caroline Flack, throws a bunch of good looking singletons together in a huge Spanish mansion for six weeks in the hope that they’ll find love. It's been the talking point of the summer as it caused never-ending drama, on/off relationships, humiliating betrayals and some seriously X-rated sex scenes – so pretty much everything we love to hate on TV.
Verdict: Best
E4Celebs Go Dating
Celebs Go Dating is our latest dating show obsession. Making its debut just last month, the show follows some of the nation’s favourite reality TV stars including Joey Essex, Charlotte Crosby and Stephanie Pratt on their quest for love.
As the title suggests, the celebs enter the world of dating but not as they know it as the aim of the aim is for them to date ordinary people - superfans included. The stars are thrown into mixers, therapy sessions and even flirting classes by their dating agency in order to up their dating game.
Verdict: Best
The Bachelor/Bachelorette
American dating show The Bachelor and its spin-off show The Bachelorette are one of the highest rated TV programmes in the states. Presented by US TV host Chris Harrison, the show follows a bachelor or bachelorette looking for a wife or husband among 28 contestants. Yep, playing it cool is definitely not on the cards for this show as the bachelor/bachelorette end up engaged to the person they pick.
But despite it being filled with awkward group dates, a resident “fraud”, cliche chats about emotional barriers and even more awkward rose ceremonies, it’s annoyingly addictive. Once you’re in the Bachelor bubble, there’s no way back and the American viewing public certainly agree as the show will start its 21st season next year. It also has a number of spin-off shows including Bachelor Pad and Bachelor in Paradise to satisfy your every need.
Verdict: Best
First Dates
First Dates proves that extravagant gestures and exotic locations aren’t necessary in the pursuit of love. Instead, a simple dinner date with a complete stranger followed by awkward confession booths where the couple’s review their date and discuss their relationship prospects does the trick. Well, sometimes.
Although there have been some success stories, it’s the brutally honest post-date feedback, bizarre conversations and relatable dating disasters that makes First Dates one of the nation’s favourite dating shows. The show’s popularity led to the creation of its spin-off Celebrity First Dates.
Verdict: Best
Take Me Out
Presented by Paddy McGuiness, [i]Take Me Out[i] involves 30 women, one man and a “love lift” with a side of cringey one-liners. The rules are simple – no likey, no lightie.
If that doesn’t sell it to you, we don’t know what will.
Verdict: Best
Next
Ever been on a date so bad that you wish you could magically replace the person with someone else at the click of your fingers? Welcome to [i]Next.[i]
The American dating show sees five contestants try their best to win the most time with one dater. Each contestant goes on a mini-date with the dater while the others wait for their turn in a van. At first, the dater has all the control and can shout "Next" at any point to eliminate the contestant and start the next date, but it wouldn’t be a dating show without a plot twist...
Each contestant earns money for the amount of time they last on the date so if they’re asked for a second date, they have to choose the money or the date.
*WARNING* this show contains terribly awkward sexual innuendos, embarrassing contestants and next level cringe.
Verdict: Worst
Beauty And The Geek
If you love *The Big Bang Theory’*s Penny and Leonard, this is the dating show for you. Beauty and the Geek sees nine academically excellent but socially awkward men paired with nine gorgeous but not so scholarly women for a chance to win a $250,000 prize. Aside from the arguably sexist and stereotyping format of the show, there are some pretty touching moments and adorable love stories involved.
Verdict: Best
E4Playing It Straight
Playing It Straight is the show that seriously puts your gay-dar to the test. The UK version of the dating show saw singleton Zoe whisked off to a Mexican mansion where 10 men battled it out to win her heart. But while some are straight, a number of the men are gay. If she ends up with a straight man, they split the winning prize but if she picks a gay man, he takes it all. Eeek, talk about pressure…
Oh, and Jameela Jamil is the presenter which automatically makes it a must-watch.
Verdict: Best
Naked Attraction
Channel 4's latest dating show strips it all back down to the basics, literally. As explained by the title, Naked Attraction is all about naked dating. Yup, forget blind dates, this show puts everything on display as a single man and single woman get to take their pick from a line-up of six completely naked people. The final couples then go on a date to see if they have more than just a physical attraction. Perhaps physical attraction really is the most important aspect of a relationship?
Verdict: Worst
Millionaire Matchmaker
Love her or hate her, Patti Stranger knows how to throw a dating mixer. Well, a really pretentious and super awkward one anyway. As the Millionaire Matchmaker, her job is to find a perfect partner for her wealthy clients who often have more money than sense when it comes to dating. Using every trick in the book (including insults, shouting and arguing). Patti tries to find the best suitor for her clients whilst attempting to change their bad dating habits. But can she change her own too?
Verdict: Worst
Getty ImagesJoe Millionaire
How important is someone’s income when looking for love? American dating show Joe Millionaireputs it to the test as 20 women head to France for a chance at love with a man they believe to be a sophisticated millionaire. But in fact, “Joe Millionaire” is just a regular small town construction worker with an average salary. After weeks of putting on a million-dollar persona, he has to come clean to the woman he chooses, but will she accept the real him?
Verdict: Worst
Average Joe
Average Joeis all about 16 “regular” guys trying to win the heart of a beauty queen in this case. The show was set up as a bit of a mockery of other American dating shows like The Bachelor and Joe Millionaire and was marketed as promoting the idea that personality beats beauty.
Verdict: Worst
I Wanna Marry Harry
Believe it or not, this show actually managed to convince 12 American women that an ordinary British boy with a posh accent and red hair was the real Prince Harry.
Featuring a string of fabrications, “royal” emergencies and romantic dates fit for a princess, “Harry” has to make the women believe he is a Prince looking for a wife. But at the end, he's forced to reveal his true identity to the woman he picks. She will then prove whether she’s in love with the man or the crown.Surely this doesn't end well…
Verdict: Worst
Flavor of love
When 80's hip hop star Flava Flav decided to have a go at the whole dating show thing in 2006 with his show Flavor of Love, it was all about handing out giant clocks while searching for the perfect woman. Sound bizarre? You don’t know the half of it.
The show became notorious for its string of unpredictable women, outrageous drama and major OMG moments which made it one of the craziest reality TV shows in history. In fact, the show was so popular that it paved the way for its spin-off I Love New York and continues to be used for memes and gifs ten years later
Verdict: Worst
Are You The One?
MTV dating show Are You the One? uses modern technology to help 20 contestants find their perfect match. Using a dating algorithm to help find compatibility through in depth interviews, questionnaires and compatibility tests, the producers identify 10 matches among the 20 singletons.
However, the results are kept a secret from the contestants who are left to figure it out for themselves each week. If all of them end up with the right person at the end, they all win a large cash prize. Now, that’s some serious modern day dating.
Verdict: Best
A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila
A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila is a bisexual dating show where 16 straight men and 16 lesbian women live in American socialite Tila Tequila’s house while fighting for her love and attention. As expected when many people live under the same roof while dating the same person, it gets pretty complicated.
Verdict: Worst
Dinner Date
If you live in Britain and own a TV, you'll already be familiar with this. But just in case, we’ll go ahead with the low-down anyway – Dinner Date aims to prove the theory that food is the way to winning someone’s heart.
One dater is given five food menus to look at before picking their three favourite menus which will be cooked for them by the people who wrote the menus. After dining at each contestant’s house, the dater will pick one person to go on a second date with while the others receive a takeaway meal for one.
Verdict: Best
Married At First Sight
Yep, this show really is as insane as it sounds. The show follows the lives of six people who agree to participate in an experiment where they marry a complete stranger. A sexologist, a spiritualist, a psychologist and a sociologist use scientific methods to match make each person with the person they are most suited with.
The first time the couple will speak and meet is their wedding day. The show then documents their life together for six weeks and at the end, the couple will decide whether to stay married or break up.
Verdict: Worst
Ex On The Beach
If you’ve never watched Ex On The Beach, just think Geordie Shore meets Love island with a hint of Jerry Springer style fist fights. Eight singletons (always including one or two reality TV stars) head to an Island to enjoy a summer of fun and games. That’s until their exes start arriving and all hell breaks loose.
Verdict: Worst
