Cast of groundbreaking BBC LGBT dating show say final season is 'bittersweet'
BBC/TwoFour"You can take us off the TV, you can take away our queer spaces, but we're still here," says dating show contestant Faye.
The 24-year-old from Warrington is one of 10 singles appearing on the final series of BBC LGBT dating show I Kissed a Girl.
The show returned this week for its second series, which is also its final outing after the BBC's decision to shelve the programme.
But its cast members tell BBC Newsbeat they are determined not to let the show's cancellation overshadow the impact it has had.
The all-male version of the show, I Kissed a Boy, first aired on BBC Three in 2023 and made history as the UK's first gay dating show.
A year later, the show's production company, Twofour, launched an all-women series, called I Kissed a Girl, before switching back to an all-male cast in 2025.
I Kissed a Girl, in particular, has been praised by fans for its "wholesome" vibe, in contrast to shows such as Love Island and Married at First Sight which have faced scandals surrounding their duty of care to contestants.
BBC bosses blamed "funding challenges" for the "difficult" decision to stop the I Kissed a... shows, but said they were "exceptionally proud" of them.
"It's a shame," says Nikita.
The 24-year-old from Leeds says she joined the show to find a stronger sense of community and "find her person".
"It is such a shame that the show's been cancelled but I'm just so grateful that we all got to have this experience and we get to be that representation on the screen, especially because I'm of Indian heritage.
"I just think it's so important to be that representation."
Hosted by pop star Dannii Minogue, the show sees 10 contestants brought together in a sun-soaked villa and, as the title suggests, introduced with a kiss.
With no small talk or messages beforehand, cast members on both the men and women's versions were encouraged to give their new relationships a shot – with lots of twists and turns along the way.
The couples participate in regular "kiss offs" where they decide if they want to remain with their partner or explore a new connection.
Those who are not kissed are sent home.
BBC/TwoFour"I was shaking like a leaf," recalls Elise of her experience on this year's show, which is based in Italy.
The 24-year-old from Essex tells Newsbeat that appearing on the show has been a "surreal" experience.
"Knowing that you were going to just walk towards someone you've never spoken to before and kiss them.
"Obviously, that's not how normal life goes, so I guess [it was] just trying to get your head around that and knowing that you were going into a safe, good experience," she says.
For Ashlea, the significance of appearing on I Kissed a Girl was not lost on her - in fact she was "absolutely bricking it".
She explains that someone that the producers have found to potentially be your "future wife" made her "very nervous".
With the show being axed after this current season, Faye tells BBC Newsbeat that the community "don't feel worth anywhere".
"Bars are taken away, community groups are taken away.
"It's concerning because you can't be what you can't see.
"So if we're not there, it's like the younger generation of queer people are looking for a safe space to go and feel like they're not on their own.
"They don't have that, it's like we're going backwards," says Faye.
While the cast tell Newsbeat that appearing in the final chapter of the show's history is "bittersweet", they're holding on to it being an "incredible experience".
For Ashlea, it was about the "pure love" of completely different people coming together.
"It was an experience of a lifetime for all of us and something that we will hold together and bond about forever."
The first four episodes of I Kissed a Girl are out now on BBC iPlayer with new episodes dropping every Tuesday on BBC Three.
