Tinder Reportedly Signs Celebrity Spin-Off Of “I Kissed A Girl”

In a surprising twist for queer television, Tinder has reportedly stepped in to save the “I Kissed a Girl” and “I Kissed a Boy” franchise after the BBC confirmed that it would not renew the LGBTQ+ dating shows beyond their current seasons. Citing “funding challenges,” the broadcaster’s decision ended the UK’s first major LGBTQ+ dating series, leaving fans and industry observers concerned about shrinking representation.

Tinder is no stranger to multimedia or video content, primarily due to things like Swipe Night (a choose-your-own-adventure series that created real matches) and Tinder Double Date Island (an influencer-focused reality series cantered around double dates). However, I Kissed A Girl (and I Kissed A Boy) being a previously-existing BBC television series gives this arrangement more weight behind it, especially due to the established audience still rallying behind the franchise.

Both shows focus on LGBTQ+ participants, featuring sapphic women and gay men respectively. According to reports from Attitude and Nonchalant Magazine (March 2026), production company Twofour is developing a spin-off titled “It Started With a Kiss.”

Unlike the villa-based format of the originals, the new series will feature LGBTQ+ celebrities sharing personal dating stories, love lives, and past relationships. Charley Marlowe, narrator of “I Kissed a Girl,” is rumored to host. The show is expected to air directly on the Tinder app, as well as YouTube and Instagram, bypassing traditional broadcast entirely.

The franchise’s cancellation comes amid a decline in queer TV representation. GLAAD’s 2026 report noted that four in ten queer characters will not return to screens this year, making the loss of “I Kissed a Girl” particularly felt. Host Dannii Minogue appeared optimistic in a pre-cancellation Instagram post, hinting at future possibilities. If the spin-off moves forward, it could prove to be both an excellent marketing tool for Tinder and a potential opening of the floodgates into similar deals – or, at the very least, another significant deal in the platform’s long history of partnerships and multimedia events.