Former X Factor judge Dannii Minogue has opened up about presenting her new BBC Three gay dating show I Kissed a Boy.
The Australian singer, 50, said she feels “honoured” to be taking on the job on the reality series, which will follow ten single men as they search for their Mr Right in Europe.
The concept sees them paired with their strongest match and kiss as soon as they meet – however, over the course of the eight-part series, we will see who will ignite a spark and whose eyes will wander.
Dannii opened up about her decision to helm the new dating show during a sit down interview with Lorraine Kelly on Wednesday morning.
She said: “I tried so many times with friends to matchmake and I was very successful with friendships, business partnerships and friends of mine.”
She continued: “I feel like it's been years since we’ve been watching so many dating shows, whether it's on an island, whether it's in a house. It’s just time for something for the LGBT community.”
Lorraine noted that Dannii had long been an ally of the gay community, saying: “You were performing in gay clubs before anyone else did, you were always there and that’s really, really important, which is why this is the perfect job for you. Nobody else could have done this.”
Dannii said: “It’s something I want to do with a lot of heart and soul and do it proud and do it well.
“The whole country, whether you’re trying to go out on a date now or you’ve been on dating apps, there are so many people who are lonely, who are looking for love. So hopefully we’ll make some beautiful guys very happy.”
Fiona Campbell, Controller of BBC Three, said at the time of the show’s announcement: “I Kissed a Boy is a brilliant new show in the dating space that we think has huge potential for BBC Three.
“We hope our audience will love the heady mix of drama and heart-warming romance that we know the series will bring.”
I Kissed a Boy is no doubt a positive step for LGBTQ+ representation on reality dating TV, particularly after Love Island initially said last year that applications would be open to LGBTQ+ contestants, before backpedalling as a result of “logistical difficulty”.
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV
