Overview
- A casting notice obtained by multiple outlets says the BBC is developing an untitled, inclusive dating series for its YouTube channel that will be produced by Strong Watch Studios and is reported to film in London in early November.
- The casting advert describes the show as open to all genders and sexualities and targeting people aged 18 to 26, with the format framed around finding dates and follow-up rounds.
- The development follows the broadcaster's recent decisions to remove or stop commissioning prominent LGBT-friendly shows, including RuPaul’s Drag Race UK which will move to WOW Presents Plus and Dannii Minogue’s I Kissed A Boy and I Kissed A Girl which were axed earlier in 2026.
- BBC spokespeople have framed these scheduling changes as necessary responses to significant financial pressure and a reported requirement to find roughly £500 million in savings, and the corporation has either declined to comment or been approached for comment about the new casting notice.
- The shift shows two linked effects: the BBC is prioritising lower-cost, digital-first formats made by external producers, and this may change how LGBT+ representation reaches audiences by moving flagship formats off public broadcast and toward third-party or online platforms.