BBC tipped to launch mixed sexuality dating series following axe of LGBTQ+ series

The BBC is reportedly developing a dating series open to all genders and sexualities, just months after the broadcaster cancelled LGBTQ+ programmes I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl.

According to The Sun, the untitled show is still in development rather than a formally confirmed commission, with details drawn from a casting notice rather than an official announcement.

The report notes that the series – which it describes as "gender and sexuality-fluid" – is aimed at 18 to 26-year-olds, with filming planned in London in early November.

The BBC declined to comment when approached by Radio Times.

The news comes months after the BBC confirmed it had cancelled its I Kissed... franchise, citing funding challenges. The broadcaster said there were "no current plans" for either show to return after the second and final season of I Kissed a Girl aired in 2026.

I Kissed a Boy, which was the UK's first dating show solely for the LGBTQ+ community, debuted in 2023, with the spin-off series I Kissed a Girl following in 2024. Both were hosted by Dannii Minogue and made by production company Twofour.

Priya Sohanpal, who appeared on the first season of I Kissed a Girl, told BBC News that the cancellation was "frustrating", adding: "[People] wanted something different and when they got it, it's now been taken away from them."

The BBC said of the decision: "We are exceptionally proud of I Kissed a Boy/Girl, the UK’s first dating show for the LGBTQ+ community.

"We would like to thank our fabulous Cupid Dannii Minogue and the entire team at Twofour for bringing the series to screen.

"Unfortunately, we have to make difficult choices in light of our funding challenges and there are no current plans for the show to return."

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In other recent cancellation news, the BBC confirmed last month that RuPaul's Drag Race UK would leave the broadcaster after its current eighth season, with future editions moving to World of Wonder's streaming service WOW Presents Plus.

In a statement confirming the move, the BBC said: "As the BBC continues to navigate significant financial pressures and deliver the savings required of us, we have had to make some very difficult choices, none of which have been taken lightly.

"The BBC is incredibly proud of all 11 series of this groundbreaking show and we would like to thank RuPaul, World of Wonder and everyone involved, both on and off screen."

Season 8 is set to conclude its run on BBC Three and iPlayer, with existing episodes remaining available after the move. The first RuPaul's Drag Race UK All Stars is lined up to premiere in autumn 2027 exclusively on WOW Presents Plus, including for UK viewers.

The cancellations prompted a backlash from fans, with former cast members from both shows criticising the decision.

Former Drag Race UK vs The World winner Tia Kofi told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the BBC appeared to be dropping shows it viewed as "more niche", even though those audiences were "very much staying on and watching", warning that marginalised viewers now had "limited representation in mainstream media".

La Voix, the season 6 runner-up, said the programme had "opened doors that might otherwise have stayed firmly shut" and called its departure from terrestrial television "a loss".

Drag Race co-creator Fenton Bailey, reflecting on the move, told BBC News that he did not believe there was a "hidden agenda" at the BBC, but warned of a "crisis of representation" on television and said queer culture remained vulnerable.

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I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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