Take a first look at BBC’s new dating show with Davina McCall - Stranded on Honeymoon Island
Stranded on Honeymoon Island is a ‘bold’ dating show coming to the BBC 🌴📺
- BBC is heading to Honeymoon Island this September.
- Davina McCall is hosting the new dating show.
- But what can you expect from the programme?
Turns out that Tom Hanks is not the only famous face to end up as a Cast Away. Davina McCall will be hosting the BBC’s newest dating show: Stranded on Honeymoon Island.
The brand new series is set to replace Destination X after it concludes this week. It will kick-start a busy autumn for the Beeb on the reality front with Celebrity Traitors slated to begin in October as well.
Stranded on Honeymoon Island will see 12 singletons being paired up after meeting for just five minutes beforehand. It certainly sounds like there will be plenty of drama ahead!
But when will the show start and what can you expect? Here’s all you need to know:
What is Stranded on Honeymoon Island?
The BBC is heading into the reality show dating world with its latest prime-time series. Stranded on Honeymoon Island is set to replace Destination X on the TV schedule after it concludes this month.
Describing the show, the Beeb said: “Twelve singles looking for lifelong love take a giant leap into the unknown, by embarking on honeymoons like no other, with someone they’ve met at a speed date for just five minutes.
“Stranded on six remote, tropical beaches, these six newly formed couples must communicate and collaborate to get by, with nowhere to run when the going gets tough.”
It calls the series a “bold and original dating format” that “seeks to discover if, away from the distractions of modern-day life, love can thrive in isolation”.
Who is in the cast of the BBC show?
The 12 singletons who will appear in the show have been confirmed ahead of its start. It includes:
- Abby, 32 - Berkshire
- David, 30 - Montreal/London
- Hanna, 29 - London
- Helen, 35 - Manchester
- Ini, 28 - Kent
- Jordan, 30 - West Yorkshire
- Mae, 30 - Nottingham
- Millie, 30 - Cheshire
- Moray, 28 - Edinburgh
- Oliver, 31 - London
- Sam, 30 - London
- Taniae, 33 - London
In a unique twist, as you can see from the list above, the cast skews a bit older than dating shows like Love Island. The youngest singletons are Ini and Moray at 28, while the oldest is 35.
When does Stranded on Honeymoon Island start?
Destination X will air its final two episodes on Wednesday (August 27) and Thursday (August 28) this week. It has reportedly been renewed for a second season, so it will likely be back in 2026 for more geo-guessing fun.
Stranded on Honeymoon Island will replace it on the schedule and is due to begin next Wednesday (September 3). It will broadcast three episodes each week from Wednesday to Friday.
Episodes will air on BBC One and iPlayer at the same time, it has been confirmed. It will start at 9pm and run for around an hour, finishing at approximately 10pm.
Who hosts Stranded on Honeymoon Island?
Davina McCall will be on hosting duty for the BBC’s new dating show. Speaking about the show, she said: “The thing I love about this show, is that they arrive on Honeymoon Island with no idea who they are going to marry. Our couples start with a speed dating session, they then pick their favourites, but they don’t know who our relationship experts have chosen for them.
“So, it’s the surprise of turning up to the wedding not knowing who they’re going to marry. It’s actually quite sweet when you see the joy on someone’s face when the person at the altar is the person they were hoping for.
“Then they go to their new beach home for three weeks and it’s interesting watching them and seeing how they handle that situation and what they expect from their partner.
“And then on top of all of that, it gets really complicated when we start doing Couples Cove. Everybody starts socialising together and then suddenly maybe you’re looking at other options you met at speed dating, it's carnage. Lots of drama to come!”
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