Last updated: November 2026
Looking for a lesbian dating show to binge? Same. Queer women on reality TV are still rarer than they should be, so we’ve rounded up every UK dating and reality show with real lesbian and sapphic representation, plus exactly where to watch them in the UK and the US.
It’s been a rough couple of years for sapphic reality TV. Netflix cancelled The Ultimatum: Queer Love after two seasons in 2025, and in March 2026 the BBC confirmed it was axing I Kissed A Girl, citing funding challenges. Here’s everything we know about the cancellation. The good news? There’s still plenty to watch, from full sapphic dating formats to queer storylines in mainstream UK reality TV.
Bookmark this one – we update it whenever a new show lands.
What counts as lesbian and sapphic representation?
To make this list, a show needs to have:
- At least one lesbian, queer or sapphic woman in a meaningful role (not just a token cameo)
- Some focus on dating, relationships or romantic tension
- A UK production or UK version
- Still available to watch, or well known enough to reference
If we’ve missed one, let us know and we’ll add it.
12 UK lesbian dating shows and reality TV with sapphic representation
1. I Kissed A Girl
The UK’s first lesbian dating show, and still the best. Ten sapphic singles are matched in secret and meet for the first time with a kiss. No swiping, no small talk, just a kiss first and questions later. They then live together (series one in a villa, series two at an Italian masseria) to see if the spark turns into something real, with Dannii Minogue hosting.
It’s flirty, emotional and refreshingly honest, and critics loved it. Sadly, the BBC axed the show in March 2026, so series two, which aired in summer 2026, was its final run.
Article continues below.
Catch up with the cast: we meet the I Kissed A Girl series 2 cast, the series 2 cast and where to follow them, our interview with Flavia, the housekeeper and our series 1 interviews with Demi, Amy, Abbie and Naee.
Where to watch in the UK: Both series are on BBC iPlayer.
Where to watch in the US: Series one is on Hulu.
2. The Bi Life
Bi and queer singles head to Barcelona to date, flirt and figure out what they want, guided by host Courtney Act. It leans into discovery, friendship, heartbreak and a bit of experimentation.
Where to watch: Originally on E! UK. Episodes are available on hayu and YouTube.
3. Married at First Sight UK
Strangers are matched by experts and marry the moment they meet, then live together and decide whether to stay together. MAFS UK has featured lesbian couples in several series.
Jenna Robinson and Zoe Clifton were the show’s first lesbian couple in series 7 (2022), and they went on to marry for real in summer 2026. Leah Marie Tyrer and Leigh Harris followed in series 10 (2025), though they ended their marriage at the final vows.
Where to watch: E4 and Channel 4 streaming.
4. Naked Attraction
Not a traditional dating show, but one of the few UK shows that regularly features queer contestants. People pick a date based on looks alone, starting from the feet up. Yes, there’s (censored) nudity. It’s awkward, wild and voyeuristic, but when queer women appear, it’s notable.
Where to watch: Channel 4 and Channel 4 streaming.
Read more: 20+ best lesbian shows and TV series to watch
5. Candy Bar Girls
An oldie, and possibly the only UK reality series devoted entirely to lesbians. Shout out to our millennial readers, you’ll remember this one.
It followed a group of lesbians around Soho’s Candy Bar, showing their social lives, relationships, drama and work. It was fly-on-the-wall with a bit of soap energy mixed in. Critics weren’t kind about the low budget, but it’s a proper piece of queer TV history.
Where to watch: It aired on Channel 5 in 2011. You can still find episodes on YouTube.
6. Open House: The Great Sex Experiment
A bold British reality show that sends committed couples to a luxury retreat to test the boundaries of monogamy and explore open relationships and polyamory.
Couples face jealousy, communication breakdowns and some very honest conversations about trust, boundaries and sexuality. It doesn’t shy away from the messy side, so it’s not one to watch with your parents.
Where to watch: Channel 4 streaming.
7. Made in Chelsea
Mainstream shows like Made in Chelsea occasionally lean into queer romance, and it matters. Demi Sims and Jazz Saunders’ relationship played out on the show, with Sims telling Jazz she “just sees a future with you.”
Watch our red carpet interview with Demi Sims.
Where to watch: E4 and Channel 4 streaming.
8. Celebs Go Dating
Celebrities are paired with non-famous singles, and dates, awkward conversations and agency sessions follow. Most seasons focus on straight daters, but queer celebs have appeared too, including Demi Sims.
Where to watch: E4 and Channel 4 streaming.
9. Don’t Tell the Bride
One partner plans the entire wedding in secret (dress, venue, ceremony) and surprises the other. It’s mostly straight couples, but the UK version featured a lesbian wedding in series 5, episode 11, with Anna and Sian.
Where to watch: Channel 4 streaming.
10. Come Dine with Me
Amateur cooks take turns hosting dinner parties, then secretly score each other, with Dave Lamb’s snarky narration on top. In Couples Come Dine with Me series 6, episode 13 (Bournemouth), married duo Karen and Lindsay kick off the week with a cosy night of “trusted family favourites”, up against newlyweds Matt and Jay and a very tense David and Elaine.
Where to watch: Channel 4 streaming.
11. First Dates
Two strangers meet for a blind date in a restaurant and we watch the whole thing, from first hello to the will-they-won’t-they interview at the end. Fred Sirieix and the team make it feel warm and human.
It isn’t a queer dating show, but it includes daters of all sexualities, so sapphic dates turn up naturally. Its gentle tone means those moments feel real rather than sensational.
Where to watch: Channel 4 and Channel 4 streaming.
12. Stranded on Honeymoon Island
Twelve singles speed date, experts pair them off, and the new couples “marry” in a symbolic ceremony before being dropped on a remote tropical island. Over three weeks, they navigate survival, communication and temptation to see if the chemistry lasts without phones and make-up.
The first series, which premiered on 3 September 2025, followed Helen and Abby. Read our interview with Helen Scott about her time on the show.
Where to watch: BBC iPlayer.
Not from the UK, but worth a watch
The Ultimatum: Queer Love
The US show that gave queer women the messy, emotional reality TV we’d been waiting for. Five couples of women and non-binary people, where one partner is ready to commit and the other isn’t, swap partners for a trial marriage before deciding whether to get engaged, leave with someone new or walk away single. Netflix cancelled it in 2025 after two seasons, but both are still streaming.
Where to watch in the UK and US: Netflix.
Lesbian dating shows: your questions answered
Is there a lesbian dating show in the UK?
Yes. I Kissed A Girl on BBC Three was the UK’s first dating show made just for sapphic women. It ran for two series, and both are on BBC iPlayer.
Has I Kissed A Girl been cancelled?
Yes. The BBC confirmed in March 2026 that it was axing I Kissed A Girl and I Kissed A Boy because of funding challenges. Series two, which aired in summer 2026, was the final run.
Will there be a season 3 of The Ultimatum: Queer Love?
No. Netflix cancelled the show in 2025 after two seasons.
Final thoughts
Losing I Kissed A Girl and The Ultimatum: Queer Love stings, and it shows how hard queer women still have to fight for space on screen. But both shows found huge, loyal audiences, which proves the demand is there. The more we watch (legally!), talk about and share these shows, the more likely broadcasters are to commission the next one.
Nonchalant x
Your next read: 20+ best lesbian shows and TV series to watch
This article was written by one of our creative team writers here at Nonchalant Magazine.
