A new ITV2 dating show called Ready To Mingle, hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan, has received a string of complaints already – despite the fact it’s still in production.
The reality TV show has been dubbed a cross between Five Guys A Week and The Bachelor, where a single woman moves into a sweeping luxury waterside home and is joined by 12 suitors. So far, so Bachelor. Except there’s a twist – some of them aren’t actually single. Now, before you jump to conclusions, it’s not what you think, the non-single lot’s partners are secretly in on it and helping pull the strings so they can win the cash prize.
Ready To Mingle’s controversial format hasn’t gone down with viewers who have turned to social media and Ofcom to complain about its premise.
Most of them were responding to ITV’s tweet about the show, which is due to air in the autumn.
Itv posted, “Are you Ready to Mingle? Comedian Katherine Ryan is hosting a brand-new dating show which follows 12 male suitors as they compete to win the heart of a single woman. The naughty twist? Not all the boys are single! Coming this autumn to ITV2 and @itvhub”
One user wrote: “Really? How is this good for anyone? You are literally encouraging people hurting other people. No. You can do better ITV.”
Another said: “Let’s make lying and deceiving women into a TV show. Wow.”
Another added, “So we get to watch some woman get lied to right up until the point she’s humiliated? Or maybe it’ll end *well* and he’ll break up with the woman he’s been pretending to cheat on for the new one? This is an abusive mess.”
Some users replied to Katherine Ryan directly on Instagram, saying “shame on you.” However, she hit back: “Pfffffttt. Are YOU for real thinking you’re taking some virtuous moral high ground when you go around calling people names over a show you haven’t seen and don’t seem to understand?”
One Twitter user wrote: “I’m pretty sure this is nothing new. You’ve seen “Blind Date” and “Married at First Sight” and “Love Island” and …You don’t like it, don’t watch it, but don’t pretend it’s in any way unusual just so you can pretend to be important on Twitter.”
Let’s see how the show goes down later this year…