It’s not every day that a dating show throws its contestants straight from a five-minute speed date into a fake wedding, then strands them on a remote tropical island with nothing but each other, a beach hut, and the barest of survival essentials. But that’s exactly the premise of the BBC’s latest reality experiment, Stranded on Honeymoon Island, which kicked off on September 3, 2025, on BBC One and iPlayer. Hosted by the ever-charismatic Davina McCall, this new series is already being hailed as the BBC’s answer to Love Island—but with a twist that’s as much about grit as it is about romance.
“It was hell.” That’s how David, one of the twelve singles thrown into the fray, described his experience to BBC News. “The mosquitoes were just eating us alive. I couldn’t stand the amount of flies and the crazy extreme heat.” If that wasn’t enough, imagine having just one set of clothes for days on end. “You just feel nasty, you feel dirty,” he admitted. And yet, this wasn’t a boot camp or a survival show in the traditional sense—it was a high-stakes, high-emotion dating experiment, designed to test whether love can truly blossom when all the trappings of modern romance are stripped away.
The show’s format is as bold as it is simple: twelve unlucky-in-love singles are matched by relationship experts after a single, whirlwind speed dating event in London. They’re paired up into six couples, whisked off to a tropical paradise, and after a symbolic, intimate ceremony, left to fend for themselves. There are no luxury villas, no wardrobes full of designer clothes, and certainly no makeup bags or beauty products. Instead, couples are marooned in beach huts, facing the elements and each other—with nowhere to run when things get tough.
For some contestants, the lack of creature comforts was the hardest part. Helen, 35, confessed, “I love my fake tan, I love my lashes. Nothing could have prepared me for stripping it all back.” And as for the facilities? Hannah, 29, didn’t mince words: “I was weeing on the beach. I’m a festival girl, and I’ve seen festival toilets in better condition than what the island toilet was.” The message is clear: this is not your average reality romance.
But the show’s creators and its contestants argue that’s exactly the point. As Hannah told BBC News, “It’s less superficial. The authenticity really stood out. You don’t have to dress up pretty every day. You’re not told what conversations to have.” In a landscape crowded with dating shows where contestants are often accused of being more interested in influencer deals than actual relationships, Stranded on Honeymoon Island promises something different. “The people I was sharing the experience with weren’t trying to be influencers, they weren’t trying to get brand deals, it really felt like every single person was there for love, and it was a challenge.”
Davina McCall, who guides the singles through their journey, is no stranger to matchmaking. “I am a serial matchmaker… So I jumped at the chance to host the BBC’s new dating show. I can’t wait to meet our couples and find out how they get on when they’re Stranded on Honeymoon Island. For some it will be challenging and others, idyllic!!! Hopefully it’s the start of some very beautiful relationships,” she said, as quoted by the BBC.
What sets this show apart isn’t just the survival angle—it’s the psychological challenge. Showbiz reporter Catrina Rose told BBC News that facing adversity together could be the ultimate test of a relationship’s staying power. “Because of the way they’re having to trust each other, it could lead to a stronger result outside the show,” she explained. David echoed this sentiment: “It’s not something that’s just going to be fun. You’re going to have to actually work hard and build a solid foundation with your partner.”
Ollie, another contestant, was drawn to the prospect of “really getting deep with this person in paradise.” He’s 31 and has been single for six years, and he sees the show as a way to “cut through the rubbish of typical dating.” For him, and for others, the challenge wasn’t just about surviving the island, but about discovering whether a relationship built in such extreme circumstances could last in the real world.
One notable difference from other dating shows is the age of the contestants. The average age on Stranded on Honeymoon Island is around 30—older than the typical early-to-mid-twenties cast of shows like Love Island. Ollie thinks this reflects a broader shift in dating culture: “I think people are trying to achieve more financial freedom or achieve goals before settling down,” he said. Helen, at “the grand old age of 35,” feels her priorities have shifted. “It’s not the tan, it’s not how you look, it’s not the material things. Do we like each other? Can we get on? Will we get on through the ups and the downs? I think when you get to a certain age, you realize what love actually is all about.”
The show’s format isn’t entirely new. According to the BBC, Stranded on Honeymoon Island was first broadcast in Belgium and has since been adapted in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, with an Australian version also commissioned. The UK version is produced by CPL Productions, the company behind other relationship juggernauts like Married at First Sight UK and Love Is Blind UK.
With so many dating shows on air—Love Island just wrapped up another season, Married at First Sight is about to launch a new one, and Virgin Island has been renewed for a second series—it’s fair to ask: do we really need another? Catrina Rose thinks so. “It’s offering something different, by showing the contestants in survival mode. The emotional stakes are higher as they’re stripped away from all luxuries.”
For viewers, the appeal may lie in watching romance unfold under pressure, stripped of the usual glitz and glamour. For contestants, it’s a chance to build connections that might just last beyond the closing credits. As the first season unfolds, fans and skeptics alike will be watching to see whether love can really survive—let alone thrive—on honeymoon island.
