A recent study by Currys, the electronics retailer, has scrutinised the relationship outcomes of 210 couples from seven popular dating television shows to determine which programme most effectively fosters lasting love. The analysis considered factors such as the percentage of couples still together, marriage rates, and the number of children resulting from these unions.
The findings reveal that “Love Is Blind” stands out as the most successful, with approximately one in three couples remaining together post-show. The US version boasts a 33% success rate, while the UK iteration, currently in its inaugural season, shows a slightly lower rate of 29%. Notably, all seven enduring couples from the U.S. series are married, as are both couples from the UK version. This higher marriage rate is attributed to the show’s unique format, where couples decide at the finale whether to proceed with marriage after meeting face-to-face.
“Married at First Sight UK” ranks third in the study, with an 11% success rate. Out of 18 couples analysed from Seasons 6 and 7, two remain together, but only one couple is still married.
Both the UK and US versions of “Love Island” share a 10% success rate, with 1 in 10 couples still together. Despite its modest success in fostering lasting relationships, “Love Island UK” has achieved significant viewership milestones. Since 2017, it has been streamed two billion times, and the latest series garnered 137 million streams on ITVX, surpassing the 132 million streams of the Euros football tournament.
Overall, the study indicates that only 25 out of 210 couples who were together at their respective show’s conclusion remain together today, yielding a 12% success rate for reality TV in cultivating enduring relationships. This figure drops to 8% when focusing solely on married couples, with just 16 out of 210 couples tying the knot.
“Ex on the Beach UK” holds the lowest success rate, with only one out of 24 couples (4%) staying together after the show. Similarly, “Too Hot to Handle” has a low success rate, with just one out of 19 couples (5%) still together.
Beyond the pursuit of love, these shows offer substantial earning potential for contestants, particularly through social media. The study also assessed the average Instagram followings and potential earnings per post for participants. “Love Island UK” leads in this regard, with contestants averaging 1.24 million followers and potential earnings of £2,528 per post. “Too Hot to Handle” follows, with an average of 1.12 million followers and potential earnings of £2,279 per post. Despite its low success rate in forming lasting relationships, “Ex on the Beach UK” ranks third in earning potential, with contestants averaging one million followers and potential earnings of £2,120 per post.
