Would you go on a double date alongside your bestie if you knew that everyone on the internet would be able to watch the experience? If, despite that caveat, you still answered “yes,” then you should check out Tinder‘s casting call for the upcoming season of Double Date Island, which will launch exclusively on TikTok.
Double Date Island puts a twist on the “hot people at the beach romancing each other” format popularized by the ITV franchise Love Island. Instead of competing against one another to snag the hottest matches, the inhabitants of Double Date Island are paired up. The resulting two-on-two interactions double as an advertisement for Tinder’s Double Date mode, which is part of the app’s plan to assuage Gen Z’s dating-related anxieties.
Amid the launch of Double Date mode last year, Tinder brought its first batch of Double Date Island episodes to YouTube. In its earliest iteration, the show boasted a star-studded cast list. Islanders included TikToker Carmie Sellitto, musician Spencer Elmer, and fashionista Ellie Smith.
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As Double Date Island moves to TikTok, its producers are keeping the show’s core qualities intact while simultaneously updating the format. Studio 55, which exists under the ITV umbrella, teamed up with Cowshed Studios to develop the series. Another ITV subsidiary, Zoo 55, is handling distribution. Tinder’s agency of record for European media strategy, OMD, is also supporting the project.
With so much Love Island brass in the room, Double Date Island will continue to feel like its TV counterpart. Meanwhile, TikTok viewers who live for drama will be able to keep up with best friend duos as they look for love and try not to fight over the same matches. Pairs from the United States, Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany will be present, with unnamed “talent” hosting the proceedings.
“This partnership is a genuine milestone,” said Tinder VP of Marketing for EMEA Paolo Lorenzoni in a statement. “Double Date Island on TikTok isn’t just a distribution deal, it’s a shared statement about how two platforms committed to authentic, social-first experiences can come together responsibly to move culture forward. For us, this is a natural next step in bringing our communities more interactive entertainment.”
Tinder, after several unremarkable forays into the world of scripted content, is finding success by pivoting to a reality TV lane that’s currently dominated by influencers. The first version of Double Date Island was powered by its stars. Now, with its move to TikTok, Tinder is looking to turn some more ordinary duos into the next big thing in reality programming.
