Zara McDermott's New Dating Show Drops On BBC On Wednesday

Zara McDermott's new dating show Love In The Flesh drops on Wednesday - and we've got a feeling we'll be glued to this.

A former dating show contestant herself - Zara, 25, appeared on the 2018 series of Love Island - but this time, Zara will be helping other couples find love in the sun.

But, there's a twist. Unlike Love Island, these couples have already been speaking online (one pair for a whopping five years) yet they've never actually met face to face. Will there in person connections be just as strong as their digital bond?

You can watch the trailer below:

The show will feature five couples who will spend a week together in a luxurious Greek beach house, getting to know each other away from their screens. While some have been chatting for weeks or months, others have known each other for years.

There's Christos and Nikki - who first connected online three months ago - and speak on the phone three times a day - as well as Millie and Shelby, who have been chatting online for 10 months. While they tried to meet up previously, Millie was involved in a horse riding accident that resulted in five surgeries and scuppered their plans.

Meanwhile, Hannah and Brandon connected on a dating app six months ago. While Hannah is confident and talkative, Brandon is more reserved - but will they make it work when they meet in person?

One couple - Jess and Kwame - have been chatting online for five years. The pair have messaged on and off - and at one point were talking every day. Jess is a single mum, while Kwame has always lived at home with his parents.

Finally, Chibz and Shazelle connected via Instagram two years ago - but Shazelle has stood Chibz up twice. Will the pair make it work when she turns up to the beach house?!

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Of course, dating is never straightforward. There's plenty of drama on the horizon and Zara told Tyla that there could definitely be some 'couple swapping' going on.

"I think naturally when there's a lot of attractive people in one place - and when things aren't going well in your couple - why wouldn't you explore other options?" Says Zara.

"There definitely is some of that to come, it's not plain sailing for everyone. I think it's easier to connect with people online than in person because you can hide behind a screen, the screen is a bit of a mask.

"Creating in person connections requires so much patience, understanding, compromise - you need all of those things to build emotional connections and see if that person is someone you want to pursue."

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With the dating show set in a sunny villa, some fans might find themselves comparing the series to Love Island. But Zara insists that it's the most 'reflective' dating show out there at the moment and 'different' from the others.

"I think the show is completely representative of what young people are experiencing in the dating world, especially after the pandemic everything has turned so digital, people are using apps more and more," she says.

"It's just totally reflective of what our current dating climate is, I don't think other shows quite hit that the way this does. It's really different from other formats, this is about couples who have already formed the connections. So from day one as a viewer you're already rooting for the couples to work instead of rooting for them to fail in a way."

The show is a first for Zara, who has previously presented a series of BBC Three documentaries, including Uncovering Rape Culture and Revenge Porn.

"I've made several hard hitting documentaries and this is a completely different format," says Zara. "I'm a massive fan of reality TV and dating shows so to be able to host one is an incredible opportunity for me."

Love In The Flesh will air weekly on BBC Three from Wednesday 23rd March, with two episodes per week. The first two episodes air on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th at 10pm.

Topics: TV and Film, Zara Mcdermott