Hit UK dating show I Kissed a Boy is back for Season 2, and we can’t wait to meet the dreamy new cast! The upcoming season features a cheerleading coach, an Irish lad called Rory, and the show’s first trans contestant, Lars!
Since it premiered in 2023, I Kissed a Boy and the subsequent sapphic series I Kissed a Girl have proven how starved we were for good LGBTQ+ reality television. Hosted by Aussie pop icon Dannii Minogue, the show pairs queer single contestants who meet up, immediately share a kiss, and then get matched based on their initial chemistry. Every few days, contestants have the option to keep dating their partner or try pairing with someone else, and drama ensues!
Fans haven’t stopped talking about the hugely successful series since the last season wrapped. Thankfully, the wait for more is over because BBC Three has revealed that Season 2’s cast of 11 new contestants are making their way to the gorgeous Masseria for new episodes. Based on the cast bios, we can not wait to watch them navigate love and friendship this summer!
Rory (22)
Irish fans will be most excited to meet this contestant who described feeling “so self-critical and ashamed” of his sexuality as a teenager in Ireland. The mental health support worker from Galway described the show as a “full circle moment” that allowed him to grow by working on his own emotional development “alongside a bunch of hotties!” He told fans to expect two things from this season: drama and more drama!
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Lars (23)
This hotel receptionist from Wolverhampton feels proud to be the first trans person in the series. He said: “Growing up, I never saw stories like mine reflected on screen, so to be a part of something that embraces and normalises LGBTQ+ relationships means the absolute world to me.”
He was excited to participate in the series because he wanted to push himself to make real-life connections without distractions like phones, and described the interactions as “messy, joyful, and real” and “exactly the kind of representation we need”.
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Jack S (22)
Jack is a baking adviser from Manchester who describes himself as “androgynous but more femme presenting”. He credits the women in his life for helping him feel more comfortable with his femininity. One of his favourite hobbies is surprising people with his rap persona, ‘Jack Maniac’ during open mic nights. He called this season of I Kissed A Boy a “diva-licious slice of heaven”.
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Ruben (24)
This London-based artist and designer was delighted to leave a world “built for straight people” to experience a “gay fantasy land where you can feel safe and comfortable to express yourself.” He admittedly found putting himself out there to be scary, but ultimately said that being able to live any way you want is something he would “recommend to any member of the alphabet army.”
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Aron (27)
Aron is a civil servant and cheerleading coach who told Gay Times he feels “beyond proud” to be a part of I Kissed a Boy, adding: “This show peels the layer to show the ways, and celebrate, our unique differences while also recognising the thing that unites us, our queerness.” He also told fans to “buckle up for an emotional rollercoaster”.
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Adam (27)
This marketing and brand manager and self-proclaimed “career gal” called the show “one big therapy session” and promised fans we will find him either confused or crying with laughter most of the time. Even though he’s from Reading, Berkshire, he describes East London as his “spiritual home” and is looking for someone with a high level of emotional intelligence.
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Callum (27)
Callum recently moved from London to Hastings to be closer to his Nigerian family members. Looking ahead to the show, he knows that jealousy is a challenge for him, but says, “younger me would have found navigating my sexuality so much easier if I had a show like IKAB to watch.”
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Jack D (26)
Jack is a hospital pharmacist who joined the show because he is tired of the small queer dating scene Glasgow. He is looking for someone to share a “nice pastry and a pint with” and told fans to expect things between contestants to get “messy” with “a lot of drama”.
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Jas (27)
Jas works as a finance analyst and lives in London. He is looking for someone who is in it for the long run, sharing: “I want a Punjabi wedding! Once you commit, you commit. My parents have done the same.” Reflecting on the show, Jas said he was “100% authentically myself” and has no regrets.
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Jordan B (25)
Even though he grew up raising cows and sheep with his dad and brother, Jordan B has since left the family farm to live in Manchester. He joined the show hoping to meet someone who will be the calm to his storm, and he told fans to “prepare to laugh, cry, and audibly gasp your way through our gay summer”.
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Jordan R (27)
This sales manager from Leeds has never been in a committed relationship before. He went on the show hoping to find someone emotionally available who he can really open up to and describes himself as “the life of any party… but only if it’s worth attending”.
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The previous I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl seasons invited 10 contestants who formed five sets of couples, but with 11 contestants this time, the format is likely to change! Either way, we can’t wait to follow them all on their path to romance in the Italian countryside.
Season 2 is coming to BBC Three and iPlayer on Sunday, May 11!
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