What draws viewers to ‘love on TV?’

Love Island for ITV2 proves a hit once more…

Reality TV dating shows are now a staple of British television and this genre is now in a true golden age with dozens of series broadcast across a swathe of channels on mainstream and paid TV.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching online bingo site, Heart Bingo, conducted a recent survey into the best and most watched reality TV dating shows in the country, exploring what makes these shows as popular as they are and what really drives viewers into tuning in.

Love Island is the nation’s favourite

When it comes to reality TV dating shows, Love Island stands out from the crowd with drama, scandal and comedy all rolled into one. This topped the survey at 36.65%, coming out ahead of Married at First Sight in second (28.29%) with the other contenders not going above the 10% marker. A resounding nod towards Love Island…

ITV do it best

With reality shows strewn across numerous channels, terrestrial TV still tops the bill when it comes to airing reality dating TV shows. With Love Island waving the flag for ITV alongside the likes of My Mum Your Dad, it comes as no surprise that the channel is streets ahead with 37.05% of the vote, almost double Netflix’s percentage in second with 19.12%. BBC came out third with 8.76%.

Most tune in a few days a week

With the popularity of reality TV dating shows at an all-time high, it is no surprise that viewers tune in a few times a week to watch, making up 30.28% of the vote. Whilst this survey was directed at a random audience, with 12.75% never having watched this genre, 15.54% watch these shows daily, enhancing the fact that these shows keep viewers glued to the edge of their seats.

A new contender hits the top

When quizzed on the most realistic reality dating TV show, My Mum Your Dad won this particular round with 25.5% of the vote. The show, broadcast on ITV, aims to put single mums and dads together with the help of their children – a heartwarming series that does tug at the heartstrings. This narrowly beat Married at First Sight and Love Island into second, both sharing 22.31% of the vote, with Love is Blind fourth on 11.16%

Would you like to see more TV dating shows? The answer is yes (just!)

A simple question put to the participants was would you like to see more reality TV dating shows. Yes, led the way narrowly with 55.38% of the vote whilst No had 44.62%. This means that despite the amount of dating shows currently live, people are keen to see more new-fangled ideas released. With newer ones entering the realm every few months, the answer to this question in a year’s time may see a wider gap form.

Love Island: All Stars continues tonight at 9 pm on ITV2 and ITVX