Love Island 2019 was one rollercoaster of a ride: we took some important break-up lessons, saw an admirable response to some aggressive gaslighting, and learnt a lot about the value of truth in modern relationships. And now, after eight long weeks, it’s come to an end.

But don’t worry if you’re looking for a dating show to fill the inevitable 9pm void haunting your evenings – we’ve got answers for you.

MTV’s US reality show, Are You The One? has returned for it’s eighth series – and while on the surface it’s premise of 16 singletons looking for love in a hot climate may seem very familiar, it’s introduced a ground-breaking twist in 2019. 

For the first time in the show’s history, Are You The One? is featuring a cast where everyone on the show is attracted to all gender identities, with contestants identifying as bisexual, pansexual and sexually-fluid – and it’s now available to watch in the UK on Now TV.

The show’s premise is certainly not dissimilar to Love Island in many ways. The cast still spend time living together (although the show’s Hawaii location certainly beats the Majorcan rays) getting to know each other and looking for love – but that’s where the similarities end. 

Because before the contestants enter the villa, the show uses matchmaking technology to determine the “perfect match” for each contestant, using a 1,000-page questionnaire, a personality test and interviews with friends, family and exes to find out who they’d gel with the most.

The best bit? Each week at the matchup ceremonies, the contestants have to guess who their match is – and they’re told how many they’ve got right (although not who they are). If all the contestants can determine who their “perfect match” is by the end of the show, they can split the cash prize, which is an impressive $1 million. 

But of course, everything’s different this season, as all the contestants could fall for anyone else on the show, meaning “the one” could be any of their 15 fellow castmates.

On social media, the show has been praised as a big step forward for queer representation on screen, especially in reality dating shows, which have historically been extremely heteronormative. 

“I love that @MTV did a sexually fluid ‘Are You The One’ season,” wrote one Twitter user. “I think it’s really important and has helped viewers that are struggling w/ their identities, to embrace themselves & feel more comfortable in their own skin, while giving them a sense of empowerment.”

“Everyone needs to watch this season of MTV’s Are You The One,” wrote another. “This season is QUEER and everyone is fluid and everything down to the DRAMA is of substance. I’m blown away. WATCH.”

You can watch Are You The One? on Now TV now. 

Image: MTV