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Life's a beach for newly-weds as Blind Date meets Love Island

Sunderland Echo

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September 15, 2025

Imagine the chance to get away from it all on an island paradise with just a few possessions and your dream date for company. Oh, and Davina McCall.

That's essentially what the BBC's latest “social experiment” Stranded on Honeymoon Island is all about.

Couples are matched during a speed dating session then flown out to the Philippines - to the idyllic Honeymoon Island, no less. There, they are 'married' in a non-legally binding ceremony and promptly dumped off the side of a boat with just their wedding outfits to wear.

It's a bit like A Place in the Sun meets Blind Date; think Love Island only without the pre-loved eBay threads and with Davina McCall instead of Iain Stirling - shudder.

The 12-parter finishes this week but don't let that put you off finding it on iPlayer. If you love a dating show, it's probably no dafter than most.

Speed dates over and the six matched couples are left on a stunning tropical island, with no phone, no apps and no contact with the outside world.

The premise is that on these glorious, remote beaches, the relationships (such as they are) are put to the test as the couples fend for themselves.

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