The BBC has finally confirmed when the new series of I Kissed a Girl will air – and fans will be pleased to know that it's soon. The return of this groundbreaking queer dating show marks the second sapphic season, and the fourth in the franchise, with two seasons of I Kissed a Boy previously airing.
News of the release date is bittersweet, as the BBC previously confirmed that the show will end with this last season – much to the disappointment of the community, and all those that have been tuning in to watch since the reality show first premiered in 2023. I Kissed a Boy/Girl marked the UK's very first LGBTQ+ dating show, a milestone moment in British television history.
It has been confirmed that the 2026 series of I Kissed a Girl will premiere on BBC iPlayer on Tuesday 23 June at 6am, with its first four episodes. Episodes one and two will also air on BBC Three that same day at 9pm, and episodes three and four will follow on 24 June in the same time slot.
From there, two new episodes will become available every Tuesday on BBC iPlayer at 6am, with the same BBC Three pattern, with 10 episodes in total. Following this schedule, the final episode is set to release on 14 July on BBC iPlayer.
The iconic Dannii Minogue will of course be back to host, welcoming a new lineup of singles to the Italian Masseria for a summer of love and flirting. Narrator Charley Marlowe is also confirmed to be returning for the new series, with the BBC announcing that she will also make a "special appearance" in Italy.
It was sadly reported in March that the show would not be back for future seasons beyond 2026, with a BBC spokesman saying (via The Sun): "We are exceptionally proud of I Kissed a Boy/Girl, the UK's first dating show for the LGBTQ+ community... Unfortunately, we have to make difficult choices in light of our funding challenges and there are no current plans for the show to return."
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There was an outcry from the community and fans of the show, with a petition pointing out the importance of on-screen representation gaining thousands of signatures (via Pink News).
Former cast members also spoke out about the decision. Season two's I Kissed a Boy contestant Jordan Burrow told BBC Newsbeat: "We need that show now more than ever to provide representation, to provide a voice so people can see people that look and act like them on the TV."
Priya Sohanpal, who took part in the first season of I Kissed a Girl, said the cancellation was "frustrating", later adding that "it's sort of like one step forward, two steps back."
In a feature interview with DIVA, marking Lesbian Visibility Week, Amy Spalding of IKAG said that the show "cancellation comes at such a bleak time when it comes to queer rights", describing it as "heartbreaking".
Digital Spy also wrote of the "bad decision" at the time, highlighting: "By exclusively casting queer people, this created a space for the contestants to talk about specific queer issues rarely discussed on TV, ranging from family acceptance and different sexual positions to lingering shame around the term 'lesbian'."
There have been a number of important moments like this from I Kissed a Boy/Girl over the course of the show's run – and while we're excited to see this play out again this summer with the new series of IKAG, we'll be missing out by not getting more future seasons.
I Kissed a Girl will return to BBC iPlayer and BBC Three on 23 June.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
