"I Kissed a Girl" Cast Source: Hulu

EDGE Interview: Dannii Minouge Returns to Host New Show – This Time it's for 'Girls Who Like Girls'

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 7 MIN.

"We're back!" the opening words of the Dannii Minogue-hosted reality show "I Kissed A Girl" declare. "And this time it's all about girls who like girls."

"I Kissed a Girl" is the follow up to the Minogue-hosted "I Kissed A Boy," which was the UK's first same-sex dating reality show when it premiered last year on BBC Three. The show was up front about its premise: Bring ten gay single men together in an Italian mansion (called a masseria) located in the breathtaking region of Puglia and match them up with initial pairings that are initiated, before the participants have even met, with an on-camera clench.

"No small talk," the show advised. "No messages. Just one kiss to test out their chemistry."

"I Kissed A Girl," which premiered on BBC Three in May – and is streaming now on Hulu – follows the same format, as five couples are matched up and then left to figure out if they've found a long-term partner, a new bestie, or a fun fling.

If the pairings are less than ideal, then so much the better for dramatic tension... because the girls are free to look for that someone special from among the other residents of the masseria, the risk being that if they do not consent to continue in their current match-up during the "Kiss-off" ceremony, they risk being sent packing. Only a kiss from their preferred partner – they are required to give a name – can keep them on the show.

As with the "Boy" edition, "Girl" features cast members from all over Great Britain and beyond, with some hailing from small towns and others from big cities. It's a mix of accents, attitudes, and levels of experience that's downright seductive to watch.

"The funniest thing here was, when the series started, everybody was like, 'What is a masseria?'," Minogue – who, when hosting the show, is always wearing something sensational – tells EDGE. "And my Australian accent doesn't help, by the way! It's a big, beautiful, old 16th century villa, and we are very lucky to call that our work office."

That fun fact is educational, but it's not long before Minogue spills some proper tea. "We're about to fly to Italy on Saturday to film the third series," she reveals, "and that's where we go back with the second set of boys."

Mamma mia! But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's hear what the pop singer, fashion icon, and TV personality has to say about the lesbian edition of the dating show.

EDGE: How excited were you to return to Italy for "I Kissed A Girl?"

Dannii Minogue: Well, it's a joy of a show to do, and to be able to come back with the girls was insane, because I think they are much less represented on TV in general. And we had a wild bunch! They've kind of turned into rock stars here in the UK. They went to a big festival called Mighty Hoopla and got one of the biggest receptions from the crowd. They ended up crowd surfing like they were rock gods!


by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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