E! Sets First U.K. Original With Reality Dating Show ‘The Bi Life’

By Robert Mitchell

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – E! Entertainment Television has commissioned its first original series out of the U.K. and Ireland with groundbreaking bisexual reality dating show “The Bi Life.” The 10-part series, produced by E! parent NBCUniversal International Networks’ London-based production outfit Monkey, will be the first U.K. broadcast series to focus exclusively on bisexual dating.

Set against the backdrop of Barcelona, “The Bi Life” will be hosted by Shane Jenek, better known by stage name Courtney Act, the Australian entertainer who won Channel 5’s “Celebrity Big Brother” in early 2018. It will see a group of bisexual, pansexual, fluid or questioning British singles live together and help each other navigate dating as they observe and give feedback on each other’s experiences.

“It’s high time there was a dating show for the large number of young people today, like me, who are attracted to more than one gender,” said Jenek. “In 2018, we know that sexuality is fluid, and sharing the stories and experiences, the laughter and the love-making, of young bi people is so important.”

Lee Raftery, managing director of the U.K. and emerging markets, and chief marketing and content officer for NBCUniversal International, said the commission marked a “pivotal point” for in the U.K. “With the number of British people identifying themselves as bisexual rising by 73% in four years, we are incredibly excited to be introducing this pioneering series to our audiences in the U.K. and Ireland,” said Raftery.

The series producer is Sarah Church, with Monkey’s Ros Coward and David Granger serving as executive producers. “The Bi Life” is currently in production in Barcelona, where it will shoot throughout August and September. It is set to air on E! in the U.K. and Ireland in October.