If anything lockdown has supplied us with the perfect opportunity to binge-watch our favourite reality TV shows. It also has given many of us a lot of time to invest in online dating. So, in order to combine the two, Catfish has announced the will be returning with a UK series and applications are open!
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So, if you have started a little online lockdown romance or friendship that you are a little wary of, or if you suspect you may secretly be dating Katy Perry, then Catfish can supply a little detective work to help you get to the bottom of it.
Just in case you haven’t heard of it (have you been living under a rock?),Catfish has been a hit in the US since 2012. In the show, hosts Nev Shulman and filmmaker Max Joseph help hunt down people’s online lovers and virtually distant friends to see if they really are who they are… whether they like the answers or not. Nev spoke out about the show back in 2012 saying:
Whether or not two people are totally lying to each other and it turns out to be a huge disaster, that's only the first part of the story. We then want to know why they are doing it, who they are, what they are feeling, what led them to this place, and why that resonates with thousands of other young people who have the same feelings, who don't have someone to talk to or don't know how to express themselves.
Catfish: The TV Show, was actually inspired by Shulman’s own catfishing experience. He even made a small indie film from the dramatic situation that sports the same name as the TV show.
Unfortunately, it is not known who will be hosting the UK series, as the current pandemic leaves things up in the air as to whether or not Nev will be able to fly over and host it himself. UK production company, Viacom Studios UK stated:
Whether you want to finally meet your online love or friend face-to-face, have something to confess or simply want to get to the bottom of why they always cancel dates, MTV's Catfish UK would love to hear from you.
Looking to sign up?
Applying for thereality show is relatively easy but it’s not for the faint of heart. You will have to be willing to air your dirty laundry online, sexts and all. And, of course, you will have to 18 or over.
If you meet the requirements above or want to find out more about appearing on the show then you can call the Catfish Casting Team on 07743 001261 or email Catfishuk@viacomstudiosuk.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the application form.
Not the first Catfish UK
Believe it or not, this isn’t the first UK series of Catfish, however, the season proposed back in 2016 was dropped at the last minute.
The show was set to face a bit of a different format where catfishers would come clean on the show and admit to leading other people on.
This isn’t so surprising as in the past Nev has admitted that despite getting over 100 applications a day for the show, many of them were actually from those doing the catfishing who felt guilty and wanted some help to come clean. Nev stated:
A lot of the stories that we get come from the catfish side of things. People who feel so terrible [...] that they've been lying to a friend or a lover on the internet for a long time. They want to come clean, but they fear if they simply told the truth, the other person would [...] be very upset that they've been lied to and deceived, and likely discard them. And so they're hopeful that by coming on the show [...] maybe we can facilitate some kind of amicable exchange, that they can be heard, explain themselves in a more objective and non-judgmental way.
So, if your suspicious as to why the love of your life won’t agree to meet you and aren’t afraid of public embarrassment then you can apply to Catfish here.
