Dating Show Returning 22 Years After Cancellation

More than two decades after it wrapped its 18-year run, the classic ITV matchmaking show Blind Date is reportedly being revived.

The Sun reported Wednesday that the realty hit, which originally ran on ITV from 1985 until 2003 with Cilla Black as host, is set to be rebooted at Disney+, with Claudia Winkleman, Holly Willoughby, and Davina McCall in the running to host.

Blind Date originally ran for 18 seasons on ITV from 1985 until 2003 and saw a member of the public choosing who to date from a lineup of three suitors, who they could not see and could only ask a single question. Two years after Black’s death in 2015 at the age of 72, the series briefly returned for a short-lived reboot hosted by Paul O’Grady that ran for four seasons on Channel 5 from 2017 until 2019.

According to The Sun’s sources, the upcoming reboot is hoping to maintain the “essence” of the original smash hit, which pulled in up to 18 million viewers.

“Although there’s likely to be some modern twists, the bosses very much want to keep the essence of the original,” a source claimed. “There’ll be key elements returning, including the famous sliding wall. Plus there will be a prize up for grabs of a wedding package, which echoes Cilla’s famous gag whenever couples had enjoyed a successful date, and she used to ask, ‘Do I need to buy an ‘at for the wedding?’”

The reboot was originally rumored to be in the works back in April 2024 when Dan Baldwin, Willoughby’s husband, said during an appearance on BBC Radio 4, “we’ve always got one eye on what could come back and what could be a hit like Gladiators is. Another one that you’d like to see back, Blind Date, are we ready for that? What a Saturday night that was.” At the time, he suggested, “Blind Date with Claudia Winkleman on BBC1.”

Then in March, Willoughby’s name was thrown into the mix of potential hosts after she hosted a reboot of Surprise Surprise, which was originally hosted by Black. A source told The Sun at the time that although “there might not sound like obvious parallels between Holly and Cilla… they’re both two of the biggest stars of modern telly. Emulating Cilla isn’t just about taking on her shows, it’s as much about carving out a niche as a solo presenter with serious clout in the world of telly.”

Disney+ has not confirmed the reports at this time, but sources said the Blind Date reboot is set to begin filming later this year, 40 years after it first premiered, with a 2026 release date being eyed.