Stranded on Honeymoon Island, the new BBC dating series fronted by Davina McCall, is reportedly facing cancellation after one series following weak audience figures, media outlets reported Tuesday.
Daily Mail coverage said the programme, described as a rival to ITV’s Love Island, drew about 848,000 viewers for its debut episode and fell to an average of 517,000 viewers by its third outing. The paper cited an unnamed television source who told The Sun that the figures were “abysmal” for a prime-time slot on BBC One and argued that the format did not suit the channel’s traditional audience. ITV’s Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, aired opposite the show and attracted around 1.4 million viewers.
Reports noted the programme had a large production budget, which Daily Mail put at about £5 million. The Sun-sourced comment also highlighted considerable travel and logistics costs, including sending contestants and crew to an island in the Philippines on what was described as a 13,000-mile round trip.
The format pairs speed-dating rounds with matchmakers who arrange surprise weddings; newly married couples are then dropped on an island together and live in a beach house for three weeks while social dynamics play out. Ahead of the premiere, McCall told reporters she expected drama arising from couples arriving at their weddings without knowing who they would marry, and from social tensions once all contestants were living together. She also joked about the show’s basic conditions, saying the one “issue” for her was “the loo.”
Audience reaction on social platforms, including X, included comparisons to E4’s Married At First Sight, a format in which experts match couples who then live together as married partners. Some social-media commenters described Stranded on Honeymoon Island as similar to that format, while others criticised pacing and casting decisions.
The Daily Mail said McCall’s performance was not the issue, noting that the presenter drew higher ratings for ITV’s Long Lost Family the previous week. The BBC has not publicly confirmed a decision to cancel the series; the Daily Mail reported that MailOnline had contacted BBC representatives for comment.
Stranded on Honeymoon Island airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer. Broadcasters and producers have in recent years weighed the suitability of reality formats for specific channel audiences, and commissioning decisions often reflect both viewing figures and production costs. As of publication there was no official announcement from the BBC about the show’s future.