The Channel 4 series Virgin Island is returning for a second series, but if it wants to cement its place in future viewing schedules, there is one major issue show bosses may want to address.
The series started last year to much fanfare, with a group of virgins jetting off to a luxurious Mediterranean retreat where a team including sex and relationship expert Dr Danielle Harel helped them tackle problems with intimacy and sex. It sparked controversy from the outset, with some viewers gripped by it but others flabbergasted that the show was even on TV. "Isn't this just porn?" some asked.
Still, we all tuned in (with a series average of 1.4 million viewers per episode, Virgin Island was Channel 4’s biggest streaming hit of the year) and watched as the experts helped the virgins overcome their difficulties with group and one-on-one sessions.
However, as the series went on and inhibitions were gradually shed, one word kept popping up on social media: "exploitative".
It's clear there is value in the work. When the series was launched, the broadcaster said detailed research by University College London had revealed that one in eight 26-year-olds were still virgins, compared to one in 20 in previous generations.
The issues raised by those taking part were valid and varied - some struggled with body confidence, one missed out on meeting people at university due to the Covid lockdowns and another suffered from vaginismus, feeling pain and anxiety when exploring sex. And those issues deserved to be treated, and treated sensitively.
But some viewers evidently felt that while group discussions covering things like pleasure and saying no were one thing, watching sex and relationship coaches straddle virgins (fully clothed) or breathing heavily while pressing each other up against walls to demonstrate passion and desire was another.
In the end, only one of the 12 virgins ended up having sex on the island. Dave worked on his issues throughout the series and consummated the act with sex therapist Kat Slade. Viewers didn't see much, but some of the audio was heard. For some, it was downright awkward. And it does beg the question: does it all need to be on TV? Could we hear the stories, work through the theory and see the participants addressing their fears without the panting and partner sessions? Several viewers certainly seemed to think it would be more comfortable that way.
"This is so exploitative," one posted on X when the series aired. "I’m panicking myself and I’m watching it at home!! I can’t even imagine being one of them right now."
Another suggested it was "voyeuristic", and others admitted it "wasn’t comfortable viewing". Someone else said it went "way too far". "I've had to turn this off," said another viewer. "I feel so uncomfortable and on edge."
It might be something show bosses want to think about, because Virgin Island has all the ingredients to be a gripping and thought-provoking social experiment, and it doesn't need the shock factor to do it.
Virgin Island starts at 9pm on Channel 4 on Monday April 27.
