The Virgin Island hate is atrocious - season 2 will prove me right
Even before Virgin Island aired, the backlash was building as TV viewers clutched their pearls at yet another shock factor Channel 4 show.
Now it's been greenlit for season two, and everyone is up in arms again. But I'm happy it's returning.
Initially, I too was swept up in the confusion around the show's intention and concerned it was setting up vulnerable people to be ridiculed in front of the nation for their sexual inexperience.
However, that couldn't be further from my feelings after season one. Instead, I saw a safe space in which participants like Emma, Tom and Dave could explore their sexuality without judgment.
For those who haven't watched Virgin Island, each participant is paired with a surrogate partner who works with them to build confidence and discuss past trauma that may have stopped them from being intimate.
Each episode sees the sexological bodyworkers – a fancy term for the hands-on sex therapists – lead a group session, too.
The main criticism hurled at Virgin Island is that it is exploitative, pushing these naïve people to expose themselves for our entertainment – but the participants are encouraged to only go as far as they want.
In one session, Charlotte strips off in front of her surrogate partner to tackle her body issues, but her breasts have been blurred in the edit. Others get naked behind panels, or the camera cuts away when things get intimate.
Virgin Island is careful not to turn these incredibly personal experiences into voyeurism, focusing on the emotional developments rather than exposing the physical ones.
I'll admit most of the group sessions are deeply uncomfortable to watch for both those on screen and viewers. Some participants eagerly acted out sexual positions while others looked away, embarrassed.
I agree that, at these points, the show felt like it was less about helping and more focused on shock value. Getting adults to pretend to be animals crawling around on the floor is just mortifying to watch – virgin or not.
However, is that not what makes good reality TV? It was cringey, not exploitative.
A Love Islander acting in a similar way keeps us wanting more, but for some reason, when it's a Virgin Islander that's no longer acceptable.
Some critics have taken aim at the premise itself and claimed the participants are not able to give full informed consent as they have not had sex, so how could they know what they're getting into?
To me, this is blatant infantilisation of virgins. It reeks of superiority and upholds the exact stigma that the show is attempting to combat.
Let's be totally clear – all of the participants were adults who signed up for this of their own free will and have not expressed any negative emotions about their time on the show publicly.
In fact, many have said it gave them a newfound confidence.
Over the two weeks, many participants formed a real connection with their therapist, with three participants feeling confident enough to come out as bisexual or gender-fluid to huge cheers from the rest of the group. https://www.instagram.com/p/DKMQRdSJTNX/
A group session where the men wore makeup was incredibly impactful for Tom and opened up his journey into gender expression. More sessions like this in season two would be brilliant. More Trending
Only one participant, Dave, felt comfortable enough to have sex while on the show (and is now in a relationship), while three more have since gone on to shed their virgin status. Clearly, Virgin Island worked for them.
Once you move past the shock of these adults having the courage to admit they were virgins on national TV – something often perceived as shameful in our society – there's real heart to Virgin Island.
It deserves the chance to be a grower, not just a shower.
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