Channel 4’s Virgin Island has ‘more sex’ second time around, with two couples forming
Last time only one of the 12 contributors went all the way – with a professional surrogate partner, in the final episode. This time the ‘more confident’ cast are soon getting it on, with each other
Virgin Island’s sexpert presenters, Celeste (right) and Danielle, are there to steer the nervous virgins through the 3-week course(Image: Channel 4 / Rob Parfitt)
When Channel 4’s Virgin Island made its debut last year, there were those left feeling uncomfortable – either because of the toe-curling intimacy workshops, or because they found it exploitative.
But while some found it “creepy”, many others regarded the show as warm and authentic, as the experts gently guided 12 adult virgins, who had bravely put themselves forwards, towards greater confidence and fulfilment in the bedroom.
As the second series launches tomorrow, it has emerged that four of the new cast members, who have different reasons behind their lack of sexual confidence, formed two couples during the three weeks of filming. And rather than feel intimidated by the new relationships forming, the rest of the contributors were thrilled for them, with one insider saying they’d been “cheering them on from the sidelines”.
The BAFTA-nominated series became the most streamed in Channel 4’s history among 16-34s when it launched last year, attracting 9million downloads, so there was no surprise when a follow-up was ordered. The 12 virgins for 2026 include Joy, 22, a devout Christian raised in a “purity culture” who battles with feelings of deep shame and has a condition which prevents her from having sex, Katie, 22, who is scarred by being voted “ugliest girl at school”, Alex, 28, a private schoolboy with erectile dysfunction and 35-year old lesbian Ellen, who has never kissed anyone.
There is also autistic 24-year-old Bertie, 24, with crippling low self esteem who calls himself a “grade A virgin” and 27-year-old Ed, who fears that women will find his limb difference “weird or gross”. Alongside them is 21-year-old Callum who lives alone and spends his every waking moment gaming, painfully shy 26-year-old postman Jason, who worries he might never kiss a woman, and smart and sociable Marianne, 26, whose body freezes at the prospect of anything sexual. Mille, 22, feels fearful of sex having returned from university without having experienced it, Tegan, 25, knows she is gay but can’t get out of the friend zone and Will, 30, suffers with premature ejaculation.
It will again be set on the beautiful private island in Croatia and this time has the addition of a “kink” expert who specialises in helping people get to grips with their “core desires”.. Executive producer Tom Garland said the show promises to be “more life-changing than ever before”. He explained: “I think there was definitely an opportunity to explore turn-ons a little bit more – just dipping our toe into the kink world, and sort of trying to stop it being scary and actually making it a little bit more accessible.”
So much of what is hindering the group is psychological. Callum says he’d spent years “believing my feelings didn’t matter” while Katie has saved some of the messages sent to her by online trolls and says she’s seeking “coping mechanisms” because she is desperate to fall in love.
Speaking afterwards, Marianne said she felt able to flourish thanks to the “true feeling of unburdened safety and playfulness” she experienced on the island, which was a sentiment expressed many times by the cast. Last year all of the participants came away feeling they’d had a huge confidence boost, and there is no denying that the show gets results. One of the cast, accountant Dave, actually lost his virginity in the final episode with professional surrogate partner Kat Slade.
And dog-groomer Holly afterwards became the first to announce she had lost her virginity. Nearly a year on, she has not only found a partner, but she is six-months pregnant.
Show boss Tom says he’s thrilled that two couples formed during the making of the second series. “It’s definitely a by-product of what we set up,” he said. “I mean, nobody went out to make any dating content apart from, like, giving tips. What’s lovely is that their guards came down this time and just something magic happened.”
The retiring main presenters are American intimacy coaches Celeste Hirschmann and Danille Harel, founders of the Somatica Institute. They are flanked by many other experts and feel that this year’s cast came to filming with fewer nerves because they had watched last year’s show and knew what to expect.
“What we tell them is these are your practise buddies,” Celeste says. “You don’t have to fall in love with them, you can just see what it’s like to try things with them and really experiment. And I think, because we really emphasised that from the beginning, people jumped in more and that created more opportunity for those romances to blossom.”
Celeste feels that the addition of new BDSM (bondage/dominance/sadism/masochism) expert Shelby Devlin was valuable, in order to allow people to explore their sexual fantasies. “I feel like kinks are really, really important because so many people have them,” she explained. “A lot of people like to play with power or sensation, and all of that enhances the intensity of the experience. So we wanted people to have access to all these different kinds of feelings.”
Shelby admitted she’d been worried about taking part on a reality TV show because, in the US where she’s from, it can feel “exploitative or unkind”. But she was happy discover the British experience was “quite different”. “The show treats its participants with real care and respect, creating a space where vulnerability is honoured,” she said. “I know I made a meaningful impact during my time on the island, and my deepest hope is that this extends beyond the experience itself to the people watching at home. If even one person feels inspired or more empowered in their relationship to their own desires, I would consider that a success,” she said.
Taylor, who appeared on Virgin Island last year, says her confidence soared thanks to the workshops and one-to-one sessions in which sex, nudity and intimacy were explored, and is now living life to the full. Asked what advice she’d give this year’s intake, she said: “If they offer you a deep end, go for it, because I wish I’d have had a season to watch beforehand so I could have done even more.” Having seen the series opener, she added: “I really think they’re brave and I’m really proud of all of them.”
Tom said that when the first series ended the production team were staggered by how much progress the contributors made during the three weeks of filming, during which they have no access to phones or TV. “We were collectively blown away by the changes this amazing group of people achieved on that island,” he said. “Our fears of people leaving early, upset, were unfounded. There were a lot of tears, but they were happy ones.”
Virgin Island, Channel 4, 9pm, Monday 27 April
