Holly Willoughby may host a reboot Blind Date - but I don't think it would be a compelling dating show in 2025

A source told The Sun newspaper: "There might not sound like obvious parallels between Holly and Cilla, but they’re both two of the biggest stars of modern telly. It’s not pure coincidence either that when ITV decided to reboot 'Surprise, Surprise' - another show made famous by Cilla - it was girl-next-door Holly they turned to. So the prospect of her fronting a reboot of 'Blind Date' is a very real one, and a pairing that many viewers could see as a natural fit."

I don’t have an issue with Willoughby presenting the show if the reboot actually happens - good luck to her if she does - I just don’t think it should be brought back at all. My reason for this is simple; it’s had its time and a previous reboot failed so why would this one be any different?

I have this opinion as someone who loved watching Blind Date on a Saturday night. The original series, with Cilla Black and ‘our Graham’, aired between 1985 and 2003. Born in 1993, I started watching it in its later years. I was probably about seven or eight years old when I first started watching it with my mum and grandma - and I have fond memories of doing so. It was the very first dating show I ever watched and it is special for that reason - but I’d like to remain a nostalgic childhood memory.

It was incredibly impressive for a show to last almost 20 years, and I think its popularity and longevity came in part from the fact that, at that point, there was nothing else like it on UK television. In 2025, that’s definitely not the case. The dating show market is incredibly saturated and idea that contestants choose dates ‘blindly’, without knowing their looks or much about their personalities, is at the centre of some of the most popular. Think Married at First Sight, Love Is Blind, Love Triangle. There’s also a new show coming, Stranded on Honeymoon.

These shows have all taken the idea of going on a Blind Date to a whole new level; MAFS sees strangers have a TV wedding moments after being introduced, Love Is Blind sees couples truly get engaged before they even meet, Love Triangle sees two singles vye for the attention of one single who they met blind while living under the same roof, and Stranded on Honeymoon will see a newly-married couple left on a dessert island shortly after they meet.

As we know, Blind Date just asks people to pick someone for a date without knowing much about them. That’s it. In the 80s and 90s that was a brave experiment, it was like bringing personal ads in to real life. But, these days, with all the other shows that ask so much more of the contestants it’s just not. The worst case scenario is someone has to spend a couple of hours or so with someone they realise they don’t match well with. There’s not enough risk anymore, or enough potential for shocking, emotional of dramatic scenes to captivate viewers.

This, in my opinion, is why a previous reboot only lasted for two years and four series. The Blind Date revival, which aired on Channel 5 between 2017 and 2019, was hosted by another late great presenter, Paul O’Grady - but it still didn’t hit the mark.

I remember tuning in out of nostalgic fondness, but I struggled to make it to the end of one episode. The show simply wasn’t memorable in the modern day, where there’s so many more dating shows with far more unique premises. It just didn’t hold my attention so I turned off. I can’t see any reasons why a second attempt at a reboot wouldn’t be exactly the same.

Willoughby reportedly wants to carve out "a niche as a solo presenter with serious clout". The insider explained: "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.

"But together with her husband Dan, they form the ultimate power couple in TV. She has the public appeal that gets viewers tuning in, while he has a track record of making hugely successful TV shows."

Again, I have nothing against Willoughby and if that’s true then good luck to her with her career ambitions, but I don’t think this is the show to do it. For one, Blind Date will always be the late Cilla Black’s show. I’m not saying that Willoughby wouldn’t do a good job, but if you say ‘Blind Date’ you will also always automatically think of Cilla. If Willoughby does want to have a stronger solo career than she should host a totally brand new show that can be 100% hers instead.