'It Started With a Kiss' podcast delves into modern queer dating
Since the popular LGBT+ dating series 'I Kissed A Boy' and 'I Kissed A Girl' was shelved, the creators are coming back with a podcast
Amy Spalding and Gareth Valentino, known for their roles in popular queer reality TV shows, have launched a brand-new 10-part podcast series titled "It Started With A Kiss."
The series has already begun with a double-episode, and promises a fresh look into the realities of modern dating within the LGBTQ+ communtiy.
Amy and Gareth will engage in candid conversations with a variety of well-known guests, including Christine McGuinness, Joshua Cavallo, Tia Kofi, Rosie Jones, Nathan Henry, and Cat Burns.
Read more: Josh Cavallo: gay football icon swaps A-League for the National League North
Listeners can expect insightful discussions as guests reveal their dream date nights and share unforgettable stories about their dating experiences.
The podcast also features fun games, such as Tinder's "Hot Date" segment, where guests swipe left or right on various red flags and guilty pleasures to craft their ideal date scenario.
Amy Spalding - who rose to fame on 'I Kissed A Girl' - describes the podcast as "a space where queer stories are spotlighted, allowing people to relate to similar journeys and experiences."
Gareth Valentino, from 'I Kissed A Boy' echoes this sentiment, calling it "an honest and humorous exploration of queer love, dating, chaos, and heartbreak."
'Queer chaos'
The pair have been catching up with Hits Radio Pride ahead of the launch.
Amy called her podcast partner in crime the 'wise, guiding light' in helping them navigate the queer dating scene, and added: "It's queer chaos personified, with a touch of earnestness, just every now and then.
"What's great about this podcast is that, yes, we might sit under the same LGBTQ+ umbrella, but we've both had very different experiences, as one of us is lesbian - and the other being gay.
"So we relate in different ways, but we also learn in different ways, and it's great to have the opportunity to give people who identify differently to us this special platform through the podcast.
"Especially for trans voices, this is so needed right now."
Gareth said: "It's messy, honest, real and funny!
"And with the producers from 'I Kissed A Boy' and 'I Kissed A Girl' coming together, I think they saw a real friendship between the two of us - which makes the whole thing that much better.
"And if I could describe this new project, I'd say it's 'ferociously different'
"In such turbulent times for our community, what we need right now is light-heartedness, fun, honesty and visibility - and it's really important for things like this to come out for the younger generation, too.
"People who are growing up need to feel normal - I had nothing like this when I was younger, so I think it's needed now more than ever."
Together, Amy and Gareth are promising to deliver an unfiltered view of the LGBTQ+ dating scene - packed with some honest truths and juicy real-life gossip.