Maura Higgins has been selected to host a revived version of Blind Date for Disney+, the streamer announced this week. The Irish television personality, who gained prominence in 2019 as a finalist on Love Island and has since appeared on the US adaptation of The Traitors, will inherit the hosting duties from Cilla Black, who presented the original program for nearly two decades.
The original Blind Date debuted on ITV in 1985 and became a staple of Saturday evening programming in the United Kingdom. Black, a Liverpool-based singer and actress, hosted the show during its initial run, which saw millions of viewers weekly and resulted in three real-life marriages among contestants. Following Black’s death in 2015 at age 72, the program was briefly brought back by Channel 5 with Paul O’Grady as host.
The Disney+ version will retain the familiar format in which contestants select from three potential romantic matches who remain hidden behind a wall. The new iteration is scheduled to premiere next year. In announcing the appointment, Disney+ referenced one of Black’s signature catchphrases from the original series, with the streamer posting on social media: “‘Blind Date host, what’s your name and where d’ya come from?’ It’s… Maura Higgins.”
Angela Jain, head of content at Disney+ for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, characterized Higgins as embodying a tone that is “cheeky, fun, witty, and warm.” Higgins, a former model from County Longford, has expanded her career in television and entertainment across multiple formats. Beyond her Love Island appearance, she has participated in various reality competition programs including Dancing on Ice and I’m a Celebrity, in addition to securing presenting roles on shows such as Glow Up Ireland and Love Island USA’s companion series Aftersun. She has also been cast in an upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.
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