E4 brings back 'Playing It Straight'

6 October 2011

C4 Entertainment Commissioning Editor David Williams has ordered a full series of Playing It Straight - the hit dating show that first aired on C4 in 2005.

The 8x60 commission from Lion Television is being filmed in Spain and the new series will be hosted by T4 presenter, Jameela Jamil.

All contestants enter the show believing they are taking part in a new dating show called ‘Dream Date' until Jameela reveals they are, in fact, on ‘Playing It Straight'. This leaves one shocked single girl to choose her perfect man from a group of 12 young bachelors; some of whom are gay and must pretend they are straight in order to win the girl's heart and a cash prize.

What follows is eight weeks of comedy challenges and tough eliminations as our girl whittles down the potential suitors before making her final decision. If she chooses a straight man they share £50,000 prize money but if she chooses a gay man he takes the whole lot and she is left with nothing. Not even a date.

C4 commissioning editor David Williams said: "It feels like the perfect time to bring the much loved Playing it Straight to a whole new E4 audience - a generation with more buff boys with a liking for moisturiser than ever before, making the task faced by our lovely lady more tricky than ever."

LionTV Managing Director Jeremy Mills has worked on both the original and the new series of ‘Playing It Straight'. He said: "We are thrilled to be making a new version of this great show. The mix of reality and comedy are a perfect fit for the E4 audience, and there's tremendous fun to be had!"

Phil Harris is Series Producer with Joff Powell and Simon Welton as Executive Producers.

‘Playing It Straight' will air on E4 in 2012.