Maura Higgins announced as Blind Date reboot host by Disney+ as she's branded 'perfect match'
The reality TV star has bagged one of her biggest gigs yetMaura Higgins will host the new Blind Date reboot on Disney+, taking charge of one of British television’s best-known dating formats.
Disney+ confirmed the appointment after The Sun reported in June that Maura was being lined up for the role. Filming is due to begin during 2026, with Disney+ reportedly looking towards a 2027 launch.
Maura rose to fame as a finalist on Love Island in 2019. She has since appeared in programmes including Dancing On Ice, Cooking with the Stars and I’m A Celebrity. Her recent credits also include The Traitors US series four and Love Island USA.
How will the new Blind Date work?
The Disney+ revival will retain the central idea behind the original Blind Date. A contestant will choose between three potential partners while a screen keeps them out of sight.
The reboot will add a major new element once the contestants have coupled up. The programme will bring its daters together to spend the summer with each other.
The Sun reports that the famous divider from the original format will remain. Disney+ has not yet confirmed whether the reboot will feature a narrator who performs a role similar to Graham Skidmore, known to viewers as “Our Graham”.
Why Disney+ chose Maura Higgins
Angela Jain, head of content at Disney+ EMEA, said: “Maura is the perfect match for our version of Blind Date.”
Jain highlighted Maura’s direct humour and her first-hand experience of reality dating television. She added: “We’re very much looking forward to Maura helping our daters navigate their own journeys to find love as she steps into the famed Blind Date host role.”
The job gives Maura her biggest presenting platform so far. It also brings her career back to the dating genre that first introduced her to a large television audience.
Her experience should suit a format built around quick exchanges, chemistry and unpredictable answers.
When did Blind Date originally air?
Blind Date began on ITV in 1985 and became a major hit. Cilla Black presented the programme until 2003, when ITV brought its original run to an end. At its height, the show attracted audiences of up to 17 million viewers.
Channel 5 revived Blind Date between 2017 and 2019, with Paul O’Grady taking over as host. Disney+ will now attempt to introduce the format to another generation while retaining the screen-based matchmaking that defined the original.
Read more: The Traitors US: Rob Rausch’s romance rumours with Maura Higgins revealed
