Virgin Island cast – full line-up for Channel 4 dating series ...Middle East

Channel 4 is about to break new ground in reality television in the UK with its series Virgin Island.

Twelve self-confessed adult virgins travel to a luxury retreat in Croatia to embark on an intimacy course to see if it can help them overcome the fear which hold them back.

Research by University College London in 2021 found one in eight millennials had not had sex until the age of 26 compared to 1 in 20 in previous generations.

Social media, pornography and loneliness have all been cited as possible causes.

Virgin Island attempts to explores these issues with a panel of sex experts, taking the show’s participants through a hands-on programme, to help them take their first steps towards sex and intimacy.

The six-part series starts on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday 12 May and will continue on Tuesday 13 May at the same time, with the remaining four episodes broadcast on successive Mondays and Tuesdays this month.

We take a look at who will be heading to the luxury retreat to face their fears.

Ben has been on dates but always fell at the final hurdle (Photo: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4)

Ben is a civil servant who had been trying to make up for his lack of dating experience at school and university by using many dating apps but he always fell at the final “sex” hurdle.

At 30, he said he felt left behind and wanted a proper education so he can catch up with his peers

He said: “The first time I saw the casting call for Virgin Island, it was actually from a friend sending it to me vial social media.

“I’m not sure if he knew I was a virgin, but he knew I’d struggled in this area. Funnily enough, my immediate response to his message was ‘not a chance’.”

After taking part in the show, he said: “I have been out on dates with three different women in the time since taking part in Virgin Island, although none of them went anywhere.”

But he added: “While on the course I learned a lot about myself and why I have struggled with intimacy.

“More importantly, I finished it far more confident in myself both physically and emotionally.”

Emma

Emma is a food worker, who said she could not relax when there was the possibility of intimacy, but wanted to feel the joy other people get from sex.

The 23-year-old said: “I was the only virgin amongst my friendship group.

“At the age of 15/16 this may not be significant. However, at 23, Ifelt outnumbered.”

Since undertaking the course, she said she has become “more confident in setting boundaries and exploring what I enjoy when it comes to relationships”.

She said: “The retreat helped me grow and taught me skills I use to create future experiences now my confidence has improved.

“If you want to improve yourself and become more open to intimate connections, I advise a somatic therapy course.”

Dave was fed up of his ‘boring life and boring job’ (Photo: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4)

Dave is an accountant, who was so fed up of his “boring life and boring job” he wanted to shake things up in the most extreme way.

The 24-year-old said he wanted to do something drastic to get my life back on track.

He added: “It’s also surprisingly quicker to get therapy from a Channel 4 TV show than from the NHS.”

He described the course as “the most emotional draining process of my entire life” and one which was “impossible to forget”.

But said: “I left the island feeling more complete, like I had accomplished something impossible.

“I had a renewed set of confidence and I felt like I could go out and do pretty much anything.”

Jason

Admin worker Jason said he felt socially awkward talking to women and hated his skinny body.

The 25-year-old said: “My intimacy life was non-existent and I decided to do something about it.

“Virgin Island was something out of my comfort zone but a necessity – it has made me a million times better!

“I know the island was primarily for intimacy, but it had the amazing bonus of helping me improve my social skills – and for that, I will be forever grateful.”

He said he would recommend it to anyone, adding: “Life has been a lot better.

“I have finally gone on nights out!

“I am a lot more social, I have dating apps and I am in the process of growing a beard!”

Louise said something was stopping her from getting close to guys (Photo: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4)

Louise said she wanted to date, have sex and find love but something was stopping her from getting close to guys.

The care adviser, 22, said going onto the island she felt “a mix of emotions”.

Naturally quite shy, she never imagined going on television but she said “this opportunity felt like something I couldn’t pass up”.

And she now has no regrets about the decision.

“Something about the experience truly helped me work through those feelings and cured me, and I’m a firm believer that if it worked for me then it has to work for you,” she said.

“However, it’s an intense journey, and probably not for everyone.”

Charlotte

Charlotte was overweight at school but has since lost 40kg and felt she had missed out on all the usual sex and relationship joy that her friends went through.

The care worker, 29, said she signed up to Virgin Island to rid herself of the “shame that I had surrounding my body, and my desire, and my ability to givemyself pleasure”.

Although she thought the sex therapy was “amazing”, she said “I think I could have done a lot more if I could have focused on the work, and not what people were thinking about me”.

She has, however, “been focusing on my friendships, got some blonde highlights and am making plans for the future”.

Holly was bullied at school for her weight (Photo: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4)

Dog groomer Holly has always feared any indication a kiss could lead further.

Her lack of confidence stemmed from being bullied at school for her weight. Since then, she was afraid to show someone her body.

Now the 23-year-old said: “I definitely feel I’ve learned a lot about myself and feel I’ve overcome a lot of the struggles I had before.

“I feel like meeting someone and having a relationship is more attainable now, and I’m ready for that next step.”

Pia

Pia hadn’t dated much since she was 19 and attempts to use dating apps hadn’t progressed into anything substantial.

The 23-year-old digital marketing assistant said she had joined Virgin Island because she found “intimacy incredibly overwhelming” and “processing all of the intense emotions I felt was hard for me – whether they were positive or negative”.

After appearing in the show, she said life has been “up and down” for her.

However, she added: “There have been many positives and my life has definitely changed for the better!

“I’ve completed a level 2 counselling course and plan on doing a degree so I can become a therapist.

“I’ve been so inspired by this experience, and I would love to have a career where I get to help other people.”

Taylor worried she would be alone forever (Photo: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4)

Receptionist Taylor said she had never had a positive sexual experience in her life and worried she would be alone forever.

Her sisters and friends were starting families, but she felt she couldn’t move forward until she tackled her fears around sex, intimacy and trust.

The 29-year-old said: “When I was a teenager I didn’t understand why people wanted to have sex. The risks seemed to far outweigh the benefits – and to be honest the only benefit anyone spoke of was babies, and I certainly wasn’t ready for one of those!”

Since taking part in the show, she admitted she “came back full of hope and possibility but was unfortunately hit by the real world”.

However, she added: “Despite all of the negatives of the real world, I do feel like the somatic therapy has given me the confidence to truly be myself, put myself forward and experience new things!

“I have used the confidence building skills I gained to be bolder when flirting, bounce back from rejection and really appreciate what I have to offer.”

Tom

Tom is a a drama graduate who went through university during the Covid restrictions and feels he has missed out on the chance to meet girls and have sex.

His friends always get lucky on a night out but he feels like the “runt of the litter”.

The 23-year-old said: “For the longest time, my virginity contributed to my self-identity.

“I always found myself to be a freak because I struggled to lose it whilst others around me continued to pop their cherries.

“It severely affected my mental health, filling me with self-loathing which in turn made me a worse person.”

After taking part in the course, Tom has begun a screenwriting master’s at the University of Manchester and moved to the North.

He said: “I still spend plenty of time going out drinking, particularly onCanal Street where I feel like my campness is accepted.

“It’s now a question of how I express myself going forward.

“I think back to what Andre told me, telling me not to bother with labels and that’s what I’m going to do going forward.

“Maybe I’m one thing, maybe I’m another, but who cares as long as I’m making myself happy.”

Viraj applied to ‘Virgin Island’ because he found talking to women difficult (Photo: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4)

Gamer Viraj applied to Virgin Island because he said he was “ready to shake himself out of his insular existence”.

Coming from an Indian Hindu background, his family believes in arranged marriages but he would prefer to find a partner “naturally”.

But the 25-year-old said he barely interacted with women before the show and didn’t know how to approach and speak to them.

He said: “I applied to Virgin Island because I know I had a massive struggle to express myself in front of women.

“For me it wasn’t about the intimacy stage but more with the confidence side of talking to women and making small talk.”

And his time on the island appears to have paid off.

“My life after the retreat has been exceptionally amazing,” he said, adding: “I have managed to achieve so much.”

“With my confidence being so much better. I feel like a man – I have done things I never imagined I would do.”

Zac

Delivery driver Zac said he felt his virginity had an impact on every moment of his day.

The 28-year-old wasn’t able to identify the issue but knew he needed help because it affected his confidence so much. He was willing to do anything to get past this paralysis.

He said: “The course was challenging at times for me.

“I realised that I needed to learn a lot more about myself.”

He pointed out “it’s crazy to think that a few short days of intense discovery will ‘fix me’”.

But he added: “What I learnt has been invaluable.

“I truly live a happier life but also one where I know there is more to experience, more room for me to grow.”

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