If you think of all the reality shows in the past decade that have had something to do with competing on a deserted island you will realiae that a lot have come our way. From the Survivor franchise to Redneck Island, there has been no limit to the influx of reality shows set on an island far from the overpopulated world.
But before you think you have seen it all, you might want to check out MTV’s latest show, Ex On The Beach, a pleasant surprise that will change the way you view reality TV.
A few young people from different locations and lifestyles are huddled onto a plane and flown to a resort destination unknown to them.
When they are handpicked initially, they are told they are signing up for a dating show where they will meet new people on an island and, hopefully, find love.
While this is true, what the producers of the show neglect to say is that these so-called “new” people are each of the contestants’ exes.
The idea is to see if love can be rekindled between old couples or if they will look for new interests on the island.
Most of us are not fans of reality shows, but this one is probably going to be one to watch out for.
We caught up with one of the contestants ,Vicky Pattison, who is also from Geordie Shore so reality show settings do not come as a big deal to her as opposed to the other contestants.
“Basically you have eight young sexy singles all thinking they are going away to a gorgeous Mediterranean destination to go and find love. We all look forward to the fun and it is only after we have been there for about 24 hours that the realisation hits as the crew starts bringing out our ex-boyfriends and girlfriends and the drama begins,” said Pattison.
While the idea of going back to an ex is a no-no for many, Pattison admitted that after getting used to the reality of what they had signed up for, she did not mind trying the reunion out.
“There are instances when you break up with someone and you still have feelings for them, or you still believe the relationship can be worked on. So it was worth finding this out for some of us on this show,” she said.
On the other hand, she also pointed out that in somer cases rekindling lost love may be dangerous as some former partners may have bad intentions.
“Some people remain angry at their exes and when they get a chance to be with them again they do it so that they can revenge.
“So you never know what is going on, but because of that the show is a real roller-coaster of emotions. We love it, “ she said.
While we are made to understand that each of the first batch of contestants is given a former partner to deal with, the show’s producers decided to go with a haphazard formula where some have to deal with this situation while others do not, yet there are enough people on the island for them all to find love.
“I got two exes who come through, but most of the people got one and others don’t get anyone at all. The show banks all on not knowing and so we keep curious throughout the season, wondering what is going to happen next,” she said.
For Pattison the show changed the way she looked at love and relationships and when it came to an end she adopted a new mindset.
“I always thought an ex was an ex for a reason, but after this show I have to say that my opinion has changed.
“Some people are meant to be together and maybe the timing wasn’t right and sometimes you need to truly miss someone and see how much you care about them. That’s apparent in this show as well,” said Pattison.
While there were a lot of partners hooking up to try love again, Pattison admitted that a lot of new couples were formed during their period of stay.
“There were a lot of partners getting on with new people. It was very controversial,” she said.
• Ex On The Beach starts on April 23 at 9.15pm MTV (DStv channel 132).