Hulu’s “Are You My First” subs out the typical batch of experienced hotties found on reality dating shows for 21 virgins, leading to awkward and messy moments that were embraced by hosts and “Bachelor” alum Colton Underwood and Kaitlyn Bristowe.
“I love that it’s a combination of relatability [and] awkward moments … [it’s] messy but sweet,” Bristowe told TheWrap. “There’s a lot of heart in the show, which is important to both of us.”
“It is beautiful in the fact that is new for the dating territory to have something so pure, innocent and relatable,” Underwood said, promising that the new series also delivers “the juiciness of the drama of the messiness of reality television” as contestants navigate dating multiple people at the same time to test out their connection.
“The stakes for this are so much higher … you’re not watching somebody on their third or fourth or fifth love story,” Underwood continued, pointing to the dating show pros on shows like Netflix’s ‘Too Hot to Handle.”
The show, which is now streaming on Hulu, tows the line between poking fun at the contestants’ lack of sexual experience — through date cards titled “V-cards” and elimination ceremonies called “virgin sacrifice” — while still giving them dignity and an understanding of their choices to remain a virgin. (The contestants’ reasons for not having sex range from religious or medical reasons to waiting for the right person.)
“There’s a level of self-awareness that we all had coming into this … there are certain areas where you can … say, “this is funny,” but also, there are layers to this,” Underwood said.
Underwood has a special connection to “Are You My First?” contestants, after proudly revealing that he was a virgin on “The Bachelorette” Season 14 — a title that followed him as he headlined “The Bachelor” Season 23. The former “Bachelor” calls hosting the reality dating show as a “full-circle moment” as he returns to Disney over five years after leading the dating show.
“My life has changed so much since I first signed up to be on ‘The Bachelorette’ and to have this opportunity present itself, to, in a weird way, give back,” Underwood said, referencing his coming out journey well after “The Bachelor” ended. “Entertainment is now my career … and it just was such a natural fit. It was like one of the easiest yeses of my career.”
While Bristowe didn’t have the same experience with virginity tying her to the show — she recalls thinking “Virginity? Me?” — she certainly knows what it feels like to be judged by the masses after starring on “The Bachelorette” Season 11 and going through several breakups in the public eye.
“We both had our own experience so much with shaming around certain things, whether it was us shaming ourselves or the world having their opinion on it,” Bristowe said. “I did not want it to be just mocking them and making fun, because we’ve both been in that that position, and it doesn’t feel good, and that’s not who we are.”
Bristowe has had the hosting bug for a while, and pulled from her experience hosting the 17th season of “The Bachelorette” alongside Tayshia Adams. “I have always wanted to be in any hosting role,” Bristowe said, adding she would be interested in hosting “Dancing With the Stars.” “I like being on the other end of it, because I can feel a little more connected to the cast in a way where I can say, ‘I’ve been in your shoes.’”
With Bristowe as the more experienced host of the pair, Underwood leaned on Bristowe, who he had known from being in “Bachelor” nation as he got acquainted with his first hosting role. “If you forget your lines, or you sort of step on one another, we just had that natural flow and chemistry, and it was an honor to do it with her,” Underwood said.
Despite being not-so-sexually experienced, the hosts ensured the show includes some twists, turns and even love triangles. “They come in so shy, and they’ve never done this before … and then all of a sudden, they’re getting their confidence, and they’re falling for more than one person.”
“Are You My First?” is now streaming on Hulu.
