Love Island Australia has returned, and apparently, the bar for flirting is now somewhere between a cheeky compliment and a full-blown dog impression.
The first episode of the new season saw the contestants meet, mingle and couple up for the first time, but it was 23-year-old Jarrar Haidar who made the biggest impression – for reasons that may not help his romantic prospects.
The Wollongong FIFO diesel fitter introduced viewers to his unconventional flirting technique in a promotional video for the show, declaring: “If I see a girl I like I don’t flirt, I bark.”
The tactic, which Jarrar reckons sets him apart from the usual parade of compliments, has already left fans and fellow contestants cringing. Whether it wins him a partner or a one-way ticket to the villa’s doghouse remains to be seen.
The premiere reached 1,465,000 viewers nationally and averaged 452,000, with a further 269,000 tuning in via BVOD.
Over on Seven, My Kitchen Rules served up a more conventional recipe for reality TV success, drawing a national reach of 1,842,000 and an average audience of 1,060,000, with 231,000 watching on BVOD.
Nine’s Travel Guides also attracted a sizeable audience, reaching 1,760,000 nationally and averaging 865,000 viewers, while Home And Away continued to deliver for Seven with a reach of 1,462,000 and an average audience of 949,000.
Meanwhile, Ten launched a fresh round of reality-TV chaos with Big Brother Australia, whose premiere reached 1,213,000 viewers and averaged 542,000, with 97,000 watching via BVOD.
And while Jarrar was busy testing whether barking counts as a love language, Seven’s The Rookie reached 933,000 viewers and averaged 502,000.
Love Island Australia may only be one episode in, but it has already given viewers plenty to talk about.
