Darren Kennedy launches new gay dating show for Pride Month
"In a world of swiping and algorithms, it felt like the right time to create something that leans into real-life connection," said Kennedy
By Aaron Sugg
Darren Kennedy, fashion stylist and Irish TV heartthrob, has launched a new gay dating show to mark Pride Month 2026.
Titled Heyy Gay!, the show premiered on YouTube and Instagram yesterday (14 June) for a limited run, with Kennedy using his matchmaking skills to bring together singles in a bid to find love.
The online LGBTQ+ dating programme released its first three parts via the Heyy Gay! Instagram page with an HIV-positive single, bringing representation to the forefront of the new show.
Darren Kennedy’s new dating show focuses on real-life connections
As per Variety, Kennedy said he wanted to create a show that fosters real-life connection instead of swiping on dating apps and relying on online algorithms.
“In a world of swiping and algorithms, it felt like the right time to create something that leans into real-life connection, spontaneity and the fun of seeing what happens when two strangers meet face-to-face,” Kennedy said.
“I’ve always had a knack for matchmaking in my personal life – maybe it’s an Irish thing – so Heyy Gay! felt like the perfect opportunity to bring that instinct into my professional world.”
“This show is about creating the space for that to happen” – Kennedy on finding human connection in Heyy Gay!
On finding connections in person, he said: “More than ever, I feel there is a yearning for connection that feels more human, more playful and more real. This show is about creating the space for that to happen.”
The series is produced by MixTape Content House, founded by industry figures Sue Kinkead and Ryan Bunnell.
Kennedy began working in television in 2006 and has since become a household name for hosting shows such as ITV’s This Morning and appearing on Ireland’s Dancing with the Stars.
Take a look inside Kennedy’s 2017 home
Attitude previously featured the dating show host in our September 2017 issue, where he gave us an inside look at his then-converted warehouse in Dublin.
Attitude has recently relaunched a similar issue in which we take a look inside some of the world’s most unique LGBTQ+-owned homes.
Heyy Gay! is available to stream now via Youtube and Instagram.