I Kissed a Girl cast reunite to lament BBC cancellation during Lesbian Visibility Week
Amy Spalding, Thea Hallow, Fiorenza Cocozza, Cara Kinney and Naee Stoute unite in the fight for visibility
By Aaron Sugg
The cast of I Kissed a Girl have come together for Lesbian Visibility Week 2026 following the cancellation of the groundbreaking TV dating show.
Last month, the BBC axed I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl after four hope-giving seasons due to “funding challenges”, causing an uproar amongst fans and cast members.
Speaking out during Lesbian Visibility Week are fan-favourite daters Amy Spalding, Thea Hallow, Fiorenza Cocozza, Cara Kinney and Naee Stoute, on the ongoing fight for representation.
“You can’t be what you can’t see” – Amy Spalding on the cancellation of I Kissed a Girl
Spalding, who appeared on series 1 of I Kissed a Girl, has recently been announced as the host of a weekly podcast titled It Started With A Kiss, bringing elements of the dating show back to viewers’s screens.
“You can’t be what you can’t see. Little queer kids who don’t even know they’re queer yet, if they can’t see that on TV, it’s going to prolong such a heart-wrenching experience of self-discovery. Having it in mainstream media is just invaluable. It is the most important thing,” said Spalding.
Drawing attention to the current political climate, with an upsurge in the far right and fear-inducing marches across the UK targeting the LGBTQ+ community, Spalding said visibility is more important than ever.
“It’s heartbreaking, but we have to keep going” – Spalding on LGBTQ+ rights, specifically trans rights, being under threat in the UK
“Our trans siblings are literally having their rights stripped away from them. This is just another example of the kind of right-wing takeover that’s happening. It’s heartbreaking, but we have to keep going. We can’t accept it. We can’t settle for it,” she said.
Hallow, who appeared alongside Spalding in series 1 of the same-sex dating show, emphasised that the show represented lesbian lives beyond sexuality.
“I Kissed a Girl showed lesbians beyond their sexuality. It was just a group of women who happened to also be lesbian. You were just existing and living: not weird, not niche, just normal,” she said.
“Lesbians are being hit. Trans people have been hit” – Thea Hallow on the consequences of the BBC cancelling I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl
“It seems like a first world problem. A show’s been cancelled. But it’s showing a bigger picture. Every minority is getting hit. Lesbians are being hit. Trans people have been hit.”
Drawing attention to concerning legislation in the UK such as the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling defining what it means to be a woman as one’s “biological sex” and poor guidance around single-sex spaces, Hallow said the move to cancel the show is another sign of “regress”. Series 1 dater Cocozza, echoed their fellow star’s gospel.
As per a 2024–2025 GLAAD report, the organisation uncovered a 62 per cent drop in LGBTQ+ characters on broadcast TV since 2021–2022.
What does LGBTQ+ visibility on TV look like in 2026?
Lesbian representation fell from 31 per cent to 26 per cent, with a concerning 41 per cent of LGBTQ TV characters not returning in 2026.
Stoute claimed the BBC cancellation was a “setback” in lesbian visibility, fearing that the community is “seen as not accepted again.”
“For the show to air, have a lot of popularity, a lot of good feedback, and then be cancelled… Like, it’s a setback,” they stated.
“The Black lesbian community needs more representation” – Naee Stoute on the lack of minority representation on mainstream TV
“The Black lesbian community needs more representation. You don’t really see us a lot on TV. Even on I Kissed a Girl, I was the only one classified as a stud: a Black, masculine-presenting woman.”
On a personal note, Kinney spoke about how the dating show will affect younger generations of the queer community, highlighting the outpouring of support she received following her appearance on series 1.
“So many girls have sent us messages getting excited for more seasons. Having that taken away, when there’s so much money being put into shows like Love Island… It’s sending a message that we’re not important”
How can you support Lesbian Visibility Week?
As Lesbian Visibility Week continues, audiences are encouraged to support and uplift the queer community. Spalding founded the queer jewellery brand SLT Studios in 2020, which, through fundraisers and campaigns, actively supports the LGBTQ+ community. For more information, you can visit their official website.
The I Kissed a Boy/Girl franchise is available to stream now via BBC iPlayer.