6 Oct 2022

Why do people watch FBoy Island?

From Morning Report, 8:35 am on 6 October 2022

A contestant on TVNZ's 'FBoy Island' will be edited out, after it was found he faced a suffocation charge in 2021.

Wayde Moore was found not guilty, but the debacle has reignited a furore about the ethics of reality dating shows.

The premise of the show is for three women to determine whether the 20 men joining them on an island are FBoys (simply there to compete for the cash) or nice guys (looking for love).

Whether that's your idea of riveting television, or you'd rather watch the cricket, there's clearly an audience.

But why?

WIRED senior culture writer Kate Knibbs spoke to Susie Ferguson.