Maura Higgins to Fill Cilla Black’s Shoes as Host of Blind Date Reboot for Disney+
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Maura Higgins to fill Cilla Black’s shoes as host of Blind Date reboot
Image source: PA Media
Image caption: Maura Higgins has gone from appearing on Love Island in the UK to The Traitors US and Dancing with the Stars.
By Paul Glynn
Culture reporter
Published 16 minutes ago
Maura Higgins is set to follow in the footsteps of the late Cilla Black as presenter of Blind Date in a reboot of the popular TV show.
The Northern Irish TV personality rose to fame in 2019 as a finalist on another dating show, Love Island, and more recently appeared on the US version of The Traitors.
The original Blind Date launched on ITV in 1985 and was a staple of Saturday night TV for nearly 20 years, with well-liked Liverpudlian singer and actress Cilla Black its host.
It is being revived by Disney+, and on Wednesday the streamer mimicked one of Black’s old Blind Date catchphrases on Instagram: "Blind Date host, what’s your name and where d’ya come from?" It’s… Maura Higgins.
The show, which will launch next year, will follow the familiar format of love-seeking contestants choosing between three potential suitors who are hidden behind a wall.
Image source: PA
Image caption: Cilla Black was the UK’s matchmaker supreme for decades.
The original Blind Date had millions of viewers each week and even yielded three real-life weddings, with Black in attendance.
Following her death in 2015 at the age of 72, the show was briefly revived by Channel 5 with Paul O’Grady taking over presenting duties.
Melanie Sykes became the new overarching voice of the show, taking over from Black’s trusted sidekick, "Our Graham" Skidmore.
‘Cheeky, fun, witty, and warm’
Now Higgins will become matchmaker-in-chief. The former model from County Longford is starting to make a name for herself in the US, having recently been cast in the new series of Dancing With the Stars.
Angela Jain, head of content at Disney+ EMEA, said Higgins’ name was a "shortcut" for a tone that is "cheeky, fun, witty, and warm".
"She is a head turner – literally," Jain told the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Higgins first turned heads in 2019 in the Love Island villa with her attempts to get close to fellow contestant Tommy Fury.
She went on to appear on other reality TV shows including I’m a Celebrity, Dancing on Ice and Cooking with the Stars.
She also became a presenter on Glow Up Ireland, Love Island USA’s spin-off Aftersun, and occasional guest slots on ITV’s This Morning, as well as fronting her own documentary titled Maura Higgins: You’re Joking Me!
