The UK’s most loved reality shows revealed

From First Dates to Love Island...

Author: Alex RossPublished 13th May 2021

There's no denying the fact that as a nation we LOVE reality TV shows, with a rise in popularity in programmes such as Love Island, The Great British Bake Off and RuPaul's Drag Race over the last decade.

As we await the 2021 series of Love Island later in the year and continue to enjoy shows like Gogglebox, First Dates and MasterChef, our friends over at Freesat have compiled a list of the UK's most loved reality shows.

The research shows which TV series we are hooked on by analysis from IMDb scores, annual searches and social media followings.

Check out the UK's most loved reality TV shows below:

10) First Dates

First Dates has enjoyed a number of spin-offs recently, but the original format is still the most popular with viewers, with the Channel 4 show receiving an overall score of 3.58. Picking up an impressive IMDb score of 7.3, First Dates lacked in Instagram followers with only 91,328 and 444,600 annual searches.

9) MasterChef

It's no surprise MasterChef is now onto its 17th series, as the show continues to grow in popularity every year. Achieving an overall rating of 3.62, MasterChef picked up an IMDb score of 6.5, with 183,723 Instagram followings and 1,020,500 annual searches.

8) The Circle

Although it was recently announced The Circle had been axed from Channel 4, it's clear to see the show hosted by Emma Willis was certainly popular! The show received annual searches of 979,100, with 142,501 Instagram followers, giving it an overall score of 3.83.

7) Race Across The World

BBC's hit show Race Across The World makes the list with an overall score of 3.89. The show received a massive IMDb rating of 8.3, 205,900 annual searches and 16,369 social followers.

6) Britain's Got Talent

With an overall score of 3.89, a social following of 796,634 and annual searches of 1,100,900, it's no surprise fans of Britain's Got Talent are gutted the show won't take place in 2021, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

5) Geordie Shore

Although most of the original cast have left the MTV show, Geordie Shore still remains popular in the UK. With an IMDb score of 5.2, a social following of 1,622,792 and annual search of 523,400, Geordie Shore receives an overall score of 3.98.

4) Gogglebox

It's been a fan favourite since it first hit our screens back in 2013 so it's no real surprise to see Gogglebox high up in the list. The Channel 4 show received an overall score of 4.43, with 1,447,500 annual searches and 147,848 Instagram followers.

3) RuPaul's Drag Race UK

It's only been on our screens in the UK for two series, but already RuPaul's Drag Race UK is a massive hit, with 375,200 annual searches and 561,063 Instagram followers. As it received an IMDb score of 8.4, the overall score is 4.61.

2) The Great British Bake Off

Despite a change in channel and both judges and presenters, The Great British Bake Off is still massively popular in the UK. Bake Off gets 859,500 annual searches and boasts 781,220 Instagram followers, with a IMDb score 8.6. This makes the overall score 5.27.

1) Love Island

Unsurprisingly ITV2 show Love Island tops the list, with 2,447,000 searches and 3,032,051 Instagram followers. With a IMDb score of 5.2, Love Island gets an overall score of 6.7.

Did your favourite make the list?

Now read:

The best comfort TV boxsets to get your through lockdown

The best TV crime dramas to binge watch right now

All of the TV shows we can’t wait to return in 2021

How to listen to MFR:

For great music and incredible competitions tune into MFR on FM and DAB across the North of Scotland, online, on our app, or say ‘Play MFR’ on your Smart Speaker. We play you the biggest hits from the world’s hottest artists. You’ll find new favourites every day and hear the songs you've missed from the last few years.