Influencer James Kavanagh has revealed casting producers on Virgin Media’s new Irish dating show want to cast people who have “character” rather than good looks.
Kavanagh is set to front new Virgin Media Show Gra Ar An Tra, which will see 12 singletons find love through cupla focal.
The Dubliner described the show as a “cross between Big Brother and Love Island”.
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He told us: “We’re filming in a full Gaeltacht down the country. It’s a dorm situation.
“I think it is going to be a cross between Big Brother and Love Island. It’s going to be a bit rough and tumble, but I am excited for the cross breeding. I’m excited to see a lad from Crumlin cross with a farmer’s daughter from Louth.
“Just to see those cross sections in Irish society because we haven’t in ages. I love Tallafornia and Fade Street. I love all those reality shows. Gogglebox Ireland is way better in my opinion than Gogglebox UK because of the Irish characters.”
He added that he believes the casting is all wrong for reality shows these days with producers focusing too much on people’s looks rather than their personality.
“I think the casting is wrong with reality shows these days. We’re forgetting about casting characters. We’re more concerned about casting beautiful people with loads of followers, usually with Love Island.
“So I know the production team is very much focused on character casting people so I’m hoping for a bubbly, exciting cast.”
Speaking at the VIP Style Awards, the Dubliner said everyone will understand the show regardless if they speak Irish or not.
He said: “I’m so excited.
“It’s like a grown-up Gaeltacht. It’s going to be 12 singletons. It’ll be half that don’t speak Irish and half that do and basically the couple with the most focal at the end will win. So, they teach each other through Ceili, through sports days, through all these Gaeltacht activities.
“I’m the as Bearla presenter so you’ll understand it through me and then you'll have the as Gaeilge presenter. It’ll be fed in a way that everyone can understand.
“People who work on it speak fully Irish and I realised I know way more focal than I realised. You absorb so much that you forget but then when you start hearing people having conversations, you start to understand sentences so I actually have more than I thought.
“Anyone can understand the show.”
But Kavanagh admitted he thought the opportunity to host the show passed him by after the series was leaked without TV bosses telling him.
“I did a screen test. I actually didn’t think I got it because it came out that the show was happening. It leaked. So, I had to go and ring them and ask,” he said laughing.
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