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‘Temptation Island’ Is Back And Hotter Than Ever — But How Does It All Work?
If you’re all about shows like The Bachelor and Are You The One, then you’re about to fall in love with Temptation Island. The crazy reality series is back and turning the idea of traditional dating shows on its head, and things are getting hot in paradise. But how does the whole thing work? We’ve got answers to all your questions so that when you tune in to the Tuesday, Jan. 15 premiere, you know exactly what’s going on. Check it out.
Wait, wasn’t Temptation Island a show back in the early 2000s?
The show first debuted back in 2001 and aired for four seasons, and the reboot is bound to be even wilder than the original. Back in the day, the show focused on four couples coming to an incredible tropical island to see if their relationships could withstand temptations. After being separated from their significant other, four men and four women meet a gaggle of hot singles and, after getting to know them, have to decide whether their relationship is really right for them — or if they’ve found someone new and better. Over time, the singles get voted out, so if you wanted to stay, you had to fight for your connection.
How is the Temptation Island reboot any different?
It’s following pretty much the same format, but this time around the singles aren’t there just to try to seduce the men and women in relationships. Now, they’re real people who are really trying to find love for themselves. Sure, they’re not above taking someone’s boo — but that’s more of a side effect of falling for someone than the name of the game. Host Mark L. Walberg explained it best when we sat down with him to chat. Watch the video below to see what he had to say.
Do people get voted off the show?
Yep. Like The Bachelor, the singles who aren’t making strong connections are slowly voted off the island. So if you want to stay and have the hope of making a connection, you’ve got to get in close with one of the guys or girls who came in as part of a relationship. And there’s no mingling among the singles either.
So the point is that the couples come to Temptation Island to cheat on each other?
Well, is it cheating if that’s what they’re supposed to be doing? Technically, yes, the couples are coming to the island to try dating other people, but what they’re really doing is putting their relationship to the test. If their relationship is right for them, they’ll be back together by the end of the show — and if it’s toxic, they can find someone new and right for them.
Where does everyone live on Temptation Island?
This year, they’re filming in Maui, HI, and the island is gorgeous. But if you’re wondering about where the cast stays, well, it’s a little complicated. The couples are separated from their partners during the length of the season, and the four men who are in relationships are living in a house with 12 single women. Similarly, the four women who are in relationships are living in a house with 12 single men. So while the couples don’t see each other again until the end of the show (or potentially not at all if one of them decides they don’t want to stay together), they have the chance to spend time with their new ~friends~ 24/7.
What does it mean to block someone on Temptation Island?
On the island, it’s all about the people in relationships getting to know the singles. If your relationship is strong idea, your boyfriend or girlfriend should be able to taste temptation and come back to you. But what if the pull is too strong? Well, that’s where blocks come in. During the course of the show, each member of a couple wears a necklace to remind themselves about their relationship. They can also each block their partner from going on dates with one single. That won’t, however, prevent them from getting to know each other in their houses, but it does mean that they can’t go out on Bachelor in Paradise-style dates.
Meet the 32 stars of Temptation Island.
The four couples are Evan and Kaci, Javen and Shari, John and Kady, and Karl and Nicole. Evan Smith, 28, and Kaci Campbell, 28, met while they were both growing up in Los Angeles, and they’ve been dating on-and-off for about 10 years. After being exclusive for the last five, Kaci, who comes from a religious family, is ready to get engaged, but something is holding Evan back. He knows he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, but he’s just not ready to take that next step — and that might have something to do with the fact that his father was murdered by the husband of a woman he had an affair with.
Javen Butler, 25, and Shari Ligons, 25, are high school sweethearts from San Francisco who started dating when they were just 16 years old. Eight years later, they’re sure they’re soulmates… except for that time that Javen cheated while they were in college. Will their time on Temptation Island prove to Shari that Javen can be trusted again? And is she ready to take a little revenge by having a fling of her own?
John Thurmond, 35, and Kady Krambeer, 30, have a little more experience playing the dating game, and they met through Bumble and started dating three years ago in Fort Worth, TX. Though they love each other and balance each other out, John’s not the kind of person Kady saw herself ending up with. She always wanted a country boy, someone with a “cowboy attitude,” and he’s just a little too much of a city slicker. He’s got a problem with the fact that she “questions [his] masculinity,” and that he’s more “humble” and not an “Alpha male.” They might be ready to make the move towards marriage, but this show might throw all their plans for a loop.
Karl Collins, 31, and Nicole Tutewohl, 25, met at the gym in Chicago, and they’ve been dating for two-and-a-half years. They started flirting while Nicole was with her ex, and it wasn’t long before that relationship ended and she started seeing Karl instead. She says the love she’s received from him is like nothing she’s ever felt before, but he says they both have “trust issues.” The fact that Nicole ended her last relationship for someone new has Karl worried she’ll do the same for him. For her, the issue is more about their age gap and a difference in maturity. Is it true love or will the excitement of a new romance distract them both?
As for the singles, you can meet all 24 of them on the USA website here, or check them out in the video below. Just like the stars of The Bachelor, we’re sure they all have plenty of secrets and surprises up their sleeves.
