Netflix fans rush to binge ‘most toxic show on TV’ after season 2 drops

Over the years there’s been no shortage of reality dating series’ that are packed full of explosive moments and bust-ups.

From Love Triangle, Ex on the Beach and Married at First Sight, those who sign up for these shows are seemingly at times more driven to lock in their 15 seconds of fame rather than find the love of their life.

However, for some couples – they see these extreme experiments as a last-ditch effort to save their flailing relationships.

One show that attempts to help them patch things up is Temptation Island, which has now been on air for 25 years.

The American reality series first hit screens in 2001 and follows four unmarried couples who link up on a tropical island to have their fidelity tested.

The format sees the couples separated and then meeting a group of single members of the opposite sex whose aim is to convince them to have an affair.

Unsurprisingly, the show has come under fire for seemingly promoting cheating, however viewers have returned time and time again. In 2024, the show was also moved to Netflix, where it’s gained a new legion of fans.

A few days ago, the latest season of the show dropped on the streaming service, where it’s currently the eighth most-watched TV series in the UK.

As Netflix has teased: ‘In this new season of Temptation Island, emotions run high as a fresh group of couples, each at a crossroads in their relationship, attempt to discover if their love can truly conquer all.

‘The couples face plenty of temptation as they part ways to live with a group of singles of the opposite sex. Only time will tell if the choices they make in paradise push them closer together, into the arms of a new lover, or into the single life.’

This time around the couples featured are Jack and Shyanne, who have been together for five years, Mikey and Sydney, who have been together for 18 months, Cole and Scarlett, who have been together for two years and Kaylee and Summit, who were together for a year before signing up for the show.

After tuning in, many people also shared their thoughts on the controversial show.

In a Reddit thread, one viewer called it ‘the most toxic show on TV’ but explained why they couldn’t get enough.

‘Why would anyone agree to go on this show? And more importantly, why would anyone volunteer to be a tempter? The entire premise is just people being messy, emotionally unstable, and publicly okay with zero self-respect. But I guess I have to thank the producers for the show,’ user Otherwise-Pie7733 posted.

‘I watch every messed-up couple, and yet somehow…I can’t look away. I’m cringing. I’m yelling at my screen. I’m losing faith in humanity with every episode. And I will absolutely be tuning in for more. So congratulations, Temptation Island, you’ve officially become my most shameful guilty pleasure.’

‘The craziest thing about Temptation Island is that there’s no prize. Like you are just humiliating me and breaking my heart on Netflix for what? Give me zero,’ user naledisibisi posted on X.

‘I’m late to Temptation Island on Netflix, but I am AGHAST,’ xohhhh_ shared.

Another called the concept of the show ‘absolutely diabolical’.

Netflix has said the series is a ‘journey of endurance, patience, and self-discovery’ that sees couples ‘face tough truths about themselves and their partners’.

Since its conception, it’s been hosted by Mark L. Walberg, who spoke to Tudum about the biggest challenges and rewards over the years.

‘The challenges are having to watch people in pain, seeing people’s perception of their relationships go down in flames, and then trying to be there for them in the right way,’ he said.

‘The upside is when you see somebody who had all this guilt and all these bad feelings about themselves make a shift. I always tell them, “If I show you a picture of you at the first bonfire and you at the last bonfire, you’ll physically look different”.

‘Those are the wins for me. I’m grateful that they allow me into their experience. When something shifts with somebody – it may not be for this relationship, it may be for the next one – there’s a little taste of growth. I know I didn’t do it, but if I was part of it, that moves me.’

Temptation Island has also been adapted into nearly 30 international versions, including in the UK in 2001.

However, an episode of last year’s Spanish version – La Isla de las Tentaciones – captured the world’s attention.

After José Carlos Montoya, 30, saw his girlfriend Anita Williams, 26, sleep with another man, he broke down and fell to his knees before sprinting across a beach to confront the pair, sparking what some called ‘the greatest TV scene in history’.

‘What a shame. How disgusting. You’re going to regret this so much…she crossed the line, man,’ he said during his meltdown.

The account who originally shared the clip on X, which in one day was watched over 100 million times, captioned the post: ‘This is CINEMA…Montoya…the tension…you don’t need to speak Spanish to understand, this is insane.’

The couple cheated on each other several times on the show, with Anita cheating on Montoya three times before he hooked up with a woman called Gabriela.

Temptation Island is streaming on Netflix.

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