Is OkCupid shooting you blanks or Tinder throwing you for a loop? If you’re an Australian searching for love, forget online dating: the answer may lie in China.
Cult Chinese dating show If You Are the One has put a call out for 28 Australian lonely hearts to travel to Nanjing to be a part of a new series when it starts filming.
Giving fresh meaning to the free trade agreement between the countries, both men and women have been encouraged to apply by the show’s presenter Meng Fei.
“Do people always ask you why you are single? Do your parents push you to get a partner?” asks Fei, in a video aimed at encouraging Australians to join what he calls the “world’s biggest dating show”.
Loosely based on the format of UK dating show Take Me Out, If You Are the One has proved a ratings hit in China, attracting up to 50 million viewers an episode, and developed a cult following when Australian broadcaster SBS began screening it with English subtitles.
Prospective lovebirds should not expect a translator, however. Entrants must be at least 22 year old with Australian residency and fluent Mandarin, so they can “comprehend the language without difficulty”.
To test this, the entrance form – which is different for men and women – must be filled out in Chinese. “True love cannot be rushed,” the site warns. “Please make sure you have at least 30 minutes to complete this questionnaire.”
