LOVE AT FIRST LAUGH: BBC LAUNCHES COMEDY DATING EXPERIMENT WITH CONTENT CREATORS

Love at First Laugh: BBC iPlayer is using chuckles to create connections with a new dating experiment, using its standout comedy collection to test the theory that the couples who giggle together, stay together.

This spring, BBC iPlayer is putting the power of comedy to the test with Love at First Laugh, a playful new campaign from BBC Creative to see if sharing a sense of humour could be the secret to sparking real-life connections.

Inspired by academic research by Jeffrey Hall, Professor of Communication Studies at The University of Kansas, which found that couples who laugh together are more likely to stay together, Love at First Laugh matches singles based on what makes them giggle, using BBC’s comedy collection as the spark.

The experiment invited a group of social media stars to watch some of the BBC’s funniest shows, from classics like Gavin & Stacey and Fleabag, to newer fan-favourite hits such as Daddy Issues and Juice. Their smiles and laughter were tracked using the Smile Tracker, a bespoke face tracking technology, that measured their laughter patterns. Based on these results, six of the most compatible participants were matched and sent on dates.

The daters included:

• Mark Ferris, content creator known for his upbeat, positive videos

• Ollie King, reality TV personality best known for his appearance on I Kissed a Boy

• Katie Budenberg, creator known for her positive and empowering content

• Beth Samara, breakout star known for her appearance on I Kissed a Girl

• Johnny Morillo, food and fitness content creator

• Sophie Noa, creator and influencer known for her fitness and lifestyle content

  
  

Rasmus Smith Bech, Executive Creative Director at BBC Creative, said: “Comedies aren’t just for laughs, they can be a great relationship test too. Research suggests that couples who laugh together are often a better match for each other, so with Love at First Laugh, we’re playfully exploring whether our comedy collection could spark something special.”

Supporting the launch will be short-films: a hero film explaining the dating experiment accompanied by a longer-form documentary-style edit which delves deeper into the dates. These will be released across BBC social channels, with the extended version available on YouTube. Participants will also be creating their own content about the experience, offering their personal take on chemistry through comedy.