Beauty and the Geek (British TV series)
A social experiment pairing beauties with geeks.
Beauty and the Geek is a British reality television show that first aired on E4 in 2006. It was revived for a second series on Discovery+ in 2022, following the success of the format in the United States and an Australian reboot.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Reality
- Creator
- Ashton Kutcher
- Presenter
- Matt Edmondson (2022); Mollie King (2022)
- Starring
- Alex Purves (2006)
- Narrator
- David Mitchell (2006)
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 2
Facts from the source article.
Overview
The show was advertised as 'the Ultimate Social Experiment' and matches physically attractive but intellectually challenged women with geeky-looking, socially inept genius men. Each pair shares a room in a large Scottish castle, Blairquhan Castle in Ayrshire, for the first series. The women learn academic subjects like rocket science or anatomy from the men, while the men learn social skills from the women.
Series 1 (2006)
The first series ran from 7 February to 14 March 2006 on E4, with repeats on Channel 4 from 31 March 2006. It had no host; voiceovers were by David Mitchell, and a silent butler named Gates (actor Alex Purves) performed physical actions. Seven female beauties and seven male geeks began the show, choosing partners after introducing themselves in gender-divided rooms. Teams competed in challenges, with winners selecting teams for elimination. In elimination, teams answered three questions each on their study areas; the team with the most points stayed, and the other left. The last team won £40,000 to share.
Series 2 (2022)
Discovery+ commissioned an eight-episode version in 2022, produced by Initial (part of Banijay) alongside another dating show called Zodiac Island. Matt Edmondson and Mollie King hosted. It began streaming on 25 September 2022, with teams competing for £50,000. The format included challenges where winners could win a date with their partner or safety from elimination. Contestants could quit, eliminating themselves and their partner, and some were brought back into the competition or competed unsuccessfully to return.
More in British Television Series Revived After Cancellation
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