'Love Island's Ovie Is Set To Chat Love In Lockdown With Clara Amfo Next Week

The COVID-19 crisis has pretty much put an end to IRL dating, but many dating apps in the UK have had a surge in usage since lockdown began five weeks ago. Now Bumble are launching an Instagram live dating show, hosted by Clara Amfo and it’s set to be the relatable romantic content you need right now.

Towards the end of March, Bumble saw a 45% increase in video calls among its user, with each call lasting an average of 21 minutes. During the same time period, there was a 12% increase in messages sent and more than one in four chats turned into something more meaningful with a larger number of messages exchanged. Social isolation rules may apply, but singles are stopping at nothing to find what they're looking for.

To celebrate all the wonderful ways singles are virtually getting together, Clara Amfo and Bumble are launching Virtual Dating Dial In, a new weekly show where Amfo will talk to special guests about whether lockdown really has been a romance killer and to get their tips and tricks for virtual dating.

The show will be broadcast through a series of Instagram Live chats every Thursday at 7.30 p.m., with the first on April 30. Speaking about her involvement in the campaign in a statement Amfo said: “The lockdown doesn’t mean that we still don’t want to connect with new people. Friendships, flirtations, and full on romances can still happen safely online. I’ve teamed up with Bumble to discuss how we navigate all of that during this time and beyond with some well known faces and experts. I look forward to us all connecting every Thursday on IG Live”

The first guest of the series is Radio 1 DJ Maya Jama who will be joining in the chat from her apartment. The following week, Love Island favourite Ovie Soko (yes, *the* Ovie) will be sharing his hints and tips. If you want to join in or have any questions, Bumble users will be able to submit questions through the app or on Amfo’s instagram. At the end of every episode, the Come Curious duo, Florence Barkway and Reed Amber, will answer any questions that come up in the show.