ITV2 enters de Mol’s Cabins

Let Love Rule

ITV2 in the UK has commissioned a show based on Dutch dating format Let Love Rule, from Big Brother and The Voice creator John de Mol.

The show, which will air in the UK as The Cabins and is distributed by ITV Studios, sees a cast of singletons delete their dating apps as they attempt to find true love.

Couples live together for 24 hours in a log cabin, complete with hot tubs and set in beautiful surroundings. At the end of each day, they must decide if they want to remain together in their love nest or leave the cabin and never see their date again.

12 Yard, part of ITV Studios, will produce the UK version of the show, which is due to air in a primetime slot in 2021.

Paul Mortimer

It is the first major commission for 12 Yard under the new management team of MD Michael Mannes and creative director Liz Gaskell, who took the reins at the label earlier this year.

It marks the third adaptation of the format since its launch earlier this year on SBS6 in the Netherlands, where it is in its second season of 100-plus episodes.

In Sweden, TV4 recently acquired the show for both its VoD platform TV4 Play and its linear channel Sjuan.

Paul Mortimer, ITV’s head of digital channels and acquisition, said: “This is a fantastic new format which challenges couples to leave their devices at home and attempt to date face to face, with no distractions.”

Maarten Meijs, president of global entertainment at ITV Studios, added: “With its global appeal and local relevance, the show has scale and can be produced locally, in line with the current Covid-19 protocols.”

De Mol left ITV Studios last year, four years after the company acquired his production business.