Channel 4 has commissioned a second series of Love Is In The Blood for its digital entertainment channel, Channel 4.0, continuing its partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant. The renewal follows the first series winning Best Content Partnership or AFP at the 2026 Broadcast Digital Awards and Best Branded Content at the TellyCast Digital Video Awards.
The programme pairs two single individuals for a blind date behind dividers while they simultaneously donate blood. One participant is an experienced donor, while the other is donating for the first time. Host Adeola Patronne guides the pair through a series of questions, ranging from quick-fire preferences on romance styles to deeper inquiries about core values. The participants must then decide whether to meet face-to-face. If either party declines, they walk away without ever seeing their date. The format is designed to engage younger audiences with the act of blood donation, presenting it as an aspirational and relevant activity. Mark Chambers, Director of Donor Experience at NHSBT, noted that the service requires approximately 140,000 new donors annually to replace those who age out, alongside a specific need for 16,000 additional donors of Black heritage to meet demand for patients with sickle cell disease.
Word On The Curb will produce the new series, with Kaio Grizzelle serving as Digital Commissioning Editor and Interim Channel 4.0 Commissioning Lead. The first series established the show as a key example of branded entertainment that drives social impact. Each donation can save up to three lives, a statistic central to the programme's messaging. The second series will maintain the same structure, focusing on the intersection of romantic connection and civic duty.