Star of all-female dating show says rural Ireland ‘has no gay representation’

And Cara Kinney says it can be life-changing for young women struggling to figure out their sexuality.

The 26-year-old from Ballycastle, Antrim, signed up for I Kissed a Girl and wished it had been around when she was a teenager.

In the BBC3 series presented by Dannii Minogue, five couples are paired up by the production team and meet for the first time with a kiss.

Cara came out in her early 20s and says she only realized she was queer after spending time with women from the LGBT community in college.

“If there had been a show like this, it would have been something I had to deal with,” she says.

“Ireland, especially in rural areas, has no foreign representation.

“It’s like there’s only one gay person in the village.”

The groundbreaking series was filmed for over a month in a luxury masseria in sun-drenched Puglia in southern Italy, but that’s where all comparisons to Love Island end, says Cara.

The beautician and former support worker was approached to take part last year and decided it was the best way to start a six-month adventure through Asia and Australia.

“When I heard about it, I was about to travel and I thought, why wouldn’t I want to have a summer full of queer women.

“Most of the casting team is part of the LGBTQ+ community and you are part of something that is big for the community.”

Cara admits she was nervous before kissing professional Yorkshire footballer Georgia on screen, but the fear didn’t last long.

‘I’m surprised I didn’t throw up. I was shaking in my boots. The whole night before I thought: what have I done to myself.

“She made me feel immediately at ease and the whole team was so helpful.”

She says coming out to her family was a piece of cake after working out her sexuality on her own, and it was during her early childhood studies in Liverpool that things started to make sense.

Cara, I kissed a girl

“I didn’t question my sexuality until I was around more queer people,” says Cara.

“One of my good friends in Liverpool is gay and she told me about her experiences. I recognized everything she said, but I still couldn’t clock through.

“I just wasn’t concerned about dating anyone because I felt like it wasn’t for me.

“I grew up in an environment where there were no strange icons or stories that related to me.

“When I came out to my family, they were just so relaxed.”

She doesn’t mind that the show will reveal her sexuality to the wider community.

“It will come as a shock to many people, but I don’t see the need to tell everyone my sexuality because it is not relevant in every situation.”

Cara has been sworn to secrecy about whether her relationship with Georgia survived the show, but she knows her participation has had a positive impact on her.

“My mom and I were talking about it when I got home from a trip and she said she really couldn’t believe the difference in me.

“I was always quite a closed person when it came to my emotions because I didn’t understand them.

Cara

“I understand myself so much better now because of those girls on the show. I really love them and I never expected to leave there with so many friends.”

She also believes I Kissed a Girl will break some stereotypes.

“There were so many girls there and there wasn’t one strange experience.

“It opened my eyes that I don’t have one type. I felt like seeing everyone in there.”

Since filming ended, she has kept in touch with Eva Adamson, a Belfast woman who arrived late at the Italian masseria.

The 22-year-old fashion graduate, who has just moved to Northern Ireland from London, brought the joke with her, says Cara.

“Everyone will love Eva. She’s hilarious.

Dannii Minogue about I kissed a girl

“The Irish had that dry sense of humor and with Eva we were immediately teasing each other.”

Host Dannii Minogue was also a hit with the girls, showing her support behind the scenes.

She played Cupid in I Kissed a Boy last year and brought that same love to the new girl series.

“You can tell she is so passionate about the show. It’s not just about the cameras or the paycheck.

“She is passionate about how this will impact the community,” says Cara.

I Kissed a Girl starts on BBC iPlayer on May 5, with episodes airing every Sunday and Monday at 9pm on BBC3.