From The Bachelor to Love Island, reality TV competitions centered on romance continue to draw massive audiences. But how many Americans would actually step into the spotlight themselves? According to a CivicScience poll of more than 30K respondents, 9% say they would participate in a reality TV competition to find love, while 11% say ‘maybe.’ A strong majority (80%) say they wouldn’t be interested at all.

Gen Z adults aged 18–29 are the most likely to say they would participate, and men and women show equal levels of interest. Adults in middle-income households, those living in the suburbs, and residents of the Northeast are also more inclined than others to say they’d be willing to compete for love on camera.

But demographics aren’t the only thing setting aspiring contestants apart. CivicScience data reveal meaningful personality and lifestyle differences between those who would participate and those who aren’t interested at all:

• Life as a Show: About 34% of those who would participate say their life already feels like a TV show ‘all the time,’ compared to just 5% of those not interested.

• Emotional Viewers: Nearly half say they get anxious when watching an intense TV show or movie, versus just 14% of those who wouldn’t participate.

• Always-On TV: Just over half (53%) say they always keep the TV on in their home, nearly 20 points higher than those not interested in reality TV love competitions.

• Reunion Ready: They’re more than twice as likely to say they love high school reunions (28% vs. 12%), reflecting comfort with social spotlight moments.

• Big Romantic Moves: Nearly 6 in 10 say they’ve moved to a new place for love, compared to just 2 in 10 among those not interested in participating.

• Love Language: They’re also more than 10 points more likely to say that quality time is the most important love language.

While only a small share of Americans are ready to hand over their love life to a camera crew, those who are open to it stand out in clear ways. They’re more comfortable with attention, more emotionally invested in what they watch, and more willing to take bold risks for romance. For them, the idea of finding love on camera may not feel far-fetched—it aligns with how they already approach relationships and experiences.

Love taking polls? Sign up to participate in the Poll of the Day here.

This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.