Sexologists defend new UK reality show that involves people losing their virginity live on TV

Yes, you read that correctly. On Monday night, Channel Four are launching a new reality show which will see young people lose their virginity on television.

We've already seen the popularity of dating shows such as Temptation Island, where we were treated to the now iconic moment of poor Montoya running down the beach after seeing his girlfriend sleeping with another man.

The likes of Love Island (why do all these shows have to happen on a beautiful sunny island and not a council estate) have also become staples on our tellies over the years, as we're all desperate to know whether Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury will finally get their happy ending.

While some of us pretend to hate reality TV (I'm looking at you lads), Channel Four's new Virgin Island sounds as if it could be another classic, while it also delves into the interesting psychology of why fewer young people are having sex.

The show follows 12 young people as they travel to a luxury Mediterranean retreat to embark on a unique course in intimacy, to see if it can help them overcome the fears that are holding them back.

Of course, there's likely to be plenty of backlash about the sexualisation of TV shows and why we're witnessing such a potentially intimate moment, but the two sexologists who feature on the show have defended it and encouraged more visualisation of realistic sex, as opposed to the objectification of women that young men are exposed to through pornography.

Dr Danielle Harel and Celeste Hirschman and their team will be guiding the virgins during the show, and the two sexologists both seemingly disagree that there is 'too much sex' on TV these days.

Speaking to the MailOnline, Celeste said: "I don't know if there's too much, but the quality of sex on television is abysmal. It's like three kisses up against the wall, pulling off the pants, sticking it in, and then it's over.

Dr Danielle Harel is one of the experts who appears on the new series (Channel 4)

"So I feel like if they portrayed sex that was more realistic, more connected, more at a pace that is like what people actually do, then it might be a boon to have that much sex on television.

"But if it's just this c**p sex, then, yeah, I think it's it's not helpful at all. In fact, it's quite harmful. It creates expectations that are ridiculous."

Danielle agreed, adding: "And if you ask me, what's better to see so much violence on TV or sex, I'll choose sex any minute, especially if it's shown in a much more realistic and connected way."

Certified surrogates and experts will also be introduced to help assuage the young people's fear of intimacy.

Celeste is a renowned expert in the fields of intimacy and personal transformation. (Channel 4)

Celeste added: "It is really an authentic relationship. So one thing that can happen in a relationship is that someone has performance problems, and so they would just communicate about it and say, oh, you know, something's not working here.

"Let's take a break. Let's try again."

She concluded: "That authenticity is what actually prepares people to have real relationships out in the world."

Virgin Island starts on Monday 12 May at 9pm on Channel Four.