Queer-focused ‘Ultimatum’ spin-off canceled after two seasons amid modest ratings and mixed reactions.
Netflix has canceled The Ultimatum: Queer Love after two seasons, ending a short-lived but much-talked-about queer spin-off of the streaming giant’s popular Ultimatum format.
The decision leaves the original Ultimatum: Marry or Move On and several international versions still in the franchise, but it marks the end for the series that focused on women and nonbinary couples.
Launched in May 2024, Queer Love followed the same provocative structure viewers recognized from the franchise: one partner in each couple declares they’re ready for marriage and gives an ultimatum; the pairs split and date around for a week; contestants then choose someone from another couple to enter a three-week “trial marriage”; finally, couples reunite with their original partners for three weeks before making a final decision — marry, stay with the trial partner, or walk away alone.
Season 1 premiered in May 2024 and enjoyed a brief run on Netflix’s Top 10 for two weeks. The follow-up season arrived in June of this year but failed to crack the global Top 10; it did show up on the charts in five countries. Those performance numbers appear to have been a factor in Netflix’s choice to scrap the title after just two installments.
Created by reality producer Chris Coelen and produced by Kinetic Content — the company behind hits like Love Is Blind and Perfect Match — Queer Love represented a notable attempt to center queer relationships within a high-stakes reality format.
But not all attention was positive — one cast member later revealed how intense the experience became behind the scenes.
Magan Mourad, a notable personality from Season 2, later said the emotional toll of filming landed her in the hospital. She described feeling drained and overwhelmed by long shooting days, the pressure of intimate decisions under public scrutiny, and rules that limited contact with the outside world.
At one point she says she became disoriented and thought she was dying, ultimately spending a night in hospital care. Her account sharpened concerns about contestant welfare on high-drama reality shows and prompted fresh conversations about how producers support participants during and after filming.
At the same time, the Ultimatum concept has long sparked debate. Some critics and viewers argue the format’s pressure-cooker setup can feel exploitative, pushing real relationships into dramatic, potentially harmful choices for the sake of television. Others counter that the show simply offers a blunt, if messy, mirror for couples who need to confront big questions.
For now, those conversations will continue without Queer Love as part of the weekly streaming mix. The broader Ultimatum franchise will carry on, and Kinetic Content remains a major reality force at Netflix and beyond.
Did you watch The Ultimatum: Queer Love? Share your thoughts — were you team representation or team “format over reach”? Let us know.
