Catfish UK’s Oobah Butler says ‘stakes are higher than they’ve ever been’

Catfish UK presenter Oobah Butler has said “the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been” when it comes to online dating and the risk of catfishing.

The third series of the UK show will once again see filmmaker and author Butler work alongside co-host and YouTube sensation Nella Rose as they help members of the public investigate the reality of their online relationships.

Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of the new series, Butler reflected on how catfishing techniques have developed since he started the show in 2021, saying: “The goalposts keep on shifting. It keeps changing the capabilities of what a catfish can do, becoming more sophisticated every time, I’m always kind of like ‘God damn, you guys are good’.”

During the upcoming series, which begins on January 11 on MTV, Butler and Rose face a new set of challenges as they encounter a relationship in the virtual world of the Metaverse, help a reality star who suspects they may be being catfished and meet a member of the public left in financial difficulty after experiencing catfishing.

Explaining the unique catfishing situations he encountered while filming the show, Butler explained to PA: “When you’re feeling vulnerable and falling in love with somebody, you often forgive loads of really f***** up stuff, just because they make you feel good.

“And I think we’ve seen a lot more people of an older generation since the pandemic who are dating more and more online. And we’ve got somebody in this series who unfortunately has a very difficult situation with money and has been as taken advantage of, and again, it just feels like the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been for people.”

Despite the evolution of catfishing techniques, Butler noted that some individuals dating online have become more understanding of what may have formally been seen as shocking situations.

“It feels like the idea of catfishing is becoming ethically less black and white and more like sometimes there are justifiable and understandable reasons for this,” he said.

Adding: “I don’t think it’s as clear as it once was. In some situations it is but mostly I feel like it’s a lot more nuanced now.

“And the reception of the people on the show, who come on hoping that they’ve met someone they really love or whatever, when they find out they’re being catfished, or when they’re having it explained to them, they’re almost more open to an explanation than maybe when the show started.

“They’re more open to the idea that this is not a black and white case. They’re maybe a bit more understanding now.”

Despite somewhat of a broader understanding, Butler admitted that he and co-host Rose often find themselves frustrated with the incidents they encounter: “Me and Nella are genuinely really good friends but we are very different personalities and what rolls up often is one person will be really riled up by the catfish and the other person will kind of sway in the other direction.”

He added: “We both often have different expectations of the situation.”

Catfish UK begins on January 11 at 10pm on MTV.