'They said a shakeup was in order': Has a gay American man been cast in Single's Inferno 3?

Who will be the next to go to Paradise?

Popular South Korean dating show Single's Inferno has been renewed for a third season and viewers are excited to know who the new cast members will be.

"Anxious to see the next tailor we will fall in love with," joked a fan on Instagram.

Another wrote: "So who did Jin-taek plan to recruit this time?" referring to the fact that season two's Kim Se-jun works for season one's Oh Jin-taek at his bespoke tailor shop.

They're not the only contestants who have a connection to each other, as Shin Seul-ki from season two and Shin Ji-yeon from season one knew each other from a pageant.

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Now there are speculations that season two's Nadine Lee may have recommended one of her friends for Single's Inferno 3, from a Reddit post made by a man going by the username Brgrantjr.

In the sub-reddit r/Korea, he posted looking for advice: "Is this a trap: Foreigner cast in reality TV series".

He wrote that a friend of his from college "was in a reality dating show that's big over in South Korea" and had referred him to the producers for the third season. He initially thought it was "bizarre" as he felt that he was "literally the diametrical opposite of everyone that has been on that show before".

He described himself as: "A white guy from Los Angeles who speaks Korean conversationally. Plus, I'm gay."

He added: "These should've been red flags for the producers, but they just got even more excited.

"They told me they really liked my overall appearance and that the third season is going to be their biggest yet and a shakeup was in order."

Brgrantjr wrote that he was told not to worry about his fluency as his friend was not fluent in Korean either, which led netizens to speculate that he was referring to Nadine, a Korean-American woman studying at Harvard University.

"There is one big dating show with an international cast, it didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure it out," wrote a Redditor, while another wrote: "Bruh, it's obviously Single's Inferno, not hard to guess."

Some urged him to join the show, writing: "I think it'll be a good opportunity to promote yourself" and "Please don't forget about us and spill the tea post-show."

Brgrantjr gave further hints that he was being casted for Single's Inferno 3 when he responded to comments with: "Funny that you used a boat analogy since I'll be needing to get on one to start filming the show" and "You can't even make a quick escape."

Single's Inferno takes place on a deserted island where a group of men and women play games and pick one another to go on dates in 'Paradise'. The contestants who don't get picked stay in 'Inferno'.

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It has also only featured heterosexual couples in the first two seasons.

Some netizens were worried for Brgrantjr, with the top-rated comment on the post expressing fear that he would be "used in a scripted reality TV storyline to manipulate others" due to his sexuality.

"What if the storyline is that you are supposed to make a woman fall in love with you and then announce you realised you were gay?" the post read. "To me, that would unfairly exploit another person in a manipulative way for ratings."

Another comment read: "Not for love nor money would I set myself up for that s***. Don't do it, dude."

Regarding concerns that he would be exploited for his sexuality, Brgrantjr wrote: "I'm well aware of all the negative stereotypes associated with foreigners and certain minority groups (i.e. LGBTQ+). It's something I take very seriously and plan to subvert.

"You're not going to get some coked-out frat boy playing the role of a token gay. There will be no manufactured drama or contrived storylines at least on my end."

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Another Redditor advised: "Ask them what the purpose of you being on the show is, why they would want someone that looks like you or has the lifestyle you do. If they aren't upfront about it or it goes against how you want to be portrayed, then bail."

Brgrantjr responded: "The producer kept emphasising how, out of all the people my friend referred, I was the only one attractive enough to do the show. That they would treat my storyline with dignity and carefulness.

"I know enough to know that producers on these kinds of shows are never really your friends no matter how nice."

Nevertheless, he posted an update that he has agreed to join the cast of the third season of the dating show.

"It's official. I signed the contract. Filming commences this summer, see you all back in December during the premiere!" he wrote.

Both seasons of Single's Inferno were filmed in the summer with season one airing on Dec 18, 2021 and season two on Dec 13, 2022.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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