Tired of mindlessly scrolling through dating apps? A team of twenty-somethings in Minneapolis presents an alternative to meeting that special someone: live speed dating, on a podcast.
Kings & Kweens: The Date Night Podcast is a speed dating show broadcast live from the North Loop at Graze Provisions and Libations. As co-founder Andrew Inserra puts it, imagine a toned-down version of The Bachelor—except this version lasts for less than an hour, your friends can watch the drama unfold in real time, and the end goal is a far cry from your hand in marriage.
Each episode begins with a lead known as its King, Kween, or Royalty. From there, they’re matched with three different individuals and led through a consecutive series of blind dates. At the end of the episode, the lead has the opportunity to ask one of their blind dates on a second date. All contestants who aren’t chosen as their lead’s second date are eligible to revisit the show as a lead themselves. Audience members are invited to toss on a pair of headphones, grab a seat, and watch each date unfold.
Participants of the show can either nominate themselves or have a friend nominate them through an online application that includes everything from a nominee’s zodiac sign to their ideal type. The Back Pocket Productions team works with a database to cross-match candidates before hopping on a preliminary Zoom call to select the ideal show lead. Once the headliner is selected, the team will then reach out to prospective matches based on compatibility.
“We’re not going after Instagram influencers with X amount of followers. We’re looking for people who are excited about this opportunity,” Inserra said. “We’re trying to cultivate a community of people that are passionate to see a friend or a co-worker go up on stage and do something out of their comfort zone.”
“We don’t want to give them everyone,” Inserra said, mentioning that the team tries to match leads with a variety of candidates—some of whom might not be a perfect fit. “What would be a potential curveball they could be excited about?”
Their listenership is 64 percent women between the ages of 21 and 31, according to Inserra. Using the decision to go on a second date as the show’s measure of success, Inserra said the success rate is 65 percent.
“We’re in an entertainment space, and we’re playing with love, which is always a tricky environment,” Inserra says. “We’re making casual dating fun, we’re not here to pull strings and put someone in a situation to look foolish. People that are genuinely themselves and quirky, and lean into the quirkiness of who they are, tend to enjoy the experience that we’re providing the most and end up going on the second date.”
A handful of prior participants on the show got on the phone to share their experiences with the podcast.
Spencer Specht and Brooke Vandermyde
Season 1, Episode 8, King Spencer and His Pick Up Lime”
Spencer Specht’s first time on the podcast was as a contestant for a different Kween. He met his match, Brooke Vandermyde, the second time around, when he was called back to the show to play the lead.
The couple credit the day they met on the podcast in June 2021 at First Draft as the beginning of their relationship. Both described their meeting as love at first sight. Immediately after their episode, they went on their second date. Nearly two years later, the couple just bought their first house together.
“If you’re looking for the outcome that we had, check your intentions before you go into it. I think there’s a mixed bag of contestants. Some go into it really hoping to find that person, and some are just there for the experience,” Vandermyde said, offering advice to future contestants: “Go into it with a really open mind.”
Emma Martens
Season 3, Episode 3, Birds Aren’t Real But Love Is
Following a self-described “hot girl summer,” Emma Martens applied to be on the podcast with aspirations to work with the production company. Onstage, she ended up picking the guy she vaguely knew from college for a second date instead of the third contestant she hit it off with—Jared Wolt.
“After the show, Jared came up to me and we grabbed a beer afterwards. I was trying to schmooze production so that I could potentially start working with the show. But he was trying to schmooze me,” Martens said.
A few days later, she slid into Wolt’s DMs and the couple has been together ever since. She’s also been working with Backpack Productions since then.
“I hope we continue to find love on a podcast, as cheesy as it sounds,” Martens said. “I didn’t think it would happen to me, but it did.”
Linette Helle
Season 3 Episode 6, Fabulous 50 Year Olds & 50 Questions
Linette Helle, a recent divorcee, applied to be on the podcast with a desire to have some fun and put herself out there. Her daughter, Ali Helle, was a contestant the following week.
“I thought what the heck, well, how bad could it be? And it was so much fun,” Helle said. “They’re so sweet, and they make you feel like a queen. All those people, I just feel like that’s what their purpose is. It’s just to make people feel better about themselves.”
While her episode ended with a second date secured, it didn’t progress from there. Helle is still figuring out her approach to the dating game.