Pop the Balloon, a speed dating show created by Bolia Matundu and Arlette Amuli, is now aired exclusively on Netflix. As Netflix expands its reality TV universe, it started introducing competition shows alongside dating series.
Pop the Balloon LIVE introduces the single contestants with the option to pop the balloon if they are not interested in someone. The series consists of dramatic moments and "unfiltered romance," and celebrity appearances are expected as well. After the show aired on Netflix on April 10, 2025, cast member Johnny Bananas faced backlash for making a statement about one of the single women.
When he met the single women, Bananas started talking about women's feet and complimented a lot of them. After that, he told one of the contestants,
"You look like you sleep from a tree upside down."
Each contestant explored the potential to find a partner while also being open about requirements and being transparent as to what they look for in someone who they want to date. Hosted by Yvonne Orji, the dating experiment is described as,
Reality stars and everyday singles test their romantic chemistry in this live dating experiment hosted by Yvonne Orji.
Johnny Bananas appeared on the new Netflix reality TV live dating show, Pop the Balloon
As viewers already know, on the Pop the Balloon single contestants get a chance to find a potential romantic partner. Johnny Bananas, who has previously appeared on The Challenge, made a remark about a woman during the live show that sparked controversy, with many criticizing what he said.
The contestant was unsure if this remark was made towards her, as she was surprised at Banana's comment. She responded with,
"Me? Oh you don’t want the smoke from me, Johnny! Was he talking about me?"
This isn't the first time Pop the Balloon star Jonny has been part of a major controversy. Previously, he received backlash for sending banana emojis and a gorilla emoji to Taylor Hale. However, Johnny defended himself, stating that his social media handles were being handled by a marketing agency who were responsible for this. In an interview with Variety on February 10, 2025, he explained that the emojis promoted his cryptocurrency.
"There are certain emojis that are symbolic of different things in the crypto world, one being the guerrilla emoji, one being the ape emoji. They symbolize strength, symbolize going in full force."
He continued:
"I do not take this situation lightly at all. As soon as I was made aware of what happened, I reached out to Taylor because my main concern was making sure that she had as much clarity as she could have… I wanted to make sure she knew the truth.”
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Even though the situation was resolved and Hale stated she didn't take the emojis as a "racist" remark, Johnny was criticized for the late clarification by the viewers. The upcoming Pop the Balloon episodes will showcase more of Johnny's love prospects and his time in the series.
The newly released episodes of the series air every week on Thursdays at 8/7c on Netflix.
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