Why was MTV’s Catfish: The TV show cancelled? Details explored

MTV's Catfish: The TV show premiered in November 2012, and revolved around the deceptive tendencies of online dating. However, after running for 9 successful seasons, the docuseries has been cancelled by the network.

As per Variety, the network will rerun the episodes of the popular docuseries and has given the freedom to create the show for any other network. After the ninth season aired in 2024, the series was left in limbo without any news of renewal after the restructuring of Paramount and Skydance. It is speculated that the merger might be the reason behind the cancellation of the show, as the network is going through a restructuring.

Furthermore, as per Deadline, Nev Schulman, the host of the show, has recently acquired his real estate licence and wants to help other people buy and sell property.

More on this in our story.

Why was MTV’s Catfish: The TV show cancelled? Details explored

Catfish: The TV show was based on Nev Schulman's 2010 documentary film, which also gave us the term catfishing, which refers to the act of creating a fake identity to lure others into a relationship. The film sees Nev beginning a relationship with Megan by meeting her online. But later discovered that he was not actually talking to Megan but to Angela, her mother.

Based on this premise, the show was developed by Nev and Ariel Schulman (one of the directors of the documentary film), and Max Joseph, who was also the co-host of Nev in earlier seasons.

Later, after Joseph's departure, Kamie Crawford, who joined Catfish: The TV show in 2018 in its Season 7. However, in October 2024, Crawford also exited the show after being part of it for several years and appearing in 96 episodes of the reality show. In Catfish: The TV show, a person who is represented as the 'hopeful' contacts their online romantic partner/'catfish', to learn about their real identity. Sometimes, the hopeful also gets to meet the person after they learn about their real identity.

However, a new season of the show will not appear on MTV after its cancellation. In August 2025, the Paramount Global and Skydance merger deal was closed. As per Deadline, the merger might create several restructurings and lay-offs, Catfish: The TV show, being one of them.

Furthermore, the news of Crawford exiting the show last year and Nev getting his real estate license and starting a new chapter of his life also hinted to fans that the show might not be back.

While the reality show might be cancelled for now, it was one of MTV's hugely popular series, which also resulted in several international spinoffs that aired in Mexico, Chile, the U.K., Brazil, and Colombia. Furthermore, a podcast named Catfish: The Podcast was also created by Wondery and MTV in 2020, which ran for two seasons.

Other than Nev, Joseph, and Crawford, several celebrities have also appeared as guest hosts in Catfish: The TV show, such as Machine Gun Kelly, Elle King, and Tallulah Willis, among several others.

Trending

Keep reading Soap Central for more such updates.

Also Read: Who plays Babe in Tulsa King? Actor's career and notable projects explored

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback