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Ten women, one guy: The risk-taking dating show that stirred Ethiopia

Wedaeli Chibelushi & Nyasha Michelle
BBC News
D!nkTV Two lines of female contestants flank Messiah Hailemeskel. Two of the women playfully clutch Mr Messiah.D!nkTV
The finale of Latey: Looking for Love has been viewed more than 620,000 times

Boy meets girl. Girl falls for boy. Girl fends off love rivals and boy - finally - declares his affection for her.

If you are a fan of reality TV dating shows, you will have seen several variations of this plot - it is a well-worn storyline that has played out on the likes of Love Island, Love is Blind and The Bachelor.

But in Ethiopia, this romantic scenario has broken convention.

Content creator Bethel Getahun won over insurance agent Messiah Hailemeskel in Latey: Looking for Love - a reality TV show that ignited debates about dating norms in the conservative East African country.

Latey's premise mirrored that of the aforementioned hit US show, The Bachelor (in fact, Latey is Amharic for bachelor/bachelorette).

Ten women had to compete for the affection of Mr Messiah, a 38-year-old Ethiopian-American who grew up and lives in Dallas.

Throughout the series, the women battled it out in boxing matches, basketball contests and even a bizarre task where they had to devise a TV advert for a mattress, à la The Apprentice.

Broadcast on YouTube, Latey is a rare dating programme in a country where courtship is traditionally a private affair.

Winning such a ground-breaking show felt "surreal", 25-year-old Ms Bethel told the BBC's Focus on Africa podcast. Weeks on from the finale, which racked up more than 620,000 views, her victory still "feels like a badge of honour".

Of course, not everyone feels the same way.

"The concept of a dating show is entirely [a] Western idea," says Ethiopian vlogger Semere Kassaye.

"Dating in Ethiopia has always been a private matter, something that is nurtured carefully and only brought to the attention of family or society when it reaches a level of maturity."

Bethel Getahun Bethel Getahun smiles at the camera in a selfieBethel Getahun
Latey's winner, Bethel Getahun, disagrees with critics who say the show devalues women

Mr Semere, 41, also feels that the show devalues women, treating them as objects to be acquired.

Several viewers voiced the same opinion - one commenter on YouTube wrote: "Ladies, you are not an object that the one with money can easily pick you up."

Another asked: "Lots of creativity on the production but if it is against the culture, what is the point":[]}