Heartbeat wasted no time kicking off the search for love, and from the very first episode, Africa Magic’s new dating reality show made it clear: this isn’t going to be a slow burn.

Host Seyitan Atigarin set the tone immediately by asking the singles to reveal who caught their eye before they even stepped into the Love Pad. Judging by their answers, sparks were already flying, at least in theory.

Chidera had her eyes on Alvin, saying he looked like someone who could match her energy. Alvin, on the other hand, was drawn to Queen Latifa, describing her as exactly the kind of woman he would actively pursue. Attraction crisscrossed the room in every direction: Queen Latifa picked Igwe for his “bad boy” look, Igwe chose Hilda, and Hilda… also chose Alvin. Ken was into Hilda, too, while Toriah was intrigued by Igwe’s tattoos. Kena picked Chidera for her aesthetic, and Shekinah also chose Alvin, calling him “spicy.”

Very quickly, a pattern emerged. Alvin and Igwe were clearly the house favourites among the ladies, while Chidera was the most sought-after among the men. Viewers noticed too.

“Alvin and Igwe are the top choices. No one has picked Kena or Henri. Hmm,” one person commented. Another wrote, “Everybody is picking Chidera. She be hot cake, oh.”

Once the singles finally met face-to-face, Seyitan wasted no time stirring the pot. A surprise task had them searching the house for a hidden Love Box, containing a key with serious perks. Ken found it and earned the power to choose one person to spend the night with in a love nest. His pick? Queen Latifa. And let’s just say, things escalated quickly.

“Ken and Queen Latifa are already kissing ke?” one viewer exclaimed. Another couldn’t believe the pace: “Ken and Queen Latifah? After how many minutes of meeting?”

For the rest of the housemates, fate took over. They were asked to draw numbers from a box, with matching numbers deciding who would pair up for the night. This gave us the first official pairings: Chidera and Kena, Igwe and Hilda, Shekinah and Alvin, Toria and Henri, and Ken and Latifah. 

If episode one is anything to go by, Heartbeat isn’t easing anyone into love; it’s diving in headfirst, no floaters, no fear. Catch the next episode on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Channel 151 | GOtv Channel 8) at 9pm on Sunday. If you missed it, catch up on the DStv or GOtv Stream apps or via the Catch Up feature on your decoder.