Long-Running MTV Hit Ends Its 13-Year Run

MTV’s long-running reality show Catfish: The TV Series has officially ended after nine seasons, the network confirmed on September 22, 2025.

The show, which first premiered in 2012, was based on Nev Schulman’s 2010 documentary of the same name and explored the hidden truths behind online romances. Its final season aired in the summer of 2024.

Catfish followed “hopefuls,” people who reached out to Schulman and his co-host when they suspected their online love interests might be lying about their identities.

The hosts would investigate the relationships, often traveling to meet the other person and uncover whether they were a genuine partner or a “catfish.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, the show adapted by conducting meetings over Zoom instead of in person.

The term “catfish” became widely known after Schulman’s 2010 documentary, which chronicled his own experience with someone who misrepresented themselves online. In the documentary, Schulman explained, “There are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes.”

“They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank God for the catfish because we would be … boring and dull if we didn’t have somebody nipping at our fin.”

Over the years, Catfish became a staple of MTV’s programming and inspired two spin-offs. Catfish: Trolls, hosted by Charlamagne tha God, aired in 2018 for three episodes and focused on confronting online trolls.

Ghosted: Love Gone Missing, hosted by Rachel Lindsay and Travis Mills, followed people trying to reconnect with friends or partners after being ghosted. In addition, MTV partnered with Wondery to launch Catfish: The Podcast in 2020, offering a deeper look into online relationships.

While the original documentary faced questions about its authenticity, the TV series aimed to balance stories of deception with heartwarming connections.

Executive producer Tom Forman told MTV, “We’ve also stumbled into some love stories. We found people who are exactly who they say they are. We are putting those on television, too. We find people who are willing to get past an initial deception and really do make a connection at the end—in person and in real life. That’s been really heartwarming.”

Catfish leaves behind a legacy of exploring online relationships and the challenges of digital dating. Its impact on popular culture is clear, and many fans have grown up with the show over the past decade.

Catfish played an important role in showing the complexities of online dating. It wasn’t just about catching lies, it highlighted the human stories behind them. What do you think about the show ending? Share your thoughts in the comments.