INSIDE A CELEBRITY DATING APP
What really happens on the ‘Illuminati Tinder’
Raya is basically the Fight Club of dating apps. The first rule of Raya is: you do not talk about Raya. The second rule of Raya is: if you do talk about Raya, you are gone. The dating app, which launched in 2015, describes itself as a “private, membership-based community for people all over the world to connect and collaborate”. It’s also known as “Illuminati Tinder” or “A-list Tinder”.
The app prides itself on its secrecy, so much so, it has
managed to attract quite the celebrity fanbase who want to ensure their dates go undetected. Think Olly Murs, Sam Thompson and Jess Wright in the UK to (actual) A-listers in the US like Drew Barrymore, Demi Lovato and John Mayer.
The app has a strict set of rules, which includes a ban on any screenshots of profiles, so if, say, Olly Murs were to send a snap of a lady to his pals for lad assessment, he would get a stern telling off from the Raya “committee”.
However, this hasn’t stopped some celebs from blabbing about their experiences on the app. Demi Lovato revealed last year that she had used Raya after it was recommended to her by Amy Schumer. “I put myself out there because I was ready to date,” Demi said. “I went on a few Raya dates, and they went well. Now, I’ve become really good friends with some people I met on there.” Ouch, friendzoned.
And Caroline Flack told heat that she tried out the app after splitting from fiancé Andrew Brady last year. “I was on Raya for a while, which I found quite interesting,” the 39 year old admitted. “I met quite a few people on there.” (Although there is no word on whether her current squeeze – model and ex-tennis player Lewis Burton – was a match from the app).
Going hand-in-hand with its secrecy aspect, Raya promotes its exclusivity. In fact, being accepted on to the app is about as difficult as finding a photo of Victoria Beckham smiling.
Anyone interested in joining is required to fill out an application, as well as signing up to pay just over £7 a month, but hey, you can’t put a price on love, right? The app’s website says, “From there, applications are assessed based on algorithmic values and input from hundreds of members of the committee spread throughout the world. Committee members
are anonymous to each other and are comprised of various backgrounds, interests, ages, and sexual orientation.”
The app requires access to your contacts, as well as all social-media profiles, allowing them to metaphorically rifle through your drawers and check that you’re cool enough to hang out with the stars. As such, “Application decisions can take anywhere from a day to a few months,” according to Raya.
This elusive “committee” sounds like some people we’ve dated in the past – flaky, judgmental and impossible to get a straight answer from.
Once you’re let in to the special club for special people, Raya works reasonably similarly to Tinder or any other dating app.
“Users’ profiles – or ‘stories’ – are a series of images set to single tracks of music, a vibe that’s more bar mitzvah slideshow than cutting-edge social network,” one user revealed. “Instagram handles are hyperlinked within profiles for easy browsing, but you can’t like or comment. If you want to engage, both of you must tap the heart on each other’s Raya profiles and hope for a match.”
And in this ever-increasingly digital world, it’s your personal online brand that will get you in. Raya members usually have a few thousand Instagram followers as standard, and the app favours “creatives” – although that seems to be a rather loose term.
One user said, “During my three weeks on Raya, I saw pro skateboarders and Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, Dancing With the Stars professional dancers, a Youtube beauty guru, the designer of a streetwear brand popularised by Kanye West, a teen celebrity chef and Moby.”
Another user left a glowing review for the elite selection of potential matches he came across, saying, “10/10 would recommend. Bruh, the baddies are on ten! You can scroll through, but you won’t find a potential wife, you’ll find like 50. Raya is the definition of digital sauce.”
Well, there you have it, we’re starting our application this second. Can’t wait to explore all that digital sauce. ■
‘You won’t find a potential wife – you’ll find 50’