What Raya is REALLY like: Inside the A-list dating app where you can match with the stars - as Charlize Theron is rumoured to have opened an account

Single oregon not, you person astir apt heard of Raya - the personage dating app that is notoriously hard to summation entree to. 

The exclusive, membership-based level was launched successful 2015 arsenic a dating app for radical from originative industries but has since turned into what 1 New York Times writer described arsenic 'Illuminati Tinder'.

In the astir 10-years since Daniel Gendelman created this concealed nine of ultra-desirable singletons, it has attracted A-list Hollywood stars, Grammy-winners, Olympic athletes, and influencers with millions of followers to boot. 

Some of the astir famous, rumoured Raya users see Gladiators prima Paul Mescal, Magic Mike histrion Channging Tatum, Oscar-winner Ben Affleck, and supermodel Cara Delevigne. 

Olympic golden medalist Simone Biles reportedly met her husband, NFL prima Jonathan Owens, connected the app - overmuch similar Lily Allen, who swiped close connected Stranger Things prima David Harbour. 

The crushed celebrities flocked to Raya arsenic soon arsenic the 'Soho House' of dating apps opened its doors has to bash with laminitis Daniel Gendelman's almost-militant rules for introduction that relegated hundreds of thousands of hopefuls to a never-ending waitlist.

But person those rules been somewhat relaxed? And, much importantly, does Raya unrecorded up to the celeb-induced hype erstwhile you've scaled its impossibly precocious walls? 

Here, FEMAIL reveals however to interruption into this elitist dating sphere - and whether it's really worthy its monthly £7.99 fee.

Reddit and TikTok are littered with stories of regular people - boasting neither societal media clout nor worldwide fame - who person successfully infiltrated Raya to find themselves wrong dating region of stars similar Channing Tatum, Lizzo, Drew Barrymore, Shawn Mendes, Charlize Theron, and Chace Crawford. 

And portion posting astir their exploits whitethorn person gotten them banned from Raya, however did they find themselves seated astatine Gendelman's backstage meal enactment successful the archetypal place? 

The one-stop-shop for accusation astir everything nether the sun, Reddit does not disappoint erstwhile it comes to Raya's rank rules. 

More specifically, however to get astir them - with subreddits exclusively dedicated to buying referrals and tips to marque your exertion basal out. 

Considering the lore surrounding Raya, the platform's exertion signifier is amazingly straightforward. 

Once you've indicated your involvement successful joining the app, you are required to capable successful a fewer basal details specified arsenic your day of birth, existent location, occupation, and the institution you enactment for - arsenic good arsenic your Instagram handle.

While determination are nary explicit presumption and conditions for rank outlined on the Raya website - though an Oscar information surely helps - each exertion is reportedly reviewed by a global, divers squad allegedly comprising 500 people.  

However, considering lone 8 per cent of each Raya applications are successful,  determination is much to the signifier than meets the oculus - with experts suggesting 2 important factors that it is judged on.

Since the exertion asks for your societal media accounts, chances are that the fig of followers you person is straight proportionate to your Raya eligibility - with The Sun estimating 5,000 followers arsenic the minimum fig required for membership. 

Having a bluish tick connected Instagram oregon X tin besides boost your chances but you whitethorn beryllium capable to get distant with not being an influencer if you person a 'particularly originative occupation oregon unsocial beingness experience', enactment adept and sociologist Sarah Melancon told American outlet Popsugar. 

Writing connected the Raya Referral subreddit, 1 subordinate advised keeping your Instagram illustration public, portion ensuring your provender 'genuinely represents you' and 'avoiding ostentatious oregon deceitful displays of wealth'. 

Another subordinate suggested that your Instagram illustration should 'reflect who YOU truly are' successful a station connected the Dating subreddit. 

The second, much important origin that your Raya exertion is judged connected is simply however galore existing users are consenting to vouch for you. 

 'It's mostly advised to unafraid a fewer prime referrals erstwhile applying,' 1 Reddit idiosyncratic said, 'as this tin importantly amended your chances of success.' 

Another idiosyncratic added: 'Secure arsenic galore referrals arsenic imaginable successful the aboriginal exertion process. I recovered occurrence with referrals from Reddit and connections made astatine Soho House, wherever I americium a member.'   

While you tin effort and inquire existing Raya users for referrals connected platforms similar Reddit - with immoderate adjacent forking retired wealth for these coveted invites - marque definite you double-check you are not getting scammed. 

The champion mode to warrant your referral is coming from a Raya member, according to 1 Redditor, is checking whether their sanction shows up nether 'some friends who are members' connected the app.

'You simply adhd [their telephone number] to your contacts and, aft respective minutes, it volition amusement up,' they added. 'I don't attraction what other they amusement you oregon archer you. 

'If it doesn't amusement - [their referral] is fake. Don't pay,' they cautioned. 

 There are outliers though. 

One Mashable writer claimed their exertion was accepted contempt having a 'locked' Instagram relationship 'with a humble pursuing of astir 150' and 'no big-shot referrals successful sight'. 

They continued: 'And it lone took maine 10 days to get the coveted acceptance email - which amazed me, considering immoderate accidental they've been connected the waitlist for years.'  

If your exertion has been unsuccessful, Raya volition not nonstop you an authoritative rejection email; you volition simply beryllium placed connected the app's  allegedly 100,000-person waitlist advertisement infinitum -  similar the Playboy seasoned Kendra Wilkinson who precocious revealed she's been connected clasp for 4 years. 

What happens wrong Raya?  

If you are fortunate capable to person your Raya exertion accepted, you indispensable wage a monthly rank interest of £7.99 earlier you tin commencement swiping.

Considering apps similar Hinge and Bumble person started charging users for add-on features that bash not see personage sightings, the subscription is not extortionate. 

Inside, it is reportedly a full caller satellite if the lone apps you are presently utilizing are Bumble oregon Hinge that filter prospective matches by location.

Instead, you tin interact with Raya users astir the satellite - adjacent though that means you bash not really extremity up going connected arsenic galore in-person dates. 

Another cardinal quality is that Raya users are not bombarded with hundreds of thousands of suitors and tin  can lone entree astir 25 profiles astatine 1 time, according to Grazia. 

One subordinate told the magazine: 'I didn't truly prosecute with it aft a while. Mainly due to the fact that astir of the radical I came crossed were successful antithetic countries. It's atrocious capable wasting an evening connected a atrocious date, without having to question to Miami for it.' 

Unlike accepted dating apps that bash not connection immoderate safeguards against imaginable matches taking screenshots of your cheesy pickup lines, Raya has a zero-tolerance argumentation for this. 

If users instrumentality a screenshot, they are sent a warning. A 2nd discourtesy tin past spot them booted from the app altogether. 

Members who talk, tweet, oregon TikTok astir their celebrated matches hazard being removed from the level and, considering each profiles are linked to Instagram accounts, you are improbable to beryllium catfished connected Raya. 

However, the overwhelming feedback from radical who person breached the integer boundaries of Raya - and been brave capable to station their experiences online - has been that it is simply a spot of a letdown. 

And that is allegedly due to the fact that not capable celebrities are inactive utilizing Raya - a earthy disappointment considering Raya's estimation arsenic a 'celebrity dating app'. 

TikTok influencer Audrey Peters, who boasts connected 1 cardinal followers, announced that 'celebrity-socialites don't usage this anymore due to the fact that they utilized it successful 2015 erstwhile it came out' successful a video posted successful 2022. 

Take, for instance, 1 of the astir celebrated Raya users, Batman prima Ben Affleck - who successful 2022 clarified helium has not been 'an progressive member' for respective years. 

Or Drew Barrymore, who described her clip connected the app arsenic a 'train wreck' aft she admitted she'got stood up by a feline who owned a restaurant'. 

Demi Lovato, who met 1 of her exes connected the app, told Harper's Bazaar that she was rejected by Raya erstwhile she tried to get backmost connected it aft the breakup. 

Ultimately, Lovato decided 'I don't request to beryllium connected this due to the fact that I deliberation I'm expected to beryllium unsocial close now'; she has since recovered emotion with Jordan 'Jutes' Lutes aft meeting the Canadian musician aft they met during a songwriting league offline. 

American rapper and Grammy victor Lil Nas X is besides among the stars shunning Raya. 

The Old Town Road hitmaker told James Corden 'I've stopped utilizing Raya...and conscionable started gathering radical successful existent life' during an occurrence of Carpool Karaoke past year. 

In a video posted past year, TikTok prima Saskia Marriott claimed she matched with Lewis Capaldi 'a agelong clip ago...but we ne'er had a conversation' earlier sharing immoderate of her different celebrated matches - including Game of Thrones prima Iwan Rheon, Love Island prima Dr Alex George, and a 'really celebrated F1 driver'. 

In 2015 - the twelvemonth that Raya was launched - a writer from The Cut went undercover connected the app and reported seeing 'pro skateboarders and Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, Dancing With The stars nonrecreational dancers, a YouTube quality guru, the designers of streetwear marque popularised by Kanye Weast, a teen personage chef, and Moby.' 

Nearly a decennary later, a Grazia writer claimed 'I person lone spotted 1 precise celebrated comedian' aft 2 months connected the app - comparing it to 'going connected a safari and lone seeing 1 zebra'. 

As the hype astir Raya evaporates, 1 wonders whether TikTok had immoderate portion demystifying the 'elite members-only dating app'. 

In caller years, TikTok users person begun outing their A-list matches by publically posting their cringe-worthy backstage messages for millions of radical to presumption - proving Raya's stringent, Fight Club-esque rules are nary longer a deterrent. 

Content creators similar Riley (@rileyfauria) who 'outed' the celebrated men who 'rejected' her connected Raya - allegedly including comedian Chris Rock, Diplo, Brody Jenner, Ethan Cutkosky, and Drew Starkey.

She captioned her viral post: 'I could marque similar 100 videos astir Raya. I intelligibly person beef with that app.'

In a follow-up TikTok, Riley revealed adjacent much celebrities who had swiped near connected her, naming The Office prima BJ Novak and comedian Trevor Noah. 

She aboriginal told The Independent that immoderate of these celebrities had slid into her DMs  'saying they saw my TikTok and thought it was funny'.  

Riley added: 'They said they didn't spot my illustration and if they did they would person been inclined to swipe yes!' 

Still, rank connected Raya remains a highly sought-after 'asset' - arsenic proven by scored of subreddits wherever users are selling Raya referrals for astir 10 times the terms of its monthly membership. 

Although 1 existent idiosyncratic told the Daily Mail this whitethorn good beryllium owed to the information that joining the app has go thing of a badge of honour among elitist circles.

'Honestly, the radical connected the app don't truly entreaty to maine that much,' the unnamed idiosyncratic said. 'It's a batch of guys boasting astir however large they are, and oftentimes I'll get matched with idiosyncratic who is thousands of miles distant from me, which seems a spot useless.

'But it's inactive thing amusive to speech astir (privately!), and it makes maine consciousness arsenic though I'm a small spot special, adjacent if that isn't existent astatine all.'