Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“We found love in a hopeless place.” Remember these lyrics from Rihanna’s hit song from 2011? They could be the anthem for Love Is Blind, where strangers try to find not just love, but a partner they can say ‘I Do’ to. And well, reality television can really be a hopeless place if you’re looking for romance—that’s where people usually end up making ‘enemies,’ not lovers.
If you’ve seen the American version of Love Is Blind or any other country’s version that’s already up on Netflix, then you already know the format of this reality dating series, which likes to call itself an ‘experiment.’ For those like me who weren’t aware of the show until Love Is Blind: UK somehow turned up on their homepage recommendations on Netflix—the premise is definitely very interesting (which explains the number of seasons and the popularity of the show). A whole bunch of men and women date each other through a wall in pods over ten days, and those who manage to fall in love without having seen each other’s faces can decide to get engaged. Only those who get successfully engaged without seeing each other get to meet in person. The few lucky couples who do get engaged then go on a beautiful romantic weekend getaway to test their connection and are then challenged to live together for three weeks as they return to their regular jobs and lives to see if they can cohabit like functional couples. At the end of this period, if the spark is still strong, they get married in the presence of friends and family.
At first, Netflix had dropped only four episodes of Love Is Blind: UK, hosted by real-life couple Matt and Emma Willis, I was hooked. I watched all four episodes back-to-back, and quite a few contestants featured in the series seemed genuinely nice, working professionals looking for partners. Not just that, some of them also had great chemistry between them—their banter and flirting were fun, cute, sweet, and you could see their attraction was legit, even though they couldn’t see each other. But of course, all that can change once you meet face-to-face. While Love Is Blind: UK was still ongoing, I decided to stream Love Is Blind: Japan, which had aired a few years ago, which meant viewers could find out if any of the couples actually ended up getting married and lasting after the show. As of August 2024, at least two of the Japanese couples who got married on the show are still very much together, and one couple has two kids together. So that’s a big win for the show, even though a lot of their American contestants have already gotten divorced.
But okay, let’s get back to talking about Love Is Blind: UK, where quite a few couples get engaged to each other, but not all of them say “I Do” at the end. Like the golden goblets they sip their wine from, just one couple seemed golden and rock solid from the start, and I thought to myself, “If these guys don’t end up getting married, this show is a lie.” LOL. Although, well, too much of a good thing can also feel like something is amiss. I did end up watching one season each of the American, Mexican, and Sweden (tried the Brazil edition too, but the contestants didn’t seem interesting at all), and “Love is Blind: UK” is a little more charming versus the others.
Of course, what makes Love Is Blind: UK (or any of Netflix’s Love Is Blind editions) a little easier for couples to hit it off is the fact that the bulk of the contestants tend to be good-looking, and obviously, you need that for reality television. So there’s definitely a sliver of assurance in the back of most people’s minds that whoever they hit it off with won’t be a frog or beast (fairy tale reference). For instance, a funeral director called Freddie in Love Is Blind: UK is drop-dead gorgeous—he looks like the lead in a romcom—and when he meets Catherine, the nurse he proposes to, her jaw practically drops on the floor. “Did you know he looked like that?” she asks the camera, completely ecstatic over how hot Freddie is.
Among all the other country versions, the UK edition probably had the least drama, even though the couples do have their disagreements and disillusionments. For instance, Nicole, a sweet, divorced contestant, ends up being engaged to someone who is perceived by some of the other guys as someone who is on the show only for the exposure and popularity. Nicole immediately regrets her decision and asks to meet someone else with whom she had great chemistry in the pods, leading to some suspense over whether the other pair will last. But apart from the romances, it was also cute to see the contestants form some really strong friendships throughout the runtime and having each other’s backs when needed.
From discussing future goals, past traumas, careers, kids, surrogacy, and adoption options, the contestants in Love Is Blind: UK cover everything under the sun that people discuss when they are meeting their future spouse. One of the most interesting clashes between the couples came in the form of a cultural clash between makeup artist Maria and advertising consultant Tom. While Maria is conservative and believes it’s the man who should ‘protect’ the woman and pay all the bills, even if it’s just going on a simple ice cream date, Tom is a feminist who believes women should be on equal footing with the men in their lives. Otherwise, they tick a lot of boxes for each other.
In terms of entertainment, Love Is Blind: UK is a binge-worthy show. Some of the episodes could’ve been shorter, but for those who like their reality TV loaded with emotional moments and romance, it’s a great pick for the weekend.
Stream “Love is Blind” on Netflix.
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