One Season in, Love Is Blind UK Has Surpassed the American Version

Love Is Blind: UK Season 1 hit Netflix on August 7 and has already gained massive popularity. The reality dating series is the UK version of the popular American show Love Is Blind. The UK installment of the popular dating show has proved to be far superior in terms of its cast, conversations, and pairings compared to its counterparts. The couples on the show are far less problematic and have also portrayed a significant amount of growth with each passing episode. Not to mention, viewers love the hosts Emma and Matt Willis, while they've started to sour on American hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey. There’s also the prevalence of open and honest discussions about issues like fertility, handling of finances, and geographical barriers. Even contestants like Ollie Isaac, who seemed to be a playboy at first glance, was later revealed to have layers to his personality when he opened up about his mental health. The contestants also made genuine connections that led viewers to believe they would say, “I do” at the altar.

Couples like Steven Smith and Sabrina Vittoria and Jasmine and Bobby Johnson have a healthy relationship dynamic, which is refreshing compared to American contestants like Jimmy Presnell and Chelsea Blackwell. The UK installment has also portrayed diverse casting at its finest and even represented how intercultural marriages could work amid the challenges during an experiment like this. The stark difference in values has also brought about a new side of the Love Is Blind franchise, making it an engaging and wholesome watch. That’s not to say that viewers weren’t prey to the usual dose of drama and misunderstandings from an odd thorn here and there like Catherine Richards and Sam Klein. However, as a whole, the experiment took a more productive turn and was filled with intent, where the contestants felt more like real human beings and not like mere Instagram models chasing clout.

‘Love Is Blind: UK’ Contestants Focus on Having Fruitful Discussions in the Pods

Image via Netflix

Love Is Blind: UK has proved to be a delightful watch for fans of its American counterpart. A major contributing factor to this is the wholesome and logical conversations that contestants engage in while dating in the pods. It was refreshing to see contestants skipping cringe remarks and jumping right into sharing insights on mutual interests and past relationships. The contestants also didn’t hesitate to ask difficult questions and displayed immense vulnerability while opening up about their insecurities. Steven Smith and Sabrina Vittoria were the first couple to share their feelings and head toward a proposal. This was a surprise to none, since Vittoria was self-aware of what she was looking for, Smith opened up about his past heartbreak, and the duo also shared similar values. The cliffhanger for when they didn’t see eye-to-eye on the subject of having kids had viewers biting their nails in anticipation. But after having slept on it, they came to a mutual agreement the following day that when the time came, they could explore surrogacy or adoption.

Such conversations were void in the American Love Is Blind, where contestants like Chelsea Blackwell talked about how she resembled Megan Fox or when Clay Gravesdale said that even though the show was about making an emotional connection, he “wanted to be super turned on by my wife.” It became increasingly evident that there was an underlying fear that the person on the other end wouldn’t fit someone’s type in the American version, but Love Is Blind: UK is not a show that overlooked that sort of behavior. This became increasingly evident when Klein was looked down upon by the other men in the pods and even broken up with by Nicole Stevens when his superficial and insincere nature came to light.

The Couples Tackle Their Differences Brilliantly in the Real World

When the couples on Love Is Blind: UK faced challenges in their relationships outside the pods, they tackled them in the most mature way possible. Be it the geographical barriers that prevailed in Smith and Vittoria’s relationship, the unrest around Tom Stroud being accepted in Maria Benkh’s Muslim family, or even how well Johnson took the harsh critiques from Jasmine’s overbearing mother like a champ. Even Ollie Isaac and Demi Santana Brown, who faced challenges during the onset of their relationship, had honest discussions, and their bond grew significantly stronger. Although the couple didn’t tie the knot in the end, it’s hard to ignore that they achieved significant growth throughout their relationship. The moment Isaac opened up about his ADHD and Brown responded in the sweetest way possible was tear-jerking, which is a testament to how sometimes it’s all about the journey and not the destination!

The contestants facing their parents and discussing lifestyles were also honest, raw, and thought-provoking. This could also be owed to the cultural shift surrounding the seriousness of the institution of marriage between the US and the UK. Plus, Love Is Blind: UK doesn’t endorse sweeping problems under the rug. The difficult conversations are addressed, and resolutions are found, portraying them as real people with real emotions. These practices would’ve done wonders if they had been applied in the original Love Is Blind to save contestants like Giannina Gibelli, Deepti Vempati, and Kenny Barnes from major heartbreaks.

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'Love Is Blind: UK's Couples Are Empathetic and Don’t Shy Away From Expressing Their Needs

Image via Netflix

Love Is Blind: UK has also seen what can easily be described as its best cast yet in the franchise. It’s almost impossible to nitpick the men on the show for problematic behavior, as they are all open to communicating and putting their partners’ worries at rest. Smith, in particular, is a fan-favorite who literally seems like a man written by a woman, and every single word he says conjures butterflies! Similarly, even when Johnson reassured Jasmine, who has past trauma of being cheated on, it was great to see that the men were in touch with their emotions. Compared to contestants like Shayne Jansen and Presnell, the UK men are undefeated for their green flags.

Conversely, the women don't hold back from making their priorities clear and stating what they expect from a partner and married life. For instance, Brown rejecting Isaac at the altar as she realized her self-worth or Vittoria stressing that she didn’t plan to relocate to London were bold moves that deserve appreciation. In the American version, however, the women would often sugarcoat their needs and relentlessly overlook problematic behavior that later came back to haunt their relationships. The emotional maturity could also be owed to the fact that the contestants are older in comparison.

It's Not Reality TV Without a Little Drama

Image via Netflix

Of course, despite the show brimming with positivity and healthy relationships, there is bound to be a problematic contestant or two. In the case of Love Is Blind: UK, that would be Catherine Richards and Sam Klein. Klein was accused of not being on the show for the right reasons. He was even rejected by his love interest, Stevens, after the face reveal, since she felt the vibes were off. He was also seen making poor remarks about Stevens to fellow contestants and was unapologetically manipulative while pursuing her. Richards, who was paired with Funeral Director Freddie Powell, engaged in toxic behavior and constant criticism after she discovered that he had cheated on his partner in the past. However, Powell has repeatedly explained his remorse for his past actions, stressing that he is a changed person now. Unfortunately, their rocky relationship ultimately ended with Powell rejecting her at the altar.

While there are such instances of things not always brimming with sunshine and rainbows, Love Is Blind: the UK has exceeded viewers’ expectations. It was normal for viewers to hope that couples don't end up married in the original Love Is Blind, think Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee and Vempati or Jessica Batten and Mark Anthony Cuevas. But things are definitely the opposite when it comes to Love Is Blind: UK and although only three of the six couples tie the knot in the finale, their journeys have nonetheless proved to be a delightful watch.

Love Is Blind

Singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have signed up for a less-conventional approach to modern dating.

Release Date February 13, 2020

Cast Nick Lachey , vanessa lachey , Bartise Bowden , Micah Lussier

Seasons 6

The Love Is Blind: UK final reunion episode will be released on Netflix on August 26, 2024 in the U.S. You can stream all previous episodes of the show on the same platform.

Watch on Netflix