‘Love Is Blind’ is an American reality television series, produced exclusively for Netflix by ‘Kinetic Content’, the production company also responsible for the creation of ‘Married At First Sight’. It aired its debut episode on 13 January 2020, following the romantic ventures of 30 men and women who took part in a three-week speed dating event, intent on determining whether or not love really is blind.
For ten days, the participating men and women go on dates, confined to specially created pods from which they can talk to each other, but are not allowed to see the other person. The contestants are only allowed to meet each other for the first time after the men make their decision and propose to their potential bride. Following the proposal, the newly engaged couple ships off to a couples resort hosted in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, where they meet the other contestants and actuallyget to know their chosen partner.
Upon their return from Mexico, the couples spend some time living together, and plan their wedding ceremony. The final decision to remain a couple or part ways falls on the day of the wedding, where either of the couple can decide to leave – going through with the wedding becomes legally binding.
The first season featured ten episodes, and on 5 March the producers hosted a reunion show which aired on both YouTube and Netflix. Due to popular demand and the impressive success of the first season, Netflix renewed ‘Love Is Blind’ for a second and third season, which Netflix announced would air in late March of 2020. In hardly any time, ‘Love Is Blind’ became the top trending program on Netflix, with the first episodes recording a minimum of 1.5 million viewers.
By the end of the first season, Netflix reported that at least 30 million households tuned in, and the reunion special hosted on YouTube raked in more than two million viewers.
Largely due to its popularity, ‘Love Is Blind’ received several nominations, which include two Primetime Emmy Awards and two People’s Choice Awards – even the most critical of critics had only good things to report about the show.
Despite being one of the latest reality series to make it on-screen, there are plenty of surprising facts and secrets to divulge about ‘Love Is Blind’. Do not fear, though, most of it will only add to the intrigue of the series, and it’s safe to say that little about it is faked or ‘creative reality’.
Contents
Hush, Hush
The filming of the first season spanned over 38 days. During this short amount of time, the participants got to know each other better, and quickly decided who they’d formed a connection with, and then decide whom to marry. Despite being such a short period to find love, several couples proved that it was indeed enough time to find their soulmate.
However, they had to keep the joy of their newfound romance to themselves. Filming took place between October and November of 2018, but the series only aired on Netflix by January 2020, meaning that if they didn’t want to spoil the results for the viewers, they had to keep their relationship out of the public domain.
Naturally, close friends and family were allowed in on the secret, but of course had to keep it hush, and the couples could only inform them once they returned home. For more than a year, the newlyweds couldn’t share the news on any social media platforms. Neither were they allowed to speak about it with any news outlets or gossip media; thankfully, the participants only gained public attention when the first episodes aired, making it much easier to keep the secret quiet.
At least, since Netflix renewed the series for two more seasons in quick succession of each other, the contestants of the new seasons don’t have to wait that long before being allowed to spill the beans about their romantic adventure.
Second chances do exist! 💜💜 pic.twitter.com/IBm9aweT62
— Love is Blind (@LoveisBlindShow) March 14, 2020
Love Is Hard To Find
While a select few of the show’s participants found love by the end of the first season, the greater majority of them were not as lucky. Many participants didn’t make it through the elimination phases, and those who pushed on to appear before the altar didn’t go through with the wedding.
Viewers may have witnessed the romantic journey of only 30 individuals, but the executive producer, Chris Coelen, revealed to ‘E! News’ that the original cast consisted of up to 50 contestants. However, as the show progressed, during the initial ten days that the contestants spent in the pods, the producers had to narrow down the competition to allow certain participants in apparently flourishing relationships to enjoy more time together.
The ones who seemed unable to form an immediate connection were unfortunately sent home, proving that love is not that easy to find, especially not in such a short amount of time.
On the contrary, though, the show also proved more successful than the producers anticipated. Apart from the six couples featured on the show, four other couples also became engaged following the initial pod-dating phase – since the show had a limited capacity, the producers couldn’t air all the couples’ stories.
What Happens In The Pod
Due to clever editing, the show only reveals snippets of the initial pod-dates between contests, making it impossible for the viewers to determine exactly how much time the participants spent there.
According to Coelen, who later shared the truth about what happened in the pods with ‘Entertainment Weekly’, as the dating process advanced, the usual short, speed dates turned into longer stretched-out sessions. As the paired partners desired to get to know each other more and more, they began requesting more time in the pod.
While in the pods, the producers only limited the participants from touching and seeing each other, but allowed them to request any kind of activity they wished to do together. The producers encouraged creativity, and since they decently catered to all of their needs, the participants were allowed to request anything that would make their dates more personal.
By the end of the pod phase, the participants requested so much time in the pod that some of them fell asleep, supposedly doting on the idea of napping with their potential partner. The producer would eventually have to force the contestants to take breaks, grab something to eat, or even go for their periodic interviews, and make use of the bathrooms.
As it turns out, depriving people of romantic and intimate experiences makes them appreciate the sentimental value of communication all the more.
Home To Atlanta
Observant viewers may have noticed a common recurrence among all the contestants, and that is that all of them were residents of Atlanta, Georgia. According to Coelen, this was no coincidence, and formed part of the show’s plot. Some of the participants hailed from other parts of the US, but the producers specifically searched for cast members who worked and resided in the general Atlanta area.
The reason for this was based on the practical success of the final phase, and not, as some might think, because all the filming took place in the local setting. To allow the couples to make their final decision before tying the knot, they were allowed to see the living conditions of their potential partner.
As such, the second half of the season followed their progress of living together, allowing them to learn what their partner is like in the comfort of home.
Since this could ultimately influence the participants’ final choice, the producers hoped that situating them in the same city would give their romance the best chance of success.
In many other dating shows, some of the contestants faced the difficulties of long-distance relationships because they came from different parts of the world, and quite often it resulted in failure. By choosing only residents of Atlanta, the producers hoped this would avoid the same catastrophes. However, it wouldn’t prevent the contestants from backing out because of poor living conditions.
Isolation In Preparation
When the contestants arrived at the filming studios where they were to participate in the dating event, the producers did everything in their power to ensure that they remained focused on the events ahead.
To do this, the producers isolated the contestants from the outside world, relieving them of their electronic devices such as ‘phones and laptops.
When questioned by ‘Variety’, Coelen stated that they only intended to keep contestants focused. Due to the misconceptions and influence of dating and other social apps, the producers believed it would be counterintuitive to the progress of the show if participants remained active on their devices.
However, it was not the only creature comfort the participants were stripped of while filming. Aside from hosting the men and women separately, obviously, to keep up the identity mystery, the producers also deprived them of comfortable sleeping arrangements. Guess it’s no wonder some of them took naps in the pods, and wanted to spend so much time away from their bedroom trailers.
ICONS. 💜 pic.twitter.com/bTaDms9JTM
— Love is Blind (@LoveisBlindShow) March 8, 2020
According to one contestant, Kenny Barnes, the beds compared unfavourably to the same comforts used in correctional facilities – not sure how he knew that! It seems that the producers wanted the contestants focused on finding love than having a fun vacation getaway.
Bonding With The Competition
Although the contestants existed in poor living arrangements, deprived of several comforts, and the fact that the show intended to be somewhat competitive, some of the contestants formed friendships and lasting bonds.
Some even compared their experience on the show to that of belonging to a sorority or fraternity. According to one contestant, Lauren Speed, the women were surprisingly friendly and formed a fellowship among themselves, even though many thought the drama might escalate if they happen to fall for the same guy.
As Lauren told ‘Oprah Magazine’, she would even refer to their friendships as a sisterhood, stating that the once-in-a-lifetime nature of their experience brought them together to form a unique bond.
Fellow cast member, Mark Cuevas, confirmed that the same happened among the men, and called their bond something similar to a ‘frat house’, except that it wasn’t as childish, and certainly more open to emotion.
Narcissistic Descriptions
The contestants had to abide by two basic, but very important rules, which detailed that potential dates may never see or touch each other before the proposal. possibly also a reason why the producers confiscated their electronic devices since it would be too easy to search a name on any social media app and ruin the surprise, not to mention the entire concept of the show.
However, contestants were allowed to describe themselves to the other person, and as can be expected, they shared a few hilarious concepts.
Surprisingly, for people specifically chosen because they seek unbiased love that is not formed by infatuations about physical presence, wealth, or social status, some of them described themselves in narcissistic manners.
According to the hosts of ‘Love Is Blind’, Vanessa and Nick Lachey, some of the contestants would describe themselves as comparisons to certain celebrities. As the hosts told ‘People Now’, some of their claims sounded far-fetched, and not entirely accurate. Oddly, they would not describe themselves as possessing dislikable features, making one question the authenticity of their unconditional desires.
True Casting
During his interview with ‘Variety’, Coelen confided that the show took the casting process seriously. Since there are so many other dating reality shows out there, the idea behind ‘Love Is Blind’ needed to be different, and far more serious and realistic.
However, they did face the difficulty of finding people willing to get hitched in a short amount of time. They also needed to be sure that the singles cast for the show were there for the right reason, which was to find love unconditional of any physical factors.
Surprisingly, they had a tremendous turn-up, which required scaling down to ensure all the contestants had enough time to find their potential soul mate. With the latest seasons underway, the turn-up seemed just as promising as before, possibly even better because of the show’s popularity.
No Reward But Plenty of Freebies
Despite what people may believe about the show, the contestants do not receive any compensation for their participation. On the contrary, aside from searching for singles looking for genuine love, they should also be able to afford a wedding. The show offers no cash prize to the winners, but for the duration of their stay, the producers cover most of their expenses, and supply them with considerable luxuries, of course, at the cost of certain comforts.
With that said, the producers provide the newly engaged couples with a luxurious getaway to a resort in Mexico as part of the show. Then, once they are ready to make their vows, the producers offer them a basic wedding plan. If they desire a more extravagant affair, the couple has to cover the costs of any extra luxuries themselves.
Considering the expensive choices selected by the producers for the weddings, which include a luxurious $30,000 venue, it might be worth it to appear on the show. Although contestants receive little to no reward, the freebies on offer and the chance at true love certainly seems alluring. No wonder people are already lining up in the hope of being cast for the latest seasons.
Put a Ring On It
Perhaps one of the most important parts of getting engaged would, by many standards, be the engagement ring. Of course, knowing the value placed on this sentimental piece, the producers made special arrangements for the couples.
Since the men were not allowed to visit a jewellery shop, the producers presented them with a selection of rings from which they could choose at leisure.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t consult their future bride, and had to decide by male intuition. Divulging the internal secrets to ‘Entertainment Tonight’, Coelen stated that they hoped to create as authentic an experience as possible, especially because of how important a decision like this can be.
By a strange coincidence, dedicated fans discovered that three of the men who proposed happened to choose the same ring. Although they couldn’t determine who the secret jewel designer was who supplied ‘Love Is Blind’ with its optional rings, they did learn that Jessica, Lauren, and Amber received the same three-diamond extravaganza.
We hope you enjoy the intrigue of the second season, and keeping these interesting trivia in mind, continue to watch as people blindly stumble onto love, or given the time constraint, rush headlong!
Hopefully, more interesting facts will come to light with the next two seasons, which we will be all too eager to divulge.
