Matt and Emma Willis are the U.K.’s answer to Nick and Vanessa Lachey — and not just because he’s a former boyband singer and she’s a model turned TV presenter. Like the Lacheys, Mr and Mrs Willis are the new (U.K.) hosts of “Love is Blind,” Netflix’s wildly successful dating-show.
Ahead of the first British version of the show dropping on the streamer today (Aug. 1), the couple sat down with Variety to discuss how the U.K. series will differ to the original, why they think the format has been so successful and which castmember is likely to be the most controversial with viewers…
A lot of “Love is Blind” fans are very vocal about Nick and Vanessa’s contributions to the show. Did that worry you when signing up?
Emma: I’ve worked on a lot of shows where people are very opinionated and you can’t please everybody. For me personally what I do is I go, “Do I genuinely like this show? Do I think I can bring something to it? And will I love doing it? And will I put all my love into it?” And it’s always a yes and I think that’s all you can do. As long as you stay true to what you’re doing, and you all work together and do the best possible job, then that’s all you can really do. And there will be people that don’t like the way you do it, or don’t agree with some of the things you might say, but, you know —
Matt: I don’t know anything that people have said about those guys, but they keep doing the job so obviously there’s a lot of other people who think they’re great. I think some people shout with a very loud voice but I don’t really pay much attention.
Emma: It is terrifying, though. The fact that like, it’s gonna have a massive audience.
Matt: Yeah, I forgot about that until recently.
Emma: And it’s a massively loved show as well. You’re suddenly like, “Oh, please let them love our version too.” And that doesn’t mean love us — you don’t have to love us — I just hope that you love the version because I think they’ve made it brilliantly.
Matt: We’ve watched it all. And I loved it. I laughed, I cried, I screamed at the TV — it’s everything you want.
Were there any surprises?
Emma: There are surprises along the way. They’re not necessarily obvious surprises, and not necessarily surprises of “Oh, I thought they would get together but they didn’t.” It’s more of what happens along their paths.
Matt: Things you didn’t expect to be an issue…
Emma: Whether it’s big or small, there are definitely things that happen and surprise you.
Matt: And sometimes in relationships the small things are the big things. And that’s what can be surprising sometimes as well.
Emma: But I also love the humor in it. It’s so funny, it’s got such warmth.
Matt: Yeah, it’s very British as well, which I love. From the first episode when you hear [funeral director] Freddie say “Calm down, I’m not going to embalm you,” it’s just perfect British humor. And I was so pleased that it was so British. What becomes more apparent, the more you watch it, is piss-taking is British people’s love language. It’s such a big part of British humor and British connection. I think the rest of the world might be quite taken aback by that at times, but I think that’s what’s so great about Britain.
Why do you think the show works?
Emma: I feel like it’s a genuine show. Because there is something quite serious at the end of it like a wedding, you can’t enter into it lightly. Although you will always get some people who might be there for the wrong reasons, I think predominantly everybody’s there for the right reasons and with good intentions. It’s really nice to watch people fall in love. Or sometimes it’s really nice to go “Urgh what are they doing!” and hide behind your fingers. Maybe poems or things that are actually really cute and endearing and a little bit cheesy. I think it’s just got everything, really.
Matt: And it’s got love at the heart of it, which I think is missing a lot from telly. It’s really nice to watch that. It leaves you feeling good.
Is there anything else that gives it a British spin?
Emma: I think the sense of humor in every way is just very British, whether it’s the love language is taking the piss, or those vulnerable moments just seem really genuine and endearing. There’s a really sweet awkwardness as well.
Brits aren’t know for talking about their feelings right?
Matt: I feel they have no choice but to get quite real because they have a limited amount of time to really find out if this [is the person they’re going to propose to]. And a wedding in the U.K. is a big deal. It’s a real, legally-binding wedding, it’s bonkers, so they have a limited time to really get all those things across and I was really blown away by how vulnerable British men were willing to be and really open up and I think it’s really good for everyone to see.
Do you think the U.K. contestants are genuinely looking to find love?
Emma: Yeah, pretty much. I think they are.
Matt: I think so. I think that’s the difference in this show. I think the casting is so bloody brilliant, they’re so rigorous with it.
A hot funeral director is genius.
Matt: I mean, it’s great right?
Emma: Don’t you think everyone’s really relatable?
Yeah apart from maybe Sam…
Emma: You’re not the first person to say that!
People are going to be very vocal about Sam…
Emma: He’s going to be quite divisive, isn’t he? But then on the flip side of all of that, right, you’ve got to think why is somebody the way they are? There will be reasons. Maybe from some of the things that we heard him say, maybe he does just really want to be bloody loved. He’s looking for validation, isn’t he, all the time. The first time he meets Nicole he goes, “What do you think?” Like he wants to know — rather than paying a compliment to her — he wants to know what she thinks of him. That’s got to be —
Matt: — some deep-rooted thing. He’s the gift that keeps on giving. You just wait.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
