Love Is Blind UK has come to Netflix, and thankfully it’s been just as drama-filled as the American version. The UK version of the iconic reality series sees a group of singles date each other from behind a wall, with the hopes of becoming engaged before they ever meet in person. One of those couples were Tom and Maria, who made it all the way to their wedding day, before he said “I don’t” at the altar. But what happened after their wedding day, and are they still a couple?

   

During their time in the pods, 38-year-old Tom and 30-year-old Maria formed a connection, bonding over their sense of humour and creating an emotional attachment. However, the pair struggled to see eye to eye when it came to their views on who should pay for what in a marriage, and a typical patriarchal relationship, where a man is seen as the ‘provider’.

At their wedding, Tom said ‘I do not’ to Maria at the altar, citing his concerns over how she might raise their future children as the reason. But did the pair actually break up after the show, or did they seek to work through things as a new couple?

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In a new TikTok, Tom explained that the pair’s “cultural differences” had put a strain on their relationship, and they eventually split up.

“Leading up to the wedding day, it was pretty clear that Maria and I had some pretty big cultural differences, and ultimately we both felt that it was going to be a ‘no’ at the altar,” he explained.

“The format of the show means that one of us has to walk away first sadly.”

He explained that he has “nothing but respect” for Maria and it’s a “real shame that our relationship didn’t work out”.

“At the end of the day, it’s a TV show, and there’s limited time to tell the full story,” he said.

The pair’s relationship ideals caused friction during the show, with Maria expressing that she was happier to take on the more “traditional” role of a wife and mother, while Tom said he didn’t want a “stay at home wife”.

Things came to a head when Maria explained that she believes men should pay for everything in a relationship, with Tom claiming at their wedding that their differences could “affect our life day-to-day”.

In an interview after the pair parted ways, Tom explained: “She’s someone that I’ll always love and respect.

“If I had a little girl, I wouldn’t want that little girl to expect that the guy pays for everything. I would want to raise that little girl to be a strong, independent woman that contributes herself. I don’t think we had enough time to address those things.”

Despite the break up, Maria has also cleared the air after the wedding episode, saying she had no regrets about their relationship.

“I try not to live with regrets,” Maria said on Instagram Stories.

“I try to think everything happens the way it was supposed to, and my journey would have happened in the exact [same way] if I had to do it again. The only thing I would say is I would’ve tried to enjoy it a bit more.”

Hopefully we’ll get to hear more of Maria’s side of the story at the reunion!