Former Love Is Blind UK contestants have opened up about their time on the show, with some claiming it wasn’t as glossy as it seemed to be, particularly if you don’t make it past the pods
Fans of Love is Blind UK lapped up every ounce of drama when it finally landed on screen – but it seems like there was a lot that wasn’t shown.
From flight fury to surprising living quarters, some contestants have now claimed their time on the show wasn’t as glamorous as it appeared, particularly if you don’t make it past the pods.
Former contestant Jordan Baker has not held back with his scathing claims about the show behind the scenes, revealing that some couples who didn’t get a look-in on the final cut felt short changed.
He says that while everyone is there to find love equally, not everyone will be shown in the episodes. Despite getting engaged in the pods, Jordan was one of a number of people who weren’t shown on the hit series.
“You’re trying to get as many connections with people as possible because you’ve got more of a chance to stay on the show and get a free holiday. So, it turned into a competition rather than an experiment in finding love. We knew it was a big show in the US, so the opportunities afterwards are huge,” Jordan told the Daily Mail.
Despite plenty of glossy shots of London’s skyline when successful contestants made it further through the show, the pod scenes were actually filmed in Sweden. And rules are strict – each contestant has their phone taken away and it is understood that they have to sign an NDA before finding their new match.
Jordan said: “People quit their jobs to go on the show. The longer you’re on it for, the more you get paid. And if you make it to the final edit then you’ve most likely got a career out of it. But we got paid pennies while actually on the show; it wasn’t enough to cover my rent in London.”
The fashion tech founder claimed the contestants were repeatedly told the production was on “such a tight budget” therefore only a few people could be taken through to the final. He also alleged that contestants who didn’t make it any further than the pods had to pay for their own flights home. As many people quit their jobs to be on the show, it appears to have left some sour feelings among the invisible contestants.
Meanwhile, finalist Catherine Richard spilled the beans on what the living quarters are really like. She told Baliwick Podcasts they stayed in a hotel, but the show is filmed in a massive studio and said it was “really weird, like a movie set”.
“There’s a boys’ lounge and a girls’ lounge but you get taken over and enter as if we live there. Because the boys are on the other side, you can hear them but you can’t see them and, even if you need to go to the toilet or want fresh air, you’re escorted,” she revealed.
Jordan said the filming was done over long days which started with a 7am wakeup and a buffet breakfast at the hotel. They were then taken on set, but he claims some people don’t return until 10pm if they had later dates.
Contestants also said they were given notebooks with a schedule of who to date and what questions to ask – and were given six minutes per date, which then became longer when producers had paired them up.
Catherine said the pressure was “unreal” when it came to finding a connection, and said it wasn’t like real life at all. Jordan echoed this and said it became quite cut throat, with some contestants thinking: “I’ll make a connection with her because then I’ll get a free holiday.”
A spokesperson from Netflix told The Mirror: “Cast members were not forced to form connections. At the beginning of the experiment, they went on speed dates with each member of the cast and had the opportunity to spend more time with those they were developing connections with, and eventually propose before meeting. Production does not interfere with this process and cast members are free to leave the experiment if they do not make connections.
“All flights were fully purchased by production and excess baggage was reimbursed. Cast members are given suggested questions for their dates in order to get to know their potential partner for marriage. These are not compulsory and are merely a guide.”
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