The Love is Blind UK star sparked a connection with Maria in the pods, but it didn’t end well
Love is Blind UK is the dating show we all needed in our lives following the end of Love Island earlier this summer and we’re not afraid to say it had us hooked.
One of our favourite couples of the series were Tom Stroud and Maria Benkh, who sparked a close connection in the pods. But despite starting off strong, Tom and Maria hit and few speed bumps when they returned to the real world.
After clashing over his opinion on her job and their differing views about traditional roles in relationships, Tom chose not to say “I do” to Maria on their wedding day. At the reunion, it was confirmed that Tom and Maria chose not to pursue a relationship after the experiment – so what is he up to now? And how are things between him and Maria? Read on to find out everything you need to know…
What happened between Tom Stroud and Maria Benkh on Love is Blind UK?
Tom and Maria hit it off after getting to know each other in the pods, but he also had a connection with Natasha Waters. He eventually decided he wanted to be with Maria and ended things with Natasha, leading to her tearfully leaving the experiment.
Tom proposed to Maria and they had an obvious connection when they came face-to-face for the first time. The cast then flew out to Corfu for a couples’ getaway, which passed by with little drama for Tom and Maria, although things started to take a bit of a turn when they returned home and he revealed that he initially didn’t have the best impression of her job as a makeup artist.
Tom later shared his concerns about his and Maria’s differing values after she explained that men are usually expected to pay in her culture. He was also worried about meeting her family, although the first meeting went well and Maria’s mum gave them her blessing.
In the end, Tom decided not to Maria as he was worried their cultural differences would be too much of a problem. During the reunion episode, it was confirmed that they didn’t rekindle their relationship after the show and Maria admitted she felt Tom had been “indirectly insulting to her family”.
Is Tom Stroud still single?
It looks like Tom is still single a year after filming ended. During an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, Tom was asked whether he met up with Natasha after the show and he admitted he didn’t out of respect for Maria.
He explained, “I didn’t feel like that would be particularly respectful to Maria to go and chase another connection. We all needed a lot of time after the experience to decompress and reflect – I know most of the cast found getting back to normal life pretty tough and I was no exception. I’m really happy we have a friendship now though, she is an astonishing human being and a far better person than I am.”
What did Tom Stroud say about Sam Klein?
During the Ask Me Anything, Tom also had some choice words for his co-star Sam Klein. Calling him “a complicated man”, Tom said Sam wasn’t “authentically himself”. Tom added, “He obviously needs to do some work to go and find out who he truly is and work on some of his less desirable characteristics, but hell, we all do!”
