Status Update
In the pods across the pond, Love Is Blind: UK Season 1 welcomed a group of singles seeking to answer the same question asked by many hopeless romantics before them: Is love truly blind?
If this season’s pod squad is any indication, then the answer is a resounding yes, as love is alive and well in the United Kingdom. Six couples — Sabrina and Steven, Maria and Tom, Jasmine and Bobby, Demi and Ollie, Catherine and Freddie, and Nicole and Benaiah — took the plunge and got engaged. And while not every pair said “I do” on the big day (or even stayed together after getting married), they’ve all been affected by the life-changing journey that brought them to the altar.
Now it’s time to catch up on everything that’s gone down after the reunion, which brought the pod squad back together for the first time. Who’s still together? Where does everyone stand a year later? And most importantly: Will Bobby release a follow-up to “Body of a Dancer”?
Sabrina and Steven
STATUS: NOT TOGETHER
Happily ever after lasted less than a year for Sabrina and Steven, who unexpectedly split even after tying the knot in the finale. “Obviously life is very different than I imagined it was going to be after the show, so it’s been a bit of a roller coaster,” Sabrina tells Tudum. The exes are currently in the process of getting their marriage annulled and sorting through the wreckage of a relationship fans were confident would go the distance. “I was rooting for us, too,” she adds.
So what went wrong? As Steven sees it, the marriage was a casualty of long distance and the realities of making a relationship work outside the experiment. “In the real world, you’ve got the added pressures of work, lack of sleep, et cetera,” he says. “We just weren’t compatible. We had different communication styles and expectations of each other, particularly when under pressure. Obviously, the distance, that just magnified everything.” Sabrina believes now that their connection was “too good to be true.”
Paul Santos/Netflix
While she doesn’t doubt that the two initially shared a genuine love for one another, she’s less confident that Steven is husband material. “I don’t think he really thought about what the magnitude of a marriage was,” she shares. “You see him telling my family that he has the flexibility to come and spend time in Belfast. But three days after the cameras stop rolling, he tells me that he’s not in a position to spend time in Belfast.” Sabrina felt that the responsibility of keeping the relationship afloat was put solely on her shoulders. “I [was the one who] traveled back and forth to London,” she says. “Even after all the deceit, I continued to try and make the relationship work.” The two reached a breaking point when Sabrina felt that Steven was no longer “giving [her] the same respect and consideration,” resulting in their eventual split. “It was meant to be a partnership, but it was very much one-sided,” says Sabrina. “I had to make the decision to choose myself.”
Both are currently single — and not looking to enter into anything serious in the near future. “It’s not like I could date with any intent and say, ‘Do you want to watch me get married on TV?’ I’m going to have to ride that wave for a little bit and see what happens,” Steven says. Sabrina, meanwhile, is keeping her focus on her career, as she has since established her own marketing agency. “I got to hire my first employee this year within four months of setting up the company, and my goal is to just keep on growing.”
Maria and Tom
STATUS: NOT TOGETHER
It seemed that Maria and Tom’s fundamental differences about life, love, and, yes, splitting the bill proved too difficult to overcome on their wedding day.
But looking back, Maria says she can’t help but feel “a bit deceived” by her former fiancé, who she believes in essence told her what she wanted to hear when they were in the pods. Behind the scenes, “Tom had said, ‘I like the look of a traditional marriage. I do believe in gender roles, I am this type of man,’ ” she tells Tudum. But she isn’t sure that he didn’t just say what she wanted to hear so they would keep dating. “[Tom] enjoyed how I made him feel and ran with that, rather than taking into consideration, ‘I’m probably not everything she’s looking for, and this might all fall apart when we come to meet each other in real life,’ ” Maria says. Over the course of their courtship, she says the two were completely aligned on the role of a man in the household. “Not everything is shown and there were reasons why I went for him,” Maria adds. “He probably could have been a bit more truthful with who he was.”
Paul Santos/Netflix
Tom, however, maintains that they didn’t align from the start. “It was an amazing journey for both of us, and we had such a strong connection,” he says. “There were clearly things that we didn’t match on in terms of our values, but hopefully we can look back on it and really celebrate the positives in our relationship.”
Despite their relationship’s rocky ending, neither has regrets about diving head first into the experiment. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I feel like I’ve got a newfound confidence within myself, and [I’m] sort of just waking up really positive every day,” says Maria. She’s also immensely proud to have represented Muslim women, who’ve filled her inbox with messages about “showing a different side” of the community. “They’ve shown me nothing but endless love and it’s just made me feel so much better about actually going down this route, because I was quite nervous and anxious.”
And should any single gentlemen slide into her DMs, Maria is open to new connections. “I’m waiting for the sexy men,” she jokes. “They’re not here yet.” Tom, meanwhile, describes himself as “hideously single.” “Lately,” he adds, “I’ve tried to keep away from a lot of my DMs.”
Jasmine and Bobby
STATUS: STILL TOGETHER
Showing each other the “good, bad, and the ugly” in the pods paved the way for Jasmine and Bobby to ride through highs and lows of the experiment and off into the the sunset together. “I didn’t want to hide anything from my future partner, so I felt like Bobby appreciated every single part of me,” Jasmine tells Tudum. “We weren’t afraid to discuss very difficult topics.” That spirit of trust and honesty is the throughline of their relationship, which continues to thrive due to a shared value of open communication. “My job is to really listen, hear her, and try my best to make us secure,” says Bobby. “Now she feels secure and confident. As she should, because she’s beautiful inside and out.”
Since the we last saw them, the couple have completely blended their lives together and moved into their own apartment, where they hope to take their next big step: starting a family. “We are planning to expand our family,” Jasmine says, “hopefully by next year.”
And they’ll have grandaon hand to help change any diapers, as Jasmine’s mother, Marissa, has become an integral part of their day-to-day lives. Despite a slightly awkward beginning, the trio have settled into a new normal together. “She’s super supportive and the boundaries are in place,” says Bobby. “We’ve built on our relationship and become very close.” Jasmine believes her mother just needed to “ease into the dynamic” and adjust to the reality of gaining a son-in-law within a matter of weeks. “They’re besties now,” she says. “My mom’s been able to understand the awkwardness that occurred that night and show a lot of reflection. It’s also important to realize this is real life. Families do argue and have misunderstandings. But it’s about doing better, being better, and just learning from it.”
Paul Santos/Netflix
And, to all fans out there, rest assured that Bobby is intent on dropping more music. “We’ve got to have ‘Body of a Dancer’ Part 2 now, but this time Jasmine has to be the model in the video,” he says. And for what it’s worth, she’s more than happy to join in on the fun. “I love his music. I am very supportive of Bobby,” she says. “The first time I heard it, I was nonstop singing it the whole day. He’s so talented, and if you do have that talent, you need to showcase it.”
Demi and Ollie
STATUS: NOT TOGETHER
Despite Demi’s “no” at the altar, the couple didn’t exactly close the door on their relationship in the finale. So what happened next? With some time away from the experiment, the two realized that they were simply better as friends. “We’re in a really good place now and genuinely best friends,” Ollie tells Tudum. “We speak quite regularly, comment on each other’s Instagrams, and wind each other up. I’m glad that not making it to marriage wasn’t necessarily the end of our friendship.”
While Demi came into the experience looking for a soulmate, she’s walking away with something even more valuable. “I fell in love with Ollie and envisioned him to be my husband,” she says. “But I fell in love with myself so much deeper. It was the perfect love story for me. I’m grateful for Ollie for being with me through that journey, but I know what my mans needs to do for me!”
Tapping into her self-confidence has led Demi to appreciate how she is loved by the people around her and is trying to share that feeling with others. She’s been particularly moved by the response from women around the world who’ve shared their own endometriosis stories after she opened up in the pods about the condition. “It’s really empowered me,” she explains. “I don’t know what the future looks like, but if I can keep being an advocate and bring awareness to something that has crippled me and knocked my confidence back, I want to be able to do that.”
Paul Santos/Netflix
As for Ollie, he has no regrets about the time he spent with Demi, as the two shared “a lot of laughs, love, and beautiful moments that happened off camera.” Despite saying yes at the altar, Ollie now believes the two weren’t meant to be husband and wife. “We weren’t ready for that step per se,” he says. “Maybe I wasn’t as ready as I needed to be.” But there is a (relatively) new woman in Ollie’s life: fellow Season 1 pod squad member Sharlotte. “I didn’t expect to catch feelings for even one person in there, but to have that happen twice is a bit of a whirlwind,” he says. The two connected once filming ended, after he and Demi had settled into a friendship. While Ollie isn’t making anything official yet, the two are currently dating. “[Sharlotte] was one of my main connections that didn’t get to air, but we had a very, very strong connection in the pods,” he explains. “Obviously seeing her in the flesh added a new dynamic. It was something that we explored after the show was done and that connection came back, and we just built on that.”
Nicole and Benaiah
STATUS: STILL TOGETHER
Coming into the pods, Benaiah was “pretty skeptical” that he’d actually meet the woman of his dreams. “To be honest, I didn’t think this experiment would work for me,” he tells Tudum. Then Nicole came along. The two are still happily married today. And while the road to the altar wasn’t exactly smooth, Nicole says she wouldn’t change the trajectory of their relationship for anything. “I was being true to myself at every single step of the way,” she says. “Even though I made a lot of mistakes throughout the experiment, I was being me.”
In fact, being tested repeatedly over the course of their admittedly unconventional Love Is Blind journey has only brought the couple closer. “Throughout the whole experience it was always a challenge. I always felt on edge,” says Benaiah. “Now I’m very comfortable and confident in us. The year of downtime from everything behind closed doors was really good for us. We needed that to be able to cope with what’s coming our way now, to be honest.”
Paul Santos/Netflix
That’s why both aren’t giving much thought to Sam, Nicole’s former fiancé and the other part of this season’s love triangle. “I’ve not spoken to him [since the reunion] and I don’t think he’s going to be part of our future, really,” says Benaiah. “I have some level of sympathy for him because … there’s a lot happening behind closed doors with Sam that you don’t get to see.” While Nicole is “hoping for healing for Sam,” she insists that he was “spewing false things” to hurt the couple at the group drinks midway through the season. “Sam was lying about our physical intimacy and saying I was trying to sleep with him. That was all a lie,” she explains. If there was one regret she has looking back at the season, Nicole wishes she’d handled the confrontation differently. “I was always trying to take the high road, but then I confused taking the high road with speaking my truth,” she adds. “I wish I’d stood up for myself in that moment in the mixer.”
As for what lies ahead for the couple, they have one bucket list item in mind: another wedding. “None of my family could be there because my granddad was so ill,” says Benaiah. “It’s important for me to celebrate our marriage and the journey we’ve been through and where we are now.”
Catherine and Freddie
STATUS: NOT TOGETHER
While a string of bizarre coincidences and a penchant for twice-a-day workouts paved the way to a loving relationship, the rest didn’t come together as planned for Catherine and Freddie. On their wedding day, Catherine says “I do,” but Freddie walks away, leaving her heartbroken and uncertain about their future. “We’re still friends, and I have a lot of love for her,” Freddie tells Tudum about where they stand today. “We gave it a go for a little bit, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
The funeral director says the cracks in their relationship began to show once the two exited the pods as an engaged couple and arrived at the romantic retreat. “I know I’m not a perfect person, but I do feel like Cat was a bit short-tempered with me. I didn’t really like that,” he says. “There were just differences between us and it was a lot of pressure.” Freddie says he struggled to “think for [himself]” during the different phases of the experiment, and only gained clarity when he took time away from Catherine and the cameras. “I felt a bit suffocated,” he says. “It was only when I had that time to myself where I got clarity and I thought I could make my own decisions.”
As to why Catherine was quick to anger with Freddie, she says there was “a lot of stuff that the public didn’t see,” which fueled their on-camera clashes. “Freddie was saying one thing to my family and friends [andaother] to me off camera,” she claims. “There’s a very different side to Freddie. [That’s] why I was very insecure throughout the whole way. A lot of stuff came out of the woodwork.”
Paul Santos/Netflix
Since being rejected at the altar, another man has come into Catherine’s life — one fans might already be familiar with. Catherine is currently dating Jake, a fellow Season 1 pod squad member. “I’m obviously in a new relationship, and it’s been nearly a year,” she says. “I’m happy now, and as long as [Freddie] is happy and we get on, I don’t [care].” And she won’t let anyone — not even certain social media users — pop her love bubble. “I’m taking a step back [from posting] just because people are hating, but it’s fine,” Catherine says. “I’m just doing a lot of work on myself and enjoying every moment as [much as] I can.”
For the record, Freddie is single, but he admits that seeing Catherine move on so quickly wasn’t exactly ideal. “Not long after me and Cat broke up, she started dating somebody from the pods,” he says. “So that was difficult.”
Sam
STATUS: SINGLE
Since filming ended, Sam has been working on himself — though he still maintains that he’s “harmless,” and instead has been incorrectly perceived as a “villain and walking red flag.” But now that his drama with Benaiah and ex-fiancée Nicole is behind him, he’s ready to move on for good. However, that doesn’t mean he’s in a rush to jump back in the dating pool anytime soon. “I’m on my healing journey right now so [that] when I do meet the right person — the love of my life — which I hope does happen, I can be the best version of myself,” he tells Tudum. “I’m in no rush to find someone. I’m just going to take a little bit of time for myself and be surrounded by my friends, family, and work colleagues. When the time feels right, I will then start to open up a little bit more. In terms of dating apps, I’m not so sure you’ll ever see Sam from London on those again.”
To hear more about Sam’s reflections since the reunion, read our interview with him here.
Natasha
STATUS: SINGLE
Being a part of Love Is Blind: UK “changed dating completely” for Natasha, who now has an entirely different outlook on finding love. “Before, I was looking for someone to complete me; whereas now I’m waiting for the right man to meet me, so we can do life together,” she tells Tudum. “I’ve grown so much confidence. [The experiment] reminded me of exactly what I bring to the table.” But Natasha, who’s currently single, isn’t actively searching for a partner at the moment. When the time comes, she’s learned what red flags to keep an eye out for and to come prepared with a list of questions to make sure whoever crosses her path is husband material.
As for her connection with Tom, Natasha was “genuinely sad” to hear about his split with Maria. “I love Maria, and I was always happy that he’d found his person,” she says. “I wanted that journey for him.” And while both her and Tom now happen to both be single, the door is closed on any romantic reconciliation. “Obviously we connected and had lots of emotional intense chats in the pods, so it would be nice to have him as a friend in my life in some kind of capacity,” she says. “But I’d be silly to explore that again. I put up a big wall because I needed to keep myself guarded.”
