Love Is Blind UK Is Hitting Fans Differently Compared To The US Version

When the original season of Love Is Blind came out on Netflix in February of 2020, it took audiences by storm. Part of its popularity may have been due to the fact that it was amidst the pandemic and quarantine, but the series has remained immensely popular ever since.

The innovative dating show has proven so successful in terms of viewership that it's since expanded from the US to several other countries - among them Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates. The latest addition to the expansion is that of Love Is Blind: UK, which from the very start kicks off with some intense moments.

Love Is Blind: UK Deals in Death, Divorce, and Drama

From the start, much of Love Is Blind: UK seems similar to the original. Much like in the American version, contestants reside in separate living quarters throughout the experiment - one section for the men and one section for the women, so that they never see each other. The layout and the design of the pods also looks much the same.

The structure of the season also remains true to the show's premise. After several days of dating sight-unseen in the pods, cast members can whittle down their matches to their top choices. If one of those connections feels strong enough - like their soulmate - they can select to get engaged, after which point they're allowed to finally see one another in an exciting reveal.

So far in the first four episodes that have been released, the season has gotten as far as showing cast members' time dating in the pods, as well as a few engagements for the lucky pairs who have found one another. One can imagine the rest of the season will progress with a similar structure to the original, next moving on to a vacation for the newly betrothed before they move in with each other in the real world.

What Makes Love Is Blind: UK Different

There are a few noticeable changes that set Love Is Blind: UK apart. For one, the hosts are different from the American version. Instead of Hollywood couple Vanessa and Nick Lachey, Love Is Blind: UK is hosted by another celebrity duo, Matt and Emma Willis, who have been together since 2004.

Back then, Emma was working as a presenter for MTV UK, and Matt was a member of the pop band Busted. The model and former boyband singer make for a lovely duo, and outside of the show the two share three children together. Prior to joining the show as hosts, Emma shared that she was slightly nervous to fill the shoes of the Lacheys. She noted it was "terrifying" given the fan base, aware that the new version of the series was "gonna have a massive audience."

Beyond the hosts, the season differs from the others in another major way, as not all of the contestants live in the same city. While all cast members reside somewhere within the UK, many of them are rather spread out, and the show depicts them having fun as they try to place one another's accents in the pods, guessing where everyone is from.

Occasionally, this causes a sticking point, as individuals are wary of prospective partners' willingness to move to be in the same city as them. For the most part, however, the cast members who live a little more off the beaten path show an eagerness to relocate (usually to London), another difference from past Love Is Blind seasons.

The Role Of Death In Dating

In the first batch of episodes that have already dropped, the topic of death comes up quite a bit in the pod conversations. While this may seem unusual, it appears that these discussions just may be the very thing that has allowed individuals to connect with one another.

One cast member, Sabrina, a marketing director from Belfast, shared how much she was affected by the passing of her grandmother, whom she called Gigi. She spoke to how, after Gigi passed, it was incredibly lonely coming home to an empty house, and that it would be nice to have a partner to comfort her in those moments.

Her vulnerable comments played a huge part in forming her connection with fellow contestant Steven, who himself is no stranger to a close brush with death. The Crossfit gym owner shared that he had a serious relationship in the past, but that when his ex became severely ill with cancer, she broke things off between them. Sabrina and Steven went on to become the first couple to get engaged in the season.

The topic of death cropped up in another conversation between cast members Freddie and Catherine, though in a slightly different way. Tender-hearted Freddie (who one can suspect will be the season's darling who will have fans all over the globe swooning) shared that he actually works as a funeral director, surprising many women on the other side of the pod.

When asked if he ever felt uncomfortable being around the deceased, Freddie responded that he wasn't at all, because he thought of it as being with someone's loved one, and that there was comfort in that. When Freddie first told Catherine what his job was, she asked if he was really being serious. He said he was, jokingly adding, "Calm down, I'm not going to embalm you."

The two have since continued to grow closer, which came as a welcome surprise for Freddie, who previously shared how his line of work had taken a toll on his dating life:

But Catherine appears to have accepted him unquestioningly, and the two bonded even more when she shared that she works as a swim coach for children with Down Syndrome. This hit home with Freddie, who explained that he cares for his older brother who also has Down Syndrome.

Clearly getting vulnerable in the pods is the key to growing closer with a connection. Among the other difficult subjects that come up are complicated romantic histories, including cast member Nicole who shared that she was married once before. It's taken her a lot to heal from the split, and going forward the 29 year-old wanted to ensure that the person she picked would remain by her side.

So far, it's unclear where exactly Nicole's romance journey will end, and viewers will have to wait for additional episodes of the show to air to see what ends up happening to all the couples. Netflix will release more episodes of the show each Wednesday moving forward, with Episodes 5-9 set to drop on Wednesday, August 14th.