So... is love truly blind?
After six seasons of the Emmy-nominated reality dating show Love Is Blind – not to mention its spin-off editions in Brazil, Japan and Sweden – UK singletons are ready to put their faith in the dating experiment that has made successful matches (and even a baby!) from strangers who fell in love and got engaged without ever actually seeing each other face-to-face.
With the global success of UK reality shows like Love Island, Married At First Sight and, more recently, I Kissed A Boy, it was only a matter of time before the popular Netflix show reached our shores.
Now, a whole new batch of romantics will be hoping to form an emotional bond in the iconic Love Is Blind pods, and maybe even take their love all the way to the altar.
Here’s everything we know about the inaugural UK edition of Love Is Blind...
What is the concept of Love Is Blind UK?
The idea behind the show is very much in the name. A total of 30 men and women enter dating “pods” in which they can communicate but can’t see one other, meaning everyone in the processs is searching for an emotional connection on a series of blind dates.
Once they find their match, someone pops the question and hey presto, an engaged couple is formed.
Next, it’s time to meet in person, where the newly formed couple are dramatically revealed to one another in the flesh for the first time. Sometimes it’s a joyous meeting, other times it’s a tad more…awkward.
After that, they head on a holiday with all the other couples who became engaged in the “pods”, before venturing back into the real world to live together as a pair. The question here is, will their physical connection match their emotional one?
Then it all comes down to one final moment. Will they both say “I do” at the altar? (Spoiler if you’re new here: sometimes they don’t.)
Who is hosting Love Is Blind UK?
With married couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey hosting the US version, they’ve carried on that tradition for the UK edition in the shape of Matt and Emma Willis.
“I’m so excited to be presenting the UK version of Love Is Blind with Emma,” said Matt in a statement to Netflix.
“We love the show! It’s been such a dream working together and fascinating to watch the process unfold. Experiencing this new project side by side has been really amazing, and I can’t wait for people to come on this journey with us.”
“I love to play matchmaker with my friends and love LOVE, so I am so excited to be co-hosting the first ever UK version of Love Is Blind,” added Emma.
“I’m intrigued to see people connect on a purely emotional and mental level right off the bat, without visuals playing a part. Plus – you’re getting double Willis! I’ve loved going to work with Matt, and we’re both obsessed with the show, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
For those who don’t know, who are Emma and Matt Willis?
Emma has been a presenter on British TV for more than 20 years, known for hosting reality shows like Big Brother, The Voice and The Circle.
Meanwhile, you’ll probably know Matt best being in the pop group Busted, along with winning I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! back in 2006.
The married couple have also presented together once before, on the I’m A Celebrtiy spin-off show Get Me Out Of Here Now!, between 2007 and 2008.
Emma and Matt have been married since 2008 and share three children: 14-year-old Isabelle, 11-year-old Ace and seven-year-old Trixie.
Over the years they been candid about their own relationship hurdles, with Matt fronting a documentary for the BBC about his experiences of substance abuse and addiction last year, in which Emma was also featured.
Who are the Love Is Blind UK contestants?
Netflix has revealed that the new recruits range between the ages of 27 and 38 years old, including “a gym-loving funeral director, a woman who feels like her dating life has been sidelined by her ‘resting bitch face’, and a techno DJ and cellist who tends to date older”.
If you want a really thorough run down of the new cast, you can check them out here and in the below video.
Matt and Emma have also given us reason to believe this season is going to be a good one, telling Sky News that “absolutely, love can be blind”, adding: “We’ve seen it be blind – without giving away any spoilers.”
How will Love Is Blind UK be different to other international editions?
Apparently the brand new instalment is very much going to live up to the “UK” in the title.
“It’s just a very British version – it’s quite self-deprecating,” Emma explained to the BBC. “There’s a lot of humour, a lot of banter.
“And you can tell that when they say [things in the pods], you feel like they really mean it, because you feel like they wouldn’t say if they didn’t.”
Netflix has also promised that the cast will be “bringing the bants” to the pods in, er, true British fashion.
Is there a trailer?
There is! And it already promises drama aplenty:
When is it out?
New batches of episodes are set to drop each Wednesday.
Wednesday, 7 August : Episodes 1-4
Wednesday, 14 August: Episodes 5-9
Wednesday, 21 August: Episodes 10-11
The episodes will be available to stream from 1am BST.
What if I want to sign up to the next series?
Casting for the new series (which will film later this year) is already open for UK residents over 18. You can apply here.