Viewers have been hooked to the drama on the new series of Love Is Blind UK. Season two of Netflix’s dating show, hosted by Emma and Matt Willis, has seen five couples getting engaged within the first four episodes, but how many of them will last to make it up the altar?
The engaged pairs are Ashleigh Berry and Billy Jervis Jr, Kieran Holmes-Darby and Megan Jupp, Kal Pasha and Sarover Aujla, Jed Chouman and Bardha Krasniqi and Katisha Atkinson and Javen Palmer.
The dating experiment sees the contestants getting to know each other in the famous Pods without seeing one another, before their real-life meeting once they commit and get engaged. They then spend a week together in Cyprus for a post-pod retreat before returning to the UK to live together and plan their wedding.
Katisha, 31, and Javen, 28, were the last couple to get engaged after getting involved in a love triangle with Demola Ayilara, following her shock last-minute turn-around.
Are Katisha and Javen still together?
At the end of the first four episodes, Katisha and Javen are still together, after the nanny and make-up artist did a 180 and chose to pursue her connection with the health coach over Demola, despite the shaky start and other members of the pod squad questioning their relationship. But there are doubts whether their union will last, after his 'disrespectful' behaviour left her in tears in episode seven.
When Katisha and Javen were reunited with the other contestants, Javen made a beeline for eliminated singletons Sophie Willett and Aanu, chatting them up in front of his fiancee. 'You're going to get me into trouble,' he told singer Aanu, and later asked Sophie if she 'was dating anyone' and 'lived far from here', adding, 'You're naughty.'
Things grew strained between Katisha and Javen once they went home. 'It was good to see everyone,' he told her. When she asked him, 'How was your chat with Sophie?', he replied with a grin, 'It was interesting. She's funny and she has good banter.' He also revealed he spoke to Demola, which was 'interesting... in the way that I was intrigued to know'.
Despite Katisha appearing upset after their emotional discussion and saying she was ready to call it a night, he declared he was going back out to socialise with the cast after texting someone. Katisha was seen bursting into tears as he left, at the close of the episode.
Viewers were not impressed by Javen's behaviour. 'I can't help but feel sorry for her. It's just so sad to see,' one watcher said as another remarked, 'Did Javen go cheat nonchalantly in front of Katisha? That's literally next level losery.' A third commented, 'Why the hell is Javen pulling Sophie for a chat?? In front of Katisha? In front of everybody? Then he leaves her at home to cry alone?'
What happened to Katisha and Javen on Love Is Blind?
From the start, Katisha and Javen connected on more than a superficial level. Drawn to her ‘kind spirit’, he persuaded her to open up on their first pod date, where she confided her fears of being vulnerable in her search for love because of a traumatic past break-up. Katisha told him that her last boyfriend was unfaithful many times but she always took him back. They also spoke of their united desire to have two to three children in the future.
On their second meet, they discussed the importance of having both physical and emotional intimacy in a romantic partnership, and Katisha is taken with Javen’s honesty.
At the same time, Katisha was getting to know financial analyst Demola, who was more open about wanting to be with her unlike Javen, who held back and played it cool. When Demola told Katisha that she is deserving of the affection he had been bestowing on her, she decided he was the one. As she went to her next date with Javen with the intention to cool things between them, she reassured Demola, ‘Don’t worry, nothing’s going to change. I feel confident in my decision.’
But when she tried to call it quits with Javen, the former professional footballer made a romantic gesture with flowers and declared his feelings. ‘I feel like you’re the one,’ he told her, leading her to second-guess her decision. She then went back on her promise to a shocked Demola, breaking off their relationship, and Javen and Katisha got engaged.
However, when they met the other couples in Cyprus, the pair’s relationship came under fire. Kal called Katisha out for the way she treated Demola and also brought up the issue with Javen about his fiancee’s sudden and unexpected change of mind. We'll have to wait and see how that all affects Katisha and Javen's relationship.
Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who enjoys watching everything from Love Island and Race Across The World to real-life crime shows and thrillers.