Love is Blind first hit our screens in February 2020, and since then, we’ve seen six seasons of the reality show released at a Love Island speed of light. This month, after much anticipation, the UK version finally arrived.
For those of you living under a rock, the premise of the show is that people get engaged ‘sight unseen.’ The Netflix reality series follows 30 contestants as they date and get engaged without ever meeting in person. They spend 10 days dating in separate “pods”, where they can only talk to each other through a wall. The contestants are stripped of distractions like cell phones and live on-set with the other participants, separated by gender. Six couples then make it to the next stage: engagement. This is where they see each other for the first time, before going on a couples' retreat.
The show then follows them as they move in together, plan their weddings, and try to determine if their emotional connection matches their physical attraction. It all culminates at the altar, where they must decide whether to get married or go their separate ways ‘forever.’
Despite the first U.S. season giving us everyone’s favourite reality TV couple, Lauren and Cameron Hamilton, a recurring issue throughout the six seasons has been the age ranges, with the youngest contestants being 24 and the oldest 38. In multiple seasons, the most common age for cast members was 25. While age gap dating can be fine, it can also be problematic. Love is Blind hasn’t crossed into inappropriate territory, but casting so many people in their early/mid-twenties didn’t create the right environment for genuine love or marriages. How many 25-year-olds do you know who are genuinely ready for marriage? At that age, I certainly wasn’t.
In the UK’s first season, the youngest contestant is 27, and the oldest is 38 – with those who made it past the pods being 29 and older.
You might think a couple of years doesn’t make much difference, but let me tell you: it does. At twenty-four, our frontal lobe has not fully developed; this part of the brain allows us to process the pros and cons of a decision before it’s made. Quite important when considering a life partner, no? According to the Office for National Statistics, the average age of marriage, for a first-time marriage, had risen by 8+ years to 31.5 for women and 33.4 for men. The proportion of women who had ever married by the age of 30 first dropped below half in 2002. It now stands at a third (1 in 3 women) – having fallen from more than 9 in 10 in 1976.
The UK cast all seemed genuinely ready for commitment and had serious conversations about how to make marriages work – discussing finances, culture, and fertility. In contrast, the U.S. series has often stumbled over these hurdles, focusing more on cast drama and cheating plotlines. What the UK version has proven is that watching age-appropriate people date is actually very entertaining because it feels relatable and real.
Audiences agree. On X, @mindironalia said, “I’m liking the fact that the UK contestants are older, in their 30s, instead of the early 20s the US cast usually are. They’re more likely to be ready for marriage and not just there for clout. Age is just a number, but life experience does count imo.” @becominLebohang tweeted, “Running this back because Love is Blind UK's producers finally came correct with the sense that the US's producers refused to have. Barely any under-25s in this cast really makes such a difference.”
@iBeVanessa added, “The main difference between #LoveIsBlindUK & LIB US is the age and maturity of the cast. This cast was all late 20s-late 30s established people who really thought through why they want to be married. Not people in their early to mid-20s who don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”
In a world full of Love Island, Perfect Match, and Too Hot to Handle, Love is Blind should be aimed at those who can commit to the premise and are ready for marriage and deep emotional connections. We already have countless TV shows for 20 to 27-year-olds – let’s have more for those in their thirties and beyond. Despite what the Andrew Tates of the world might say, women are not out of their ‘prime’ by 26 and are deserving of love at all ages.
Chloe Lawsis a London-based freelance journalist and poet, who specialises in gender equality, beauty, and culture.