With his dashing looks and cheeky smile, Tom Stroud has been one of the most popular cast members on the debut series of Netflix’s Love Is Blind UK. Tom – a self-described ‘Colin Firth, if you bought him from Temu’ – has been in the centre of a love triangle after bonding with Maria and Natasha, but chose to pursue things with Maria.
Find out more about Tom Stroud here…
How old is Tom?
Tom is 38, making him the oldest of this year’s cast line-up.
What is Tom’s job?
Tom is a PR and advertising consultant from London.
What is Tom’s Instagram profile?
Fans can find Tom at @stroudtom where he posts photos of his holidays, family and friends and his sporty pursuits.
Why is Tom on Love Is Blind UK?
A self-confessed mummy’s boy, Tom has been single for six years. He said that his 30s have been focused on his personal growth and building his successful career. But he’s now ready to fall in love and share his life with someone special.
Who has Tom connected with on Love Is Blind?
From the get-go, Tom bonded with 30-year-old make-up artist Maria and 32-year-old career coordinator Natasha. He remained torn in the pods between them, thinking that Natasha would integrate easily into his world. Despite their connection, he broke things off with Natasha as his feelings for Maria deepened, so that they could continue their growing relationship. He popped the question to her and they went to Corfu together to see if their relationship can stand the test.
Are Tom Stroud and Maria still together?
Despite coming from two very different backgrounds, Maria – who hails from a religious Moroccan upbringing – and Tom have bridged their cultural divides with their shared sense of humour. They have also connected over the loss of their fathers – Maria’s beloved ‘role model’ dad died in 2020, which has been hard for her, while Tom’s father abandoned him at an early age.
In emotional scenes, Tom revealed why he chose Maria over Natasha, telling her, ‘I genuinely feel like I’m most myself with you.’ The feelings were mutual. ‘Tom, I have never pictured my life with someone until I met you. I have never felt like this with anyone,’ she said. ‘You are absolutely amazing, I have never felt so sure about anyone.’
In Corfu, Tom and Maria got along really well, with their physical and emotional bonds strengthening during the trip. However, their relationship became strained once they returned to London when Tom admitted he was ‘judgemental’ towards Maria’s career as a make-up artist and her traditional values.
The conversation began when the couple argued over Tom being on his phone a lot, which he defended by saying it was because he was a ‘high-power PR executive’. ‘I was a little bit judgemental when I first heard what you did. I can be a bit judgy at times,’ he said, explaining that ambition is one of his values.
Later on, they had another argument, this time over money. Maria got upset that Tom didn’t pay for breakfast, as she feels that men should pay for everything in the initial courting phase. Money issues came up again when Maria revealed that they had problems talking about money and that she didn’t want to pay half of Tom’s mortgage.
Furthermore, Natasha threw a spanner in the works when she told him that she loved him when they reunited.
As their big day approached, the couple seemed to have resolved their issues as they looked more loved up than ever. ‘I am really lucky. I see your beauty and every part of you. I do feel like we are closer to marriage now than we ever have been,’ Tom told Maria. ‘You’ve been an amazing match for me. There’s absolutely no doubt about that.’
Are Tom and Maria married?
Despite their love for each other, Tom said, ‘I don’t’ before walking out on Maria at the altar, as he revealed to harbouring reservations about their relationship. 'I love you. I just feel like right now is not the right time for me,' he said. ‘We’ve had some differences in values and I haven’t had enough time to really understand how those differences will affect our life day-to-day.’
A shocked Maria said, ‘I absolutely can’t believe this. I wanted to get married. I wanted to be a wife. I feel incredibly sad that I didn’t get the ending that I always sort of pictured for myself. But I know it probably wasn’t the right time for both of us.’