POLITE, patient, politically correct. These are adjectives that I would use to describe the cast of Love is Blind UK.
After the crazy affair that is Love is Blind US – where some couples had drunken screaming matches on screen (Chelsea and Jimmy) while others got into unseen altercations the night before the wedding, turning an ‘I do’ into an ‘I don’t’ (Shayne and Natalie) – Love is Blind UK felt tame.
Only half of the couples got married[/caption] It was a shock to many viewers when several of the pairs didn’t end up together despite having no drama[/caption]When three couples said no at the altar, it was a real shock, given they had hardly any open conflict while living together.
Tom shied away from calling Maria a freeloader when she put her desire for a man to foot the bill down to her religious beliefs.
Demi quietly bowed out of the relationship without addressing Ollie’s lack of respect towards her until their final moments, when he stood open-mouthed in front of their friends and family.
Freddie clearly had a big difference of values from Catherine – they disagreed over whether or not it is ever appropriate to eat out at Nobu – but had never so much as snapped at her when he solemnly pronounced ‘I do not’.
Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather hang out with this cast than some of their unhinged counterparts across the pond.
But do British singletons make for good television?
I think not.
If the UK series is to succeed, it has to go one of two ways.
Either more of the couples need to get married, turning it into a positive tale of how love can overcome all obstacles. Or producers need to recruit more outspoken candidates.
Only two out of six couples were still together a year after the show was filmed.
Given the low success rate, viewers would have expected a lot more fireworks.
This couldn’t be further from the reality that was screened.
During this series all the couples were so mild mannered that even their families and friends didn’t attempt to play bad cop.
In heartbreaking scenes Fatima told Tom he could call her mum – minutes before he said no to her girl at the altar.
Despite the shock, she didn’t take him to task afterwards, unlike an American mum who tearfully berated her daughter’s groom for publicly humiliating her.
No one close to Demi reacted badly to Ollie telling his friends another woman looked “sublime” on their final night together before the wedding.
Freddie felt comfortable enough to tell Catherine’s friends to their faces that he thought she was high maintenance, without having so much as a glass of prosecco flung at him.
Equally, Freddie’s sister was in stealth mode when she pulled him aside to tell him she didn’t think he should get married. She carefully avoided causing a scene or confronting any of the negative traits she saw in Catherine face to face.
Maybe Brits are too polite to break up any other way than peaceably – but if the show’s fate is on the line, producers need to start picking singletons who will bring some vim and stand on their convictions.
HERE is the full list of hopeless romantics looking to find love...