‘It’s a really British model’

Is love actually blind?

It’s a query that’s been requested within the US, Brazil and Japan, nations which all have iterations of the wildly profitable Netflix format Love is Blind.

But now, the UK is lastly ready to sort out the query itself, as a British model is dropping on the streaming service subsequent month.

The newest model does not introduce any surprises, though it would sound uncommon listening to regional UK accents starting from Belfast to Bolton on a present which has been working for six seasons in America.

The format sees strangers, residing in female and male quarters, go on dates in “pods” – the place they can’t see the particular person on the opposite facet.

If they discover somebody they fall in love with, they are going to get engaged, solely assembly for the primary time after they’ve agreed to get married.

The UK present is hosted by husband-and-wife duo Emma and Matt Willis. Emma says one motivation for individuals making use of is relationship app fatigue.

“People were just kind of over it, you just go in really on what somebody looks like,” she tells Daily News News. “And I like that this flips that on its head, and you have to make a connection with somebody before you even see them.”

She provides: “To me, it’s also quite refreshing that I’ve never been on an app because we met pre dating app.”

The remainder of the collection follows the {couples} as their relationships are tried and examined on honeymoons, residing collectively, and assembly one another’s households and pals.

And, maybe the most important problem of all, lastly seeing fellow contestants they beforehand matched with.

If they survive all this, they make it to the altar.

Matt and Emma Willis say it was “wicked” to work collectively, as their jobs usually imply they work aside.

The pair have been married since 2008. Matt shot to fame as a member of boyband Busted, whereas Emma turned a TV presenter with internet hosting jobs on MTV and ITV’s The Hot Desk. She later fronted The Voice UK and Big Brother.

(The US model can be helmed by a husband-and-wife duo, the ultra-glamorous energy couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey.)

Fans of the format would possibly surprise how British contestants, who’re stereotypically extra reserved, would possibly fare within the pods and on dramatic confessionals.

And, maybe predictably, Emma says that the present is true to British “banter” and sensibilities.

“It’s just a very British version – it’s quite self-deprecating,” Emma explains. “There’s a lot of humour, a lot of banter.

“And you’ll be able to inform that once they say [things in the pods], you are feeling like they actually imply it, since you really feel like they would not say in the event that they did not.”

Love is Blind is entering a saturated market – reality dating shows in the UK are hardly a new thing – and there’s loads to swipe through.

From Love Island, which has waned in popularity since its 2019 heyday, to the new show Rylan is presenting, Dating Naked, to Married at First Sight and Love Triangle, it can be difficult for formats to stand out.

Due to its unique premise, the first series of Love is Blind saw many critics enjoy elements of the show, despite their best efforts.

In a two-star review, the Guardian’s Lucy Mangan wrote: “Love Is Blind is absurd, revolting, endearing, poisonous and healthful by turns – and addictive as hell all through.”

Emma believes the show will continue to stand out due to its casting.

“I believe the forged is actually good. And they’ve individuals who genuinely need to meet their life companion and cool down,” she says.

“I believe within the different TV reveals perhaps the relationship facet is secondary to being on telly, whereas this one feels just like the telly is a automobile for them to fall in love,” provides Matt.

For Emma, filming of Love is Blind reminded her of the production of Big Brother – which she began presenting in 2013, when it was on Channel 5 (she had previously hosted the reality hit’s spin-off shows.)

“It was like Big Brother another time. Like again after I first labored on it, it was only a gallery of screens with all of those individuals relationship, it was like a dream,” she said.

“And they pulled up a chair for us, gave us some earphones they usually gave us slightly field with buttons on so we may flip between the pods.”

The pod stage of the UK series is filmed in Sweden (there is also a Swedish version of the show).

“We have been like, yeah, we’ll keep and watch a pair. We stayed for an hour and a half and the one purpose we stopped was as a result of we needed to get on the airplane.”

An hour and a half is nothing compared with how long some of the dates were, though, with Matt saying some couple were going on six to eight hour dates, days in a row.

“We received to attempt the pods out as effectively,” he provides.

“And I can see why this works – there’s no different distraction. There’s no noise, there’s nothing.

“There’s not like a big camera in the room or anything.

“You sort of get misplaced on this world with this different particular person voice – whenever you watch an episode the place somebody would possibly suggest on the finish, however that is been two weeks of intense relationship.”

While the pair stress the show does produce genuine couples – two couples from the first US series are still together – obviously, for the format to work, there has to be some heartbreak.

And Emma says viewers won’t be disappointed when it comes to the storylines.

“There’s drama – but it surely’s carried out in a really British manner,” she says. “It’s simply actually true to our sense of humour.”

Love isn’t always blind, but we do know it makes entertaining television.

The first instalment of Love is Blind is launched on Netflix on 7 August.