Netflix’s fan-favorite reality series, Love is Blind has a pretty solid success rate. While most reality dating shows sport relatively low permanent couplings, Love is Blind boasts consistent success, and that’s supposedly thanks to its unique approach to the reality formula.
By allowing its contestants to make matches based entirely on emotional and mental compatibility, rather than physical attraction, many of the matches made in the pods boast far better longevity than those found in series like The Bachelor or Love Island. It by no means works out every time, but Netflix seems to have discovered the key to finding televised love, and it’s on full display when observing some of the show’s most beloved couplings.
We may be seeing a sensational, and distinctly successful, love story repeat itself in the debut season of Love is Blind: UK, as contestants Nicole and Benaiah stumble into a repeat of a season 4 romance that nearly went off the rails.
Bliss and Zack are considered by many Love is Blind fans to be among the most successful couples in the show’s history. Their season 4 romance grew naturally within the pods before being shattered when Zack made the (horrible) decision to choose Irina over Bliss. Within days of embarking on their post-proposal getaway, Zack’s poor decision-making was on full display, and he and Irina soon called it quits.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Zack reconnected with Bliss, and through some very thorough apologies and careful rebuilding of trust, they made it all the way to the altar — and beyond. They’ve now been happily married for more than two years, and in April of 2024, they welcomed their first child. Theirs wasn’t an easy journey, but it now stands testament to the bond they forged in the pods, long before they ever set sights on one another.
That same origin story is now repeating itself in real-time via season 1 of Love is Blind: UK. Nicole and Benaiah had a wonderful connection in the pods, yet a lack of validation pushed Nicole to choose Sam over Benaiah. Once they met in person and realized the energy wasn’t there, however, they ended things. Nicole attempted to reconnect with Benaiah, he proposed, and they rejoined the cast with the partner they were always meant to choose.
It’s still up in the air if Nicole and Benaiah will say “I do” when their big moment comes, but it feels like a guarantee. They’re easily among the most solid couples of the UK edition’s debut season, and their relationship — despite its rocky start — has all the ingredients of a lasting marriage.
These dual success stories seem to expose that, in exceedingly rare instances, making the wrong choice at the start can actually spell success for pod couples. It’s only happened twice so far, but in both cases, the post-mistake relationship was made all the stronger for the misstep. When compared against the sometimes floundering relationships that started off strong, it paints a revealing picture. Love may or may not be blind, but it’s certainly always messy.