How to Get Cast on ‘Love Is Blind: UK’

Love Is Blind is a reality TV series created by Chris Coelen and produced by Kinetic Content for Netflix. The premise is this: 30 singles – 15 men and 15 women – spend 10 days speed dating one another. Through multiple opportunities for one-to-one time, they get to know each other and decide who they’re vibing with. The caveat, of course, is that they can’t see one other. Dates take place in sealed pods, with the daters obscured from view (but able to hear one another).

If and when contestants decide they’ve found “the one,” they make a proposal from inside their pod – still unsure what their potential spouse looks like. Only once a marriage proposal has been made can the couple see who they’ve agreed to wed.  

Before heading to the altar, though, the couples jet off on a romantic holiday. Afterwards, they’re moved into lodgings together to play house, meet each other’s friends and family for the first time, and plan a wedding to be held in four weeks’ time. 

Of course, feelings could change over the course of this period, and on their would-be wedding day, contestants have the chance to either go through with their marriage or go their separate ways.

All this unfolds over 12 compelling episodes, making for highly addictive and sometimes steamy TV.

Just like the US original, which is presented by husband-and-wife duo Nick and Vanessa Lachey, the UK equivalent is hosted by another couple who seem to know the secrets of a long, successful partnership: Matt and Emma Willis.

The cast of Season 1 was as follows: 

The women

• Sabrina, 35, director of marketing and communications
• Jasmine, 29, mental health nurse
• Nicole, 29, brand marketing
• Demi, 30, safeguarding and attendance manager
• Catherine, 29, dental nurse
• Maria, 30, makeup artist
• Ella, 27, social worker
• Elle, 27, graphic designer
• Lisa, 34, baby photographer
• Natasha, 32, careers coordinator
• Olivia, 28, creative project director
• Priya, 37, procurement manager 
• Ria, 34, commercial contracts manager 
• Sharlotte, 35, global communications director
• Shirley, 27, junior doctor

The men

• Steven, 37, gym owner
• Bobby, 33, luxury shopping guide
• Benaiah, 33, structural landscaper
• Ollie, 33, software sales
• Freddie, 32, funeral director 
• Tom, 38, PR and advertising consultant
• Sam, 31, product design manager
• Aaron, 33, restaurateur 
• Charlie, 34, gym manager
• Conor, 31, health food business owner
• Jake, 32, civil engineer
• Joanes, 31, resident service manager
• Jordan, 32, fashion tech founder
• Richie, 30, sports turf maintenance director 
• Ryan, 31, techno DJ and cellist

Cat Spooner, who has previously worked on Married at First Sight UK, is the casting executive for Love Is Blind: UK. She heads up a nine-strong casting team consisting of: a casting executive, two senior casting producers, two casting producers, and four casting assistant producers.

Those wishing to apply to the show can do so via the official casting website. Candidates must be aged 18+ and have the right to live in the UK or Ireland. 

A statement on the site reads: “Love Is Blind: UK is currently on the lookout for single, open-minded individuals from across the UK and Ireland, who are ready to take the plunge into finding true love. If you are looking for a committed relationship and are ready to meet someone new, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.” 

The first stage of the application process is a form, where candidates provide their basic information (including name, date of birth, gender, and contact details), as well as personal information regarding their sexuality and relationship history, including whether they’ve been married before and whether they have children. 

In order for the team to learn a bit more about them, candidates are asked to list their top three hobbies, describe their dating history, and suggest why they think they’re currently single. They’re also asked to upload a headshot and full-length photo of themselves, and link to their social media profiles. 

Only candidates being taken to the next phase of the casting process will hear from the casting team. The form notes that “due to the anticipated high volume of applicants, the team cannot get back to every applicant.” While the rest of the casting process is not detailed online, it will likely involve a series of meetings with the team as they attempt to whittle down their selection of promising singles. 

As for who makes the final cut, it’s often a case of compatibility with the other candidates. “We do ensure that there is enough compatibility across the 15 men and 15 women during casting so that everyone has a really good chance of finding their person,” Spooner told Metro. 

The ideal demographic, she says, is slightly different in the UK than in other geographies. “We were also mindful of the fact that Brits tend to get married a little later than in some other parts of the world, so we consciously aimed for a slightly older cast than the US version for instance.”

While the series focused on coupling up singles from the United Kingdom, the pods where the daters first met were actually in Stockholm, Sweden. The UK series repurposed the set created for Love Is Blind: Sweden, which had been released in January 2024. 

The couples’ retreat was filmed at the five-star Angsana Corfu Resort & Spa, on the Greek island of Corfu, while the weddings were held at 18th century, Grade II-listed Wynyard Hall in Stockton-on-Tees. In between, the pairs stayed in apartment buildings in Camden, north London.

Steven on Love is Blind: UK Credit: Netflix/Paul Santos

Keep an eye out for casting announcements on the official Love Is Blind: UK casting page, Netflix’s news and announcements site Tudum, and on the Love Is Blind: UK Casting Instagram page.

Benaiah on Love is Blind: UK Credit: Netflix/Paul Santos

There are three key things the casting team is looking to see in hopeful candidates. “It’s important that each cast member has a balance of an engaging personality, emotional depth, and the genuine want for marriage – that seems to be the sweet spot for us,” Spooner reveals. “The key outcome of the experiment for us is that we find lasting, happy marriages – but of course we want the audience to enjoy the show.”

The team is also keen to ensure their successful candidates resonate with a UK audience. “We leaned into the regionality and humour of the British people,” says Spooner. It’s this, she believes, “that’s made Love Is Blind: UK so successful,” which suggests she’ll likely be casting along similar lines for further seasons. 

Authenticity (“We want people to take part that are authentically themselves and are coming to the show for genuine reasons,” Spooner says), and emotional availability (“The process encourages you to really dig deep, open up, and be vulnerable,” she explains) are also green flags for the casting team. But “the most important thing is: Do they genuinely want to get married? A Love Is Blind contestant must be really ready to make that big commitment to marriage and be serious enough to want to walk down the aisle,” says the CD. “We continually ask ourselves and them: How committed are they to the process, can they throw themselves in?” 

Ask yourself those questions too, and if you answer “yes!” then throw your name and your dating history in the hat, and hope you get selected to find love in the pods.