Why Does 'Love Is Blind' Want To Get Rid Of Its Hosts?

By Allyson Johnson | TV | April 20, 2023 |

The Netflix reality series Love is Blind has had quite the week, starting with the botched experiment of a live reunion that was delayed due to technical difficulties. Though fans were eager to tune in and see which couples who made it past the altar were still together — along with any juicy, behind-the-scenes tidbits — the drama was drowned out by the unhinged display by the hosts, Nick and Vanessa Lachey.

The series, which just finished its fourth season, follows a group of singles as they try to find a match and fall in love without ever seeing each other face-to-face in an effort to prove that real connection doesn’t have anything to do with physical attraction. The goal of the series, beyond finding a match, is to make it to the wedding altar and say “I do” without bailing at the last moment.

In an episode of television where a couple with complete sincerity serenade one another while holding hands, Vanessa Lachey still managed to have the most cringe-inducing moment. She has previously come under fire for making asinine comments about the lack of body diversity in the series. For this round, towards the end of the episode, she gets stuck on a nauseating tangent where she refuses to stop telling one of the pairs they should have children. This has drummed up plenty of criticism online beyond the usual critique of the pair’s general uselessness as hosts.

The moment is grueling. Vanessa has already pushed for there to be Love is Blind babies because apparently, that is the epitome of success on a show hell-bent on celebrating heteronormative dating rituals. She also said something about burning ovaries while hounding contestants about which will have children first, even as many are explicit in saying they’re in no rush. It’s another awkward moment in a series full of them from a host ill-equipped for the job as her husband sits back and gets to be the “can you believe the shit she says” guy, god forbid he’s forced to speak charm or intelligence.

At its worst, it’s yet another example of media and society pressuring newlyweds to procreate in an increasingly dangerous world. It’s gross to watch.

Netflix is now having to contend with reports of contestant mistreatment. The report from Business Insider is damning; prior season contests admit to being denied food, water, and sleep while filming. Fans are also calling for the removal of the Lacheys as hosts of the series.

There will always be an element of manipulation when it comes to reality television shows. It’s often why people are so often engaged with them. They create a world with curated drama where cameras are positioned to capture contestants’ blowouts and petty feuds. Very little of it is wholly true.

That’s part of what made Love is Blind so appealing to so many because the series acted as if it was in on the joke. With the high-concept meet cutes where couples couldn’t meet each other before proposing, to the god-awful golden goblets (which Netflix sells now) where contestants could drink without worry of continuity errors, every element of the series was tailor-made to address the artifice.

Still, fans bought into the love stories. It’s why — when couples would announce their separation after the end of the show — watchers would be disappointed. To further reveal that the series, like so many others before it, was cutting corners and mistreating contestants will only manage to sour viewers more.

In fact, the petition feels like it could make more headway than the reports of mistreatment. The Lacheys are expendable, C-list talent who offer little insight or mainstream appeal as hosts. They’re easy targets and Vanessa’s comments during the reunion were offputting enough as she crowed about wanting to be Aunt Vanessa that the petition, with more than 22,000 signatures (and counting), could trigger their exits from the show.

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Header Image Source: Netflix