Love Is Blind’s creator Chris Coelen defends the ‘fascinating’ format after season 11

The reunion for Love Is Blind season 11 has finally arrived on Netflix, so now we know for certain that not a single couple from this series lasted for more than a year. Chris Coelen, the creator of Love Is Blind (as well as Perfect Match and The Ultimatum) has defended key aspects of the show’s format.

Chris Coelen doesn’t think Love Is Blind is ‘a bubble’

Chris Coelen intends for the format of Love Is Blind to be less intense than that of other reality TV shows (once the participants are beyond the pods stage, anyway).

  He told Variety: “Our approach is to try to provide the scaffolding for the experience, and then they navigate through that. That’s what’s fascinating to me and what makes every single season unique.”

He explained: “The participants are not under our control. Some shows are produced in what they call a bubble, where the participants are really in a specific location, and they’re with you 24 hours a day. That is not the case on this particular show.” 

According to Chris, Love Is Blind as a “documenting” the participants “making their own choices”.

He cited as an example the infamous scene from Love Is Blind season 11 episode nine when Michaella met Rob’s friends, and the bar chose not to serve Rob’s friend more alcohol.

(Image via Netflix)

‘We don’t take a position’

According to Chris Coelen, Love Is Blind doesn’t depict “cookie-cutter” romances. Producers consciously keep scenes in which couples deal with big challenges – such as John and Sarah’s contrasting opinions on women’s healthcare rights – in the edit.

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John, Sarah and Sarah’s family discussing women’s healthcare rights (Image via Netflix)

He explained: “What I’m really proud of is, we don’t take a position on any of that. Our job is to be a reflection of these particular people’s journeys, and in doing that, I think we’re a really interesting mirror into the society as a whole.

“Going back to season one, and moving forward, you can really feel some of the currents in our culture in terms of the things that matter to the participants in making the biggest choice in their life.”

‘Nobody’s forcing them to go to the group event’

Rob and Michaella getting ready to meet the cast at a bar
(image via Netflix)

He also pointed out that the participants on Love Is Blind US are there of there own accord, and can leave if they like. Participants don’t have to join in with every aspect of the format.

“Nobody is ever required to participate in the experience,” Chris said, “they are welcome, and we see it happen every season, all the time – people drop out. Rob saying, ‘Oh, this is Hollywood bullsh*t,’well, it’s his choice. The next day, Michaella was saying, ‘I don’t want to go to this group event.’ They don’t have to go. Nobody’s forcing them to go to the group event. It’s his choice to participate.”

Love Is Blind is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

Featured image via Netflix