Between uplifting love stories, constant inter-pod gossip, and one gutting goodbye, there’s never a dull moment in Love Is Blind: UK Season 3 — no boring dates here, right, Ciara?
So far this season, 30 single men and women from across the United Kingdom have made their way through countless pod dates in hopes of falling in love sight unseen. By the time the pods closed, six engaged couples emerged, ready to see if their emotional connections were strong enough to withstand everyday stressors like differing daily routines, location sharing, and family opinions. Will they make it down the aisle or walk away at the altar? Or will the experiment end in happily ever after?
Ahead of the final episodes, which drop on Wednesday, Aug. 26, let’s recap and unravel the romantic entanglements that have formed so far in Love Is Blind: UK Season 3 — and see where each couple stands heading into the final episodes.
From her first pod date with Taylor, Sophie is cooked — and not just because he’s an amazing chef, and she usually lives off jacket potatoes. Their flirty spark begins to burn even brighter when Taylor opens up about losing his mom, and on their next date, they begin planning their future together. Taylor gives Sophie a necklace bearing his mother’s fingerprint, and she, in turn, gifts him a pendant that her mom had made for her. After exchanging jewelry, the two also share “I love yous” and become the first couple to get engaged. When they finally meet, there’s plenty of heat — Taylor calls Sophie “the best looking bird ever.”
On their first holiday in Ibiza, Spain, it’s nothing but sunny skies for Taylor and Sophie. Their physical chemistry has them both buzzing, though she isn’t thrilled that he has another woman’s name tattooed on his bum. When they move in together, he’s receptive to her house rules — make the bed, put the toilet seat down, definitely don’t leave toothpaste in the sink — and each day gets better and better. Taylor and Sophie’s similarities are apparent to everyone, but there’s one area where they don’t totally align. Hailing from different parts of England, the two still need to choose where they’re going to live after getting married.
As they figure that out, Sophie brings Taylor back to her home in Manchester, and he says he can envision himself moving in — even if she’s not open to the idea of hanging a Chelsea jersey in her pristine place. They also travel to Hertfordshire to meet up with Taylor’s family, who are very impressed by Sophie. His sister and father are a bit gutted at the possibility that he may move away, but Taylor and Sophie still haven’t definitely decided where they’ll settle down.
Ciara enters the pods looking for someone to invest in her — as she proudly states, a man once spent 15,000 pounds on a first date with her, so yeah, the bar is high. Luckily, Ajay, an ex-investment banker, recognizes her worth right away. While Ajay is all in, Ciara forms another connection with Jack — who’s also growing close with Faye. When Ajay catches wind of this, he’s confused over how Ciara could be connecting with someone so different from him. Ultimately, she realizes that Ajay is husband material, and Ciara’s ready to lock in.
After Ajay opens up about losing a friend and navigating a career transition, they feel closer than ever, and at the end of Episode 3, Ajay proposes — with a diamond ring that fits Ciara’s exact specifications, of course. Time together in Ibiza unfolds naturally for the newly engaged couple, but there’s a bit of trouble in paradise. When Ajay tells Ciara that Jack claimed that she said Jack was her No. 1 in the pods, she’s very bothered and even confronts Jack. During their conversations, Ciara is extremely offended when Jack insinuates that one of their dates was boring, and afterward, Jack clears the air with Ajay. Meanwhile, Ciara also stirs up some messiness in Francesca and Joseph’s relationship by bringing up Joseph’s other pod connection with Chevanique. Beyond the drama, though, Ajay and Ciara say “I love you” and return to the real world together.
Inside their shared apartment, Ajay and Ciara adjust to one another’s very different daily routines. Their relationship hits a speed bump as they get into their first big fight, which results in them sleeping separately. The argument stemmed from Ajay’s parents’ hesitance about being on camera, which he says Ciara didn’t approach with empathy. He now worries that she still has some walls up, and concerns over her values begin echoing in his head once again.
Ciara recognizes that she was being unreasonable and may have actually been self-sabotaging out of fear of possibly getting hurt. When she owns up to that, the two agree to move forward and show up better for one another in the future. Soon, they do just that, with Ajay meeting her closest friends, Ciara finally getting the chance to impress his parents, and the couple celebrating a very sentimental holiday, Diwali, together.
Their respective spiritual journeys brought both Cuba and Ryan to the pods and to one another. There’s serious depth to their chats right off the bat. The two share a passion for travel, and both value their individual relationships with the universe. Ryan shares that losing his father as a child impacted how he approaches relationships, and he appreciates the level of understanding Cuba offers. Both recognize that they’re unique in very similar ways. Their lifestyles and beliefs seem to entirely align, as they discuss desires to raise free-range chickens and children in the future. The “soul connection” is solidified when the couple says “I love you” and commits to marriage. Since they already feel so seen by one another, the first reveal feels seamless.
After establishing a strong spiritual connection in the pods, Cuba and Ryan explore a physical one in Ibiza. Together, they participate in some ecstatic dancing accompanied by a sound bath, and they become more in sync than ever. Soon after moving in together, Ryan’s work takes him abroad, which causes some concerns that they aren’t getting enough time together in the lead-up to “I do.” Cuba believes that a little more romance from Ryan would reassure her, but his travels leave him too drained for date nights.
By Episode 7, their time apart has begun to wear on Cuba and Ryan’s relationship, and the energy between them shifts. Though he’s physically back from his work trips, he struggles to be truly present with and for her. She expresses that he isn’t communicating in the way she needs in order to feel secure in their connection. When Ryan’s grandmother gets sick, he’s forced to once again step away from the experiment for a few days, setting the couple back even further. Cuba buries her emotions in order to be there for him but wonders if he’ll ever be able to be selfless and fully let her in.
Jack is immediately taken by the sound of Faye’s voice, and she can tell he’s a lot of fun. The two are able to have a “proper giggle” but also get serious. In addition to his cheeky chats with Faye, Jack also has a budding connection with Ciara and even tells her she’s his “number one.” When Ciara starts to question if Jack is genuine, and he begins having much more fun with Faye, however, his rankings shift.
Jack wants to marry his best friend, and he thinks Faye just might be best friend material, so he writes her a heartfelt note, which brings her to tears. Eventually, Jack and Ciara cut ties, but a slip-up during the conversations about his connection with Faye — yikes, he mistakenly calls her Fran — sends Ciara back to the women’s quarters to report her concerns. Faye questions Jack about the potential red flags, but he assuages all her doubts.
After meeting her stuffed animals and asking her to be his girlfriend, Jack proposes, and Faye says yes. In Ibiza, the Cornish menace says he’s met his match, and their physical compatibility proves to be as solid as their emotional one. Despite some drama with Ciara, both Jack and Faye make a point to turn their focus back toward one another. Throughout the trip, he continues to make Faye feel like a queen, building her up with grand gestures and finally conjuring the courage to say “I love you.”
Back in England, the couple travels to Cornwall, where Faye meets Jack’s family. His mum’s over the moon seeing her son so happy. A few days later, they celebrate Faye’s birthday by partying with the other members of the pod squad, but the night doesn’t end well. In the wee hours after the party, Faye wakes up alone in their apartment and is unable to find Jack — he won’t answer her calls and is no longer sharing his location. When Faye finally does get in contact with Jack, he says he’s simply gone for a walk, but he’s two hours away and wearing sandals. He downplays the situation, but she’s still concerned. In the midst of the debacle, Faye’s parents pay them a visit, and they’re a bit disappointed because of the doubts that Jack’s nighttime trek raised for Faye. After many honest talks about trust, the two make up and agree to move on.
The only thing missing from Joseph’s life is a wife, so he’s excited to learn that Francesca is looking for a marriage grounded in romance and faith. Francesca shares details of her last relationship, which ended with cheating, and Joseph tells her about his difficult upbringing. He also discovers a spark with Chevanique and wonders if he could have the same sexual chemistry with Francesca, who is a bit more reserved. But as Joseph becomes more vulnerable with Francesca and lets his walls down, she gets more comfortable being flirty.
As their emotional bond strengthens, Francesca encourages Joseph to see his other connections through so he’s sure about his decision. However, when he goes to break things off with Chevanique, he waffles. After going back and forth, Joseph tells Francesca that he thinks he’s falling in love with her and ends things with his other connection. The two get engaged, meet, and head to Ibiza.
After Joseph has a conversation with Ciara that rubs her the wrong way, she spreads that he was a bit wishy-washy with Chevanique in the pods. This kicks off a game of telephone that leads to Francesca asking Joseph for clarity, and he admits he probably could have been more transparent. Later on in London, Francesca takes Joseph home to meet her parents and sister. He’s eager to get their approval, but they don’t give it so easily. Francesca’s parents question whether they’re ready for marriage, especially when the wedding is coming up so quickly. Over breakfast the next morning, Joseph says he understands that her parents’ concerns come from a place of love for their daughter, and Francesca shares that seeing him withstand the pressure only made her love him more.
When the pod squad reunites at Faye’s birthday party, Chevanique and Joseph have a conversation, which Francesca and Ciara join. The four rehash what happened in the pods and the gossip that has gone on among the group. Joseph and Chev don’t totally agree on how their second-to-last date left off. Everyone ends up feeling attacked, but Francesca backs up her fiancée. After the fact, Francesca says she feels like a fool, and they discuss needing to be on the same page moving forward. To help shed the stress, the two enjoy a spa date, and in no time, they’re back to their silly selves.
The vibes between Yasmin and Jordan are impeccable from the start. The fact that she’s never had a boyfriend before does give him pause, but she reassures him that she’s ready to commit if their connection is maktub — the Arabic word for “meant to be.” As the two grow closer, Yasmin shares that she has vitiligo, which affected her self-confidence when she was younger, and Jordan, completely unfazed, tells her she’s “a diamond inside and out.” He also opens up about his own childhood and his time in the army and gets emotional discussing his experience serving in Afghanistan. Yasmin begins to suspect that meeting Jordan is indeed maktub, and when he proposes, she accepts.
In Ibiza, both are aware that they’re taking things a bit slower than the other couples — they’re just not into PDA — but their time together continues to feel easy. Back in the real world, they discuss how their connection is progressing, and Yasmin says that to make it a true partnership, they should find a pace that works for both of them. However, Jordan continues to hold back, feeling that — because she’s never had a boyfriend — expressing love is a big deal. In the pods and on vacation, Yasmin was blown away by how intentional Jordan was, but while living together, she feels like he isn’t doing enough to show her how much she means to him.
The two travel to Birmingham, England, to meet Jordan’s family, and in an honest heart-to-heart with his dad, Jordan confides that they may need a little more “fire” in their relationship. The time at home also makes Jordan question if he’s actually willing to move to London as he and Yasmin had previously discussed. But when she says she’s willing to move instead, and he still seems unsure, she wonders if the distance is just an excuse. At the end of Episode 8, he’s finally able to be honest that there are other things holding him back. Jordan says he’s yet to feel a spark, and though they think the world of one another, they agree not to move forward with a wedding.
