Despite Big Brother being a reality competition show, it has a higher success rate in lasting relationships than dating shows like Love Is Blind.
Showmances on Big Brother have more longevity than those from actual dating shows, including Netflix’s Love Is Blind. Even the Big Brother couples that eventually split up are together for much longer than those on Love Is Blind. Though the two shows have different goals, one being competing for money and the other finding love, Big Brother has managed to achieve both over the years.
The relationships from Big Brother and Love Is Blind both form in a similar timeframe. Even Big Brother 20’s Tyler Crispen and Angela Rummans, who ended their engagement, stayed together for an impressive four years. Chris “Swaggy C” Williams and Bayleigh Dayton from Big Brother 20 got engaged after only weeks of knowing each other, got married, and welcomed their first child in 2022. Christmas Abbott and Memphis Garrett, who met during a Big Brother: All-Stars season, have since tied the knot. These relationships are a far cry from the turbulence of Love is Blind. Iyanna McNeely, who wed Jarrette Jones on LIB season 2, recently posted an emotional video about the grief from their divorce.
Big Brother Builds Trust
Big Brother couples meet in competition and, as a result, learn a lot about each other’s strengths and faults. They also develop trust, which provides a solid foundation for a relationship. Love Is Blind is the opposite, as the cast is on their best behavior at the start of the show, and their true colors are shown after the engagement. This reversal explains several cringe worthy moments, such as season 3’s Bartise Bowden blindsiding Nancy Rodriguez at their wedding.
Big Brother Strengthens Connections
Big Brother couples that last the longest are also prone to tension inside the house. In 2017, Cody Nickson had several heated arguments with his eventual spouse, Jessica Nickson (neé Graf), over the state of the competition. Despite this, they eventually married, had children, and even won a season of The Amazing Race. They were recently succeeded by season 23’s Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss, who are yet another Big Brother couple going strong today.
In contrast, Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl from Love Is Blind season 2 had a seemingly perfect bond in the pods. However, in person, their connection began to fall apart. Despite a promising appearance at their season’s reunion, Nick and Danielle ended their relationship with a divorce. They divorced after about one year of marriage and their breakup was so tumultuous that they are no longer on speaking terms.
The main difference may be that each show has cast members entering with different intentions, and therefore, it feels more natural to form close relationships unexpectedly. Big Brother players rely on each other to make moves in the game, which has led to some showmances winning the entire competition. Jordan Schroeder (neé Lloyd) won the eleventh season, where she met her future husband, Jeff.
Netflix released Love is Blind season 3, and fans continue to question if the season’s only two married couples will last in the long run. Concerns have already risen about Matt Bolton and Colleen Reed, as they do not even live under the same roof. Meanwhile, Taylor Hale and Joseph Abdin from the most recent season of Big Brother just celebrated another month of dating and seem to be stronger than ever.
Source: Bayleigh Dayton/Instagram
