Jasmine, 31, and Bobby Johnson, 34, went from strangers to newlyweds exceptionally quickly – after falling in love from behind a wall, having never seen each other. No, it’s not a new dating app you haven’t heard of yet. The couple were one of the first to take part in the UK version of dating show Love Is Blind in which the contestants look for love and a marriage proposal, all without ever meeting face-to-face.
And while there is now a pretty high percentage of the population who have taken part in the multitude of dating shows available, for Jasmine and Bobby, the experience was life-changing. Out of the six couples who took the plunge and said ‘I do’ to an on-screen wedding, only two remain together – Jasmine and Bobby, and Nicole and Benaiah Grunewald-Bridi. Now, nearly two years after their wedding, Jasmine and Bobby are about to embark on their most exciting chapter yet, having a baby. Fresh faced – and looking incredibly smitten – the couple let us into their pre-baby bubble, sharing how grateful they are that their dream of becoming parents has finally come true…
Signing up for Love Is Blind UK, did you imagine that you would be here today?
Bobby: For both of us, I think our intentions were really clear from the start. We knew what we wanted and we found that in each other. We weren’t afraid to be our authentic selves and I think that’s why we connected so deeply.
Jasmine: Exactly, intention is so important. And manifestation! I was manifesting everyday. Back in 2022, I was so sick of dating, so I went to a clairvoyant and she predicted that I was going to get engaged on a red carpet. It wasn’t until Bobby proposed to me on the Love Is Blind red carpet on the show that I put two and two together. It was meant to be, and as Bobby said, we were authentic. He saw my bad side, my good side, my pros and cons. I showed him everything because at the end of the day, it was a marriage on the cards.
Did you have any reservations before going on the show?
J: Oh, 100 per cent, I had reservations on who was going to be real or not. But my gut instinct is very accurate. Early on, I was able to whittle down who my top three were.
B: Any reservations I had changed because it’s so different when you actually get there. When it’s just you and someone else in a room talking, with a wall between you, it’s crazy how those connections form. Being part of that experience was honestly nuts.
And now you’re expecting a baby. Huge congratulations to you both. How have you been feeling since finding out?
B: It’s been so nice finally getting the news out. We were actually on a cruise when we found out, we were in Saint Maarten in the Caribbean. Jasmine had missed her period and I thought, ‘Oh maybe she’s pregnant,’ but didn’t really want to get my hopes up. But we took a test and she was. The lines took ages to show up, we almost threw it away! But we’re super-happy. So far, the pregnancy has been an emotional roller coaster for Jasmine and I’m just trying to support as best as I can.
J: I was so emotional when we found out. Then, early on in the pregnancy, I was quite anxious. I didn’t want to get too excited in the beginning because of the rates of miscarriage. I didn’t want to put that into the universe, but it does go through your mind. I’m about to go into my second trimester now, so I can finally breathe and be happy.
Your journey to becoming pregnant wasn’t straightforward – what was that period like for you both?
J: It was really difficult. I think there’s a lot of pressure put on women when it comes to having babies. I had comments online saying, ‘When’s the baby coming?’ and I’d just be thinking, ‘I’m working on it!’ And we really were, but that additional pressure is really difficult to deal with. I made lifestyle changes, I was taking all the supplements I could, we both were having green juices every morning – it felt like a science project! It was quite a daunting experience trying to conceive. People think it’s like a fairy tale, you have to light a candle, have sex and that’s that. But I had to realise that I’m in my 30s now, I had to give my body some grace and accept that these things can take time.
B: I started to second guess myself, as well, like, ‘Is it me? Is there something wrong with me?’ However, it was really helpful to get reassurance from specialists who told us that it could take months or even years for it to happen.
Did you ever worry that your journey to conceive might not work out?
B: We did. We thought, maybe we’re just not meant to have kids. I think if that was the case, we’d have looked into adoption maybe.
J: Or IVF. I just thought if it doesn’t work out, then we would cross that bridge when we came to it. But, either way, Bobby and I have that commonality. We love each other and we support each other and I think that’s the very best foundation for any relationship and overcoming anything together.
When we watched Love Is Blind UK, a lot of us were worried that Bobby would never win over your mum, Jasmine. What’s your relationship like now?
B: [Laughs.] At the beginning, she had a really hard shell, but in reality, she’s a proper softie! She’s super-happy for us and she’s really supportive. She comes over often and, of course, now she’s always checking on Jasmine – and sending us food, which is great.
How will you embrace both of your cultures when it comes to raising your baby?
B: Well, I come from a Jamaican background and Jasmine is Filipino, so it’s so important that we infuse both our cultures when it comes to our child. We do it anyway, so when our baby is here, we will continue. We definitely want to visit the Philippines and Jamaica when the baby comes and teach them [the Filipino language] Tagalog, which I really need to learn, as well.
J: We actually discussed this in the pods. We want to make sure that both our cultures get passed on to the next generation. It’s our responsibility to educate our children. I can’t wait to have a little bilingual baby.
What are the qualities from each other that you are hoping your baby inherits?
J: I’d love our baby to have Bobby’s quiet confidence. Especially if we have a boy. I’d want him to have Bobby’s aura. The way he speaks and the way he presents himself – I just love it.
B: Definitely Jasmine’s strong attitude. She stands on her values. She is incredibly fair and emotionally open and intelligent. And Jasmine was good in school –I want my child to really take education a lot more seriously than I ever did.
And what about looks and sense of humour?
J: From the scan, I feel as if the baby looks like Bobby. They have his ears and your nose. I think they will be a Bobby lookalike, and if they have his sense of humour, too, then that’s cool.
What type of parents do you think you’ll be?
J: I want my child to be comfortable with me. I want them to be able to come to me with their secrets. If something’s bugging them, I want to be that kind of mum where they can say, ‘Mum, I messed up’.
B: The same for me, but out of the two of us, I think I’ll be the strictest – which may surprise people. I’ll be fair, though. Discipline is very important. You want to keep your kid out of trouble and help them become the best person they can be.
Have you heard from Matt and Emma Willis since announcing your news?
J: We have! They showed us love on our announcement post, which was really nice, and lots of the Love Is Blind family have reached out to us.
And how will you navigate social media once your baby has arrived?
B: I think we’ll be making much more family orientated content now. We really want to focus on YouTube, so stay tuned for that. We haven’t really decided how much exposure we want to give them. They’re just a kid and we’ve got to respect their privacy.
J: We don’t mind having ourselves on social media, of course, but we have to protect our kid. You might see the back of a head, but we’ll see. It’s still up for debate. It’s a tricky one and something we’re still discussing.
We’re so happy for you both – the stars truly aligned for you! Is this your dream finally come true?
J: It is. I used to mummy all the younger kids at school. I’ve always felt that motherly instinct, as cliché as it sounds. I’ve been dreaming about this for a very long time now, but obviously, timing is everything, and I feel like it’s happened at the right time for us.
B: Most definitely. If there’s anyone who’s made to be a mum, it’s Jasmine. She has such a natural bond with kids. We’re so excited for this new chapter together.