Life has been amazing for Jasmine and Bobby Johnson since Love is Blind UK – the unconventional experiment which tests whether single people can form a connection, sight unseen. The first time that mental health nurse Jasmine, 31, and fitness trainer Bobby, 35, actually set eyes on one another was after they got engaged in purpose-built pods, following a string of dates that relied solely on building their emotional connection. Their physical attraction was instantaneous on the first meeting and the pair went from strength to strength, making it to the final stage of the experiment where they said, ‘I do’ at the altar. Along with Benaiah Brydie and Nicole Stevens, they are the only couple who are still together from last year’s debut series of Love is Blind UK.
What is their secret? ‘Focusing on one another,’ Jasmine tells heat. ‘As much as we love all the contestants on the show, we didn't go out with them during the experiment. We focused on getting to know each other and protecting our peace because it's very easy for outside noise to get into your head. Coming out of the experiment, we're the exact same - we're totally on the same page. I think that's what's helped us.’
Of how he approached the experiment, Bobby adds, ‘I think the key is that you're very authentic - communicate exactly what you want, who you are, and be very honest from the beginning. That way, whoever you do end up with, at least they've got a real, true picture of who you actually are, rather than an image you've created or painted. I'm not saying people do that, but that's one thing that I was very aware of - I wanted to make sure that I put my real self forward.’
During the pod stage of Love is Blind, all castmates speed date one another behind a wall, while the men and women reside in separate living quarters.
Jasmine admits the initial getting-to-know-each-other stage sparked ‘constant anxiety’. She explains, ‘You're outside the pods, and you don't even know who's behind the wall until you go into the room. Producers don't tell you. They only say, "Date at half 10, date at half 11, date at 12.30…" We basically rank each other at the end of the date.
'If a guy ranked you high, and you ranked him high, then there's a possibility that you will see him the next day, but if he didn't rate you, then you would never see him the next day. I think towards the end, once we were clear on who we wanted to pursue, it was a fairytale from there really.’
Meanwhile, like any reality TV show, only so much makes the final edit, as Bobby acknowledges.
‘There were so many different love triangles that you’ll never hear about,' Jasmine chimes in, ‘and there are so many conversations that go on behind the scenes. With the Benaiah Nicole situation, they never showed how much we played a part in fighting for her.’
Jasmine and Bobby – who reveal they’re still in touch with their castmates on WhatsApp - have recently moved into a new home in London and are pouring their efforts into a new fitness business venture. But there is something else that would make them complete.
‘I really want to get pregnant this year - that's my dream,’ Jasmine admits. ‘That’s my main focus at the moment. I’m looking at lifestyle changes and how I can make my body a safer place to conceive. That’s what's on the forefront of my brain at all times.’
She continues, ‘Going into the trying to conceive journey, we thought having sex, we’ll have a baby tomorrow. It’s not as clear-cut as that. You don't understand how difficult it actually is to get pregnant until you're trying for it. I think we just need to give ourselves grace.’
On a lighter turn, Bobby laughs that if it was down to his wife, they’d have ‘five or six’ kids. But he says, ‘I think [fertility journeys] definitely need to be spoken about a lot more, because there's so much that we've learned on this journey that we had no idea about. I think it's about not putting pressure on yourselves and being patient - when the time is right, it's right.’
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Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for heat. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.