Love Is Blind creator Chris Coelen reveals whether a queer version of the show is achievable and what goes into making it happen. Chris Coelen is an award-winning dating show innovator — not only the name behind the Emmy-nominated Love Is Blind series but several other chart-toppers, including The Ultimatum and Perfect Match. Through his company, Kinetic Content, Coelen has been producing unscripted series since 2010. And out of his impressive success in TV production, Love Is Blind is undoubtedly his most notable achievement. But with record-breaking viewership comes criticism. It’s no secret that LGBTQ+ representation is underwhelming in dating shows, and the creator has yet to diversify Love Is Blind.
Coelen shared insight into what a queer version of Love Is Blind entails and the likelihood of a representative spin-off. In a recent interview, THR asked the dating show mogul if fans should expect an LGBTQ+ spin-off for Love Is Blind, and he responded vaguely. Coelen expressed interest in further representing the gay community, referencing the positive response to the “brief bisexual representation” in Perfect Match. After being redirected to the initial inquiry, he said he’d “love” to, but explained the “logistics” of the show present difficulty, noting they “wouldn’t” and “couldn’t” follow the format of the straight version with a queer cast. But — it isn’t impossible, he concluded.
Will Love Is Blind Go Live Again For The Reunion?
THR addressed another significant curiosity — whether Love Is Blind will hold another live reunion after the epic failure of a first attempt. Coelen first acknowledged the positive outcome of the “chaotic night” that the issue highlighted the event’s remarkable appeal. However, he agrees with Andy Cohen, who warned that live reunions are generally a “bad idea.” Ultimately, Coelen said he’d consider it again in the future but that he and his crew need to reassess the “real benefit” of it. He also shared that he didn’t attend the historical Love Is Blind season 4 live reunion and that if they were to try again, he would want to be there.
Love Is Blind is the most successful dating series in the last several years, which has prompted much discussion. The person who calls the shots has provided a look into the future to carry fans through the waiting period between seasons. In terms of a queer-casted Love Is Blind, it doesn’t sound particularly promising, unfortunately. Although Coelen expresses and has proven support for the LGBTQ+ community with The Ultimatum: Queer Love, he doesn’t seem to think the efforts required to do the same for Love Is Blind are plausible. As for another live reunion, that is also unlikely. But considering the first attempt was disastrous, that may not be unfortunate.
The show’s creator has responded to the request for more LGBTQ+ representation in unscripted dating series. Coelen extends support and interest in furthering representation of the community that has been minimal for far too long but explains why it has yet to happen for the show. One could understand his justification that the experimental structure of Love Is Blind may not be a seamless transition with a sexually fluid cast. However, it can be done, and there is significant interest in it, so why not establish a format that does work? If the Netflix hit continues to increase in popularity, perhaps the likelihood of a queer spin-off will too.
Sources: THR, @kineticcontent/Instagram
