World
‘Love Is Blind: U.K.’ Reveals Cast and Trailer as Hit Netflix Dating Show Moves Across the Pond
“Love Is Blind” is moving across the pond.
The U.K. version of the hit Netflix dating show revealed its full cast and trailer on Wednesday, teasing plenty of drama to come when the first episodes launch on Aug. 7.
“Love Is Blind: U.K.” shares the same synopsis as the U.S. version, following 30 singles who “have signed up for a less-conventional approach to modern dating, and will choose someone to marry without ever meeting them.” The singles hail from Dublin, London, Edinburgh and everywhere in between, range in age from 27 to 38 and include a chicken restaurateur, a techno DJ and a baby photographer.
“Over several weeks, the newly engaged couples will move in together, plan their wedding and find out if their physical connection matches their strong emotional bond developed in the Pods,” the synopsis continues. “When their wedding day arrives, will real-world realities and external factors push them apart, or will they marry the person they fell blindly in love with?”
“Love Is Blind: U.K.” is hosted by Matt and Emma Willis, who have been married since 2008 and share three children. Matt is best known as the singer of pop-punk band Busted, while Emma has presented “Big Brother” as well as the U.K. edition of Netflix competition series “The Circle.”
The 11-episode series premieres on Netflix Aug. 7 with four episodes. The next four will premiere on Aug. 14, and the last two on Aug. 21.
Watch the trailer for “Love Is Blind: U.K.” below and scroll down to meet the cast.
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Aaron
33, Milton Keynes, Chicken Restaurateur
@amurrell1
Since coming out of a long-term relationship, businessman Aaron has enjoyed being single, but the party lifestyle is starting to feel empty for him. He wants to find a partner to settle down with which would delight his close-knit family – Aaron’s role models are his own parents who have been together for 34 years and he is hoping to find a lasting love like theirs.
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Benaiah
33, Preston, Structural Landscaper
@benaiahgb
Globe-trotting Benaiah has been single for 11 years following a breakup he found difficult to recover from. He loves adventure and the outdoors but is yearning for a deeper connection with someone and finally feels ready to let his guard down and open up.
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Bobby
33, Staffordshire, Luxury Shopping Guide
@bobbyj4k
Losing his cousin Danny in tragic circumstances has made Bobby realize that life is too short to spend it alone. After travelling the world with his job, he is ready to find the right girl and settle back in the U.K. Spiritual Bobby writes and records his own music and says his mum is the most important person in his life.
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Catherine
29, Jersey, Dental Nurse
@catrichards94
Catherine reckons living on the small island of Jersey is hampering her chances of finding an eligible bachelor and she needs to cast her net further afield. Catherine was adopted as a baby and has never met a man who understands how this has shaped her life which has, in turn, impacted her relationships.
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Charlie
34, Hertfordshire, Gym General Manager
@charlie.mawson08
Cheeky chappy Charlie has been single for five years and is searching for a physical spark with someone who can also be his best friend. His mum is just as keen for him to settle down and even took over his dating apps last year in a bid to help him find love.
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Conor
31, Dublin, Health Food Business Owner
@griffindoor92
Cheeky, flirtatious and down to earth, Conor has been single for seven years. Since his last relationship ended, he has struggled to find anyone he can truly connect with. After losing his mum three years ago, he started his own health food business in her memory, determined to make her proud. Now he’s keen to start a family of his own.
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Demi
30, London, Safeguarding and Attendance Manager
@demisantanabrown
Sporty Demi loves boxing and playing football which she thinks some men are intimidated by. She says she’s used to guys seeing her only as a friend but then suddenly finding her attractive when she gets dressed up and puts some makeup on. Demi, who has mixed Caribbean and Maltese heritage, wants to meet someone, have kids and bag the fairytale ending.
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Ella
27, Derbyshire, Social Worker
@ellalilianaa
Fun-loving half-Italian Ella has tried many ways to meet a partner but without success. She was bullied in school and over the years this affected her confidence. Now, she works with young people and enjoys helping those going through the same experiences she had. Ella likes to play tennis, run, sing and bake in her spare time and says the family dog Dolly is her best friend.
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Elle
27, London, Graphic Designer
Elle was predominantly raised by her dad, who was her best friend and describes him as “husband goals”. Single for the last year, Elle has been dating but hasn’t been able to find someone who wants the same things out of life. She dreams of getting married and building a big family – something she never had.
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Freddie
32, Bolton, Funeral Director
@freddieppowell
Gym-loving Freddie was brought up by his mum and is very close to his brother Jack who has Down syndrome. He says the empathy their bond has instilled in him has helped in his career as a funeral director. A romantic at heart, Freddie doesn’t like being single and is hoping to find someone he can buy flowers for, take to dinner and travel the world with.
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Jake
32, Leicestershire, Civil Engineer
@jake.shill
Sensitive Jake is the agony uncle for all his friends and admits to being “soppy” when in a relationship. After going through a breakup and losing his mum, Jake realised that he is eager to settle down and start a family. Jake says he is ready to find the one and is known for falling in love quickly.
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Jasmine
29, London, Mental Health Nurse
@thejaycee_
All Jasmine’s friends have settled down, but she has been steadfastly single for four years and says she never gets approached. She describes her childhood as a “rollercoaster” due to moving from Norwich to the Philippines when she was 8. Jasmine wants to walk down the aisle and thinks she’d make a good wife.
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Joanes
31, Luton, Resident Service Manager
@joanes11
Salsa king Joanes prefers old school romance to playing text tennis and mind games. Born in Angola, he moved to the U.K. when he was 1 and says it’s important to him that any future partner loves to travel and experience different cultures. Joanes is known to charm the ladies with his linguistic skills but is ultimately hoping to meet someone who shares his Christian values.
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Jordan
33, Surrey, Fashion Tech Founder
@jordybaker
Sharp-dressing business owner Jordan is slow to build trust in a relationship and doesn’t take chances, which is where he feels he may have been going wrong in the past. After watching his friends start to settle down and have families, Jordan thinks now might be the time to throw caution to the wind and take a risk on love.
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Lisa
34, Edinburgh, Baby Photographer
@lisahendrie
Lisa falls in love easily but is tired of being judged for her looks. She is looking for a relationship of substance that’s all about what’s on the inside. As a photographer specializing in newborn shoots, Lisa finds herself getting broody and longing for a baby of her own.
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Maria
30, Southampton, Makeup Artist
@mariabenkh
Maria is hoping for a traditional relationship and is looking for a man who can protect and care for her. She’s a fiery, outgoing and passionate woman who speaks her mind. Maria’s dad died in 2020 and losing him has been the biggest personal challenge she’s had to face so far.
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Natasha
32, Cheshire, Career Coordinator
@tashwaters
Since splitting from her long-term partner two and a half years ago, a heavier Tash felt it was time she motivated herself to have a more healthy lifestyle and stay fit and is now keen to meet her “forever person.” She says she frequently gets friend-zoned by guys but looks to her parents, who have been married for 42 years, and hopes to have that for herself one day.
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Nicole
29, Surrey, Head of Brand and Marketing
@theholisticnicole
Nicole was previously married but divorced shortly after and as a result threw herself into her career. She was raised Catholic and still believes there is life after divorce. She still hasn’t given up on love and is hoping to be second-time lucky! Nicole has mixed Ghanaian and Lebanese heritage and has lived in Ghana but is now settled in the U.K.
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Olivia
28, London, Creative Project Director
@LivLavelle
Olivia puts being single down to the fact she’s spent years being extremely work-focused. However, after living and working in L.A., she is now back in the U.K. and feels ready to share her life. Since her last relationship ended, Olivia has taken time to get to know herself and is hoping to find true love.
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Ollie
32, London, Software Sales
@ollie1sutherland
Smooth talker Ollie hasn’t been in a serious relationship for six years. He admits that he often goes for the “Instagram hot” girls and it never develops into anything deep or meaningful. Ollie says he’s now ready to fall in love with someone’s heart rather than their looks – his nights out are now turning into friends’ weddings and he wishes he had a plus one.
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Priya
37, Berkshire, Procurement Manager
@priyanka__grewal
Priya has been engaged before – but only for 24 hours, calling it off after realizing she’d made a mistake. She feels now might be the time to step back into the dating world and explore her options. She is looking to build a lasting connection with someone that goes beyond their physical attributes. Priya’s parents had an arranged marriage and she sees them as a prime example of a loving relationship.
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Ria
34, London, Commercial Contracts Manager
@reelouise31
Ria is ready to meet someone but feels she’s exhausted all the options – apart from “Love Is Blind.” Ria has five nieces and nephews who she adores and she loves being the cool aunty, but she’s tired of friends and family asking when she’s going to settle down herself.
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Richie
30, Gloucestershire, Sports Turf Maintenance Director
@trickyy
Sports-mad Richie admits to needing a lot of reassurance from a partner and describes himself as caring with a lot of love to give. Any love interest coming into Richie’s life would have to get along with his sister who is also his best friend and confidant.
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Ryan
31, Edinburgh, Techno DJ and Cellist
@thescottishkorean
Korean-born musician Ryan has been single for two years, having struggled to hold down a relationship because of his lifestyle which involves late nights and travel. He has dated older women in the past and at 6ft 3in tends to be attracted to tall girls, although he is open to anything the pods might have to offer. He is hoping “Love Is Blind” will help him find someone who values commitment as much as he does.
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Sabrina
35, Belfast, Director of Marketing and Communications
@sabrinavittoriaegerton
Unlucky in love Sabrina is hoping to meet the man of her dreams in the experiment. She hasn’t had much luck with men in her dating life which has led to her being hyper independent. Sabrina believes the pods will give her an opportunity to get deep with men from the get-go. She hopes to find someone who has worked through their own issues and wants to grow with her to be the best versions of themselves.
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Sam
31, London, Product Design Manager
@sam_klein
Sam believes his progression up the career ladder has come at a cost as it’s left little time for love. Having had his heart broken twice, he is hoping that the next person to come into his life will be third time lucky. Privately-educated Sam enjoys traveling and says he often feels the pressure from his mum to find The One.
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Sharlotte
35, London, Global Communications Director
@sharlotteritchie
High-flyer Sharlotte feels her career has gotten in the way of her love life and has found that men are intimidated by her success. Single for eight years, she was briefly engaged to the guy she was with from the age of 19, but knew deep down they had grown apart and fallen out of love. Sharlotte’s twin sister has recently moved in with her boyfriend and so her desire to find her own Mr Right is now stronger than ever.
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Shirley
27, London, Junior Doctor
@shirleybekker
Shirley admits that in the past she has enjoyed the thrill of the chase but tends to fall for men who are emotionally unavailable. This is something she’s working on and she realizes now that she wants a partner she can build a life with and hopes to start a family as soon as possible. Born in the Netherlands, she came to the U.K. as a young girl and has recently graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in medicine.
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Steven
37, London, Gym Owner
@stvnsmthy
Steven has been single for four months following a whirlwind romance which ended when she moved back to the States. Loyal, thoughtful and ambitious, this Brummie lad is only interested in relationships he sees as leading to marriage, knows exactly what he wants and refuses to compromise when it comes to love.
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Tom
38, London, PR and Advertising Consultant
@stroudtom
Tom has been single for six years and says his 30s have been focused on personal growth and preparing to settle down. He is a self-confessed mummy’s boy but has worked hard to build a successful career in PR and advertising and is now ready to fall in love and share his life with someone special.
World
Oatis, Reuters Americas desk editor, is retiring – Talking Biz News
Friends and colleagues,
As many of you know, I’m retiring. Dec. 28 will be my final day of work after 34 years here, 10 years with the Associated Press, and time at the Greenville (South Carolina) News and a community weekly in coastal Maine.
I’ve had a lot of fun — learning something new nearly every day, crafting the occasionally clever headline and, most of all, working with some of the smartest, wittiest, nicest people in the business. I believe journalism is indeed the first rough draft of history, and that good stories can effect change, which has made the work meaningful as well as enjoyable.
I turned 70 last April and considered retiring then. But I began covering or editing presidential campaign stories in 1980, and I couldn’t resist working on one last White House run. It was well worth it.
For me, Reuters represented not one job, but a series of gigs with the same employer. In my early days as a general and political news desker, I learned to write in British English as well as American English. After the desk moved to Washington in the mid-90s, I worked on the Reuters Business Report, getting an education in business and financial journalism. (I also started a five-year adjunct professorship at Columbia’s j-school.)
After a stint as the first in-house editor of Reuters’ online internet and technology reports, I landed one of my best posts: working on the News2Web editorial system project in London from 2000-2004. My family and I spent four wonderful years in Britain, making lifelong friends and exploring Europe. I followed that up with a yearlong posting in Bengalaru running a global economic polling team, where we forged more friendships and experienced a fascinating culture.
Since returning to the States in 2006, I’ve mostly desked but there’ve been other jobs, including deputy Top News editor, Front Page editor, Reuters.com online editor and Legal News desk editor.
The list of people I could recognize for their support and friendship over the years is long, and I’d probably inadvertently leave someone out, so I’ll shout out just two people: my father, 47-year AP veteran, Cold War press hero, U.N. correspondent and role model William Oatis, whom I occasionally accompanied into the U.N. bureau on weekends starting around age 12 (He’d put me to work ripping and sorting wire copy), and the late Keith Leighty, who was my boss at RBR and became one of my closest friends.
As for those I haven’t named, you know who you are. Thanks for everything and stay in touch.
I’d be remiss in not recognizing the good work of the NewsGuild and my fellow NewsGuild members to ensure we get paid fairly and enjoy decent working conditions. And, to this day, I truly believe the union’s efforts ultimately benefit the company.
Allbest,
Jonathan
World
Plane veers off airport runway in South Korea and crashes, killing at least 176: reports
A Jeju Air flight skidded off a runway in South Korea and collided with a concrete fence, killing at least 176 people, the Associated Press reported, citing the country’s National Fire Agency (NFA).
The Yonhap News Agency attributed the devastating crash, one of the worst in the country’s history, to malfunctioning landing gear.
Jeju Air, a low-cost airline in South Korea, was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members in the Boeing 737-800 when the incident occurred Sunday morning local time at Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, roughly 180 miles south of Seoul.
At least 176 people — 83 women, 82 men and 11 others whose genders weren’t immediately identifiable — died in the fire, the fire agency said.
KAZAKHSTAN PLANE CRASH SURVIVORS SAY THEY HEARD BANGS BEFORE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN; PUTIN ISSUES STATEMENT
According to the NFA, emergency workers rescued two people, both crew members who were conscious. Three people remained missing about nine hours after the incident.
The plane landed at 9:07 a.m. local time at the airport when the incident happened.
According to the Associated Press, the passenger plane slammed into a concrete fence on the runway after its front landing gear failed to deploy.
The plane was flying back to South Korea from Thailand, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
Photos shared by local media showed smoke billowing out of the plane.
A senior Transport Ministry official said that the flight data recorder from the plane’s black box was retrieved and that crews were still searching for the cockpit voice recording device, according to the AP.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Italy says talks ongoing with Iran to release Cecilia Sala from prison
Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was detained on 19 December, according to the Italian foreign ministry.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said that Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist detained by Iranian police in Tehran, is in “good health” and that negotiations are under way to bring her home.
Tajani said she has spoken to her parents and received a visit by Italy’s ambassador to Iran.
“The Iranian Foreign Ministry will give her basic necessities, as requested by our embassy,” Tajani said in Rome.
Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was detained on 19 December, according to the Italian foreign ministry.
A contributor to the newspaper Il Foglio and the voice behind the podcast Stories by Chora Media, Sala has had her work featured in several notable Italian outlets, including Vanity Fair, Wired, and L’Espresso.
Il Foglio said she is being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison, notorious for holding dissidents.
The paper said Sala was in Iran with a regular visa “to report on a country she knows and loves.”
The newspaper’s editor, Claudio Cerasa, wrote on Friday that “journalism is not a crime,” asking to “bring Cecilia Sala home.”
Chora Meda said Sala had departed Rome on 12 December with a valid journalistic visa and official guarantees for foreign correspondents.
During her stay, she conducted several interviews and produced three episodes of her podcast.
She was scheduled to return to Rome last Friday but stopped responding to messages on the morning of 19 December.
Iran has not acknowledged Sala’s detention but it can take weeks before authorities announce such arrests.
A history of similar detentions
Since the 1979 US Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.
In September 2023, five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange for five Iranians in US custody and for $6 billion (€5.75 billion) in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.
Western journalists have been held in the past as well. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran in 2009 for 100 days before being released.
Also detained by Iran was Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was held for over 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Tehran and Washington.
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