Love is Blind star reveals shocking low pay on the hit Netflix show

26 September 2024, 16:14

Ex Love is Blind star reveals how little contestants get paid. Picture: Instagram: @missreneepoche/Netflix

By Tiasha Debray

Ex Love is Blind contestant Renee Poche has revealed how much she earned during season five of Love Is Blind and it’s lower than you think.

Loading audio...

Love is Blind saw huge success with the cast of their first UK version of the reality show earlier in 2024.

The Netflix dating show hosted by husband and wife presenting duo Matt and Emma Willis starts with 30 contestants, and sees viewers watching them blind date one another from behind the walls of individual pods.

But that’s only the first part, the couples then honeymoon together before taking on regular life with one another by meeting friends and families and, if all goes well, getting married at the end of the season.

But for all that hard work and the big money behind Netflix productions, you would think the stars of the show were getting adequately financially compensated. But according to Ex Love is Blind US contestant, they are not.

Read more: What Happened To Steven And Sabrina After Love Is Blind UK?
Read more: Are Ollie And Demi From Love Is Blind UK Still Together Now?

Love Is Blind's contestants don't meet their spouse-to-be until they're engaged. Picture: Netflix

Renee Poche starred in season 5 of Love is Blind and revealed earlier in the year, whilst in the middle of a lawsuit with the streaming giant, just how little she earned for her time on the show.

"My experience on 'Love is Blind' was traumatic. I felt like a prisoner and had no support when I let Delirium know that I didn't feel safe," Renee said in a statement to USA TODAY.

She found herself being sued by the platform for breaching an NDA about her time on the show. "I tried to deal with these emotions over time and eventually felt like I needed to share what had happened. I felt it was only right to let others know the truth of what all of the cast mates had to endure."

"In return for this, I am now being sued for $4 million despite earning only $8,000 for my participation on the show," she said.

Love Is Blind's pods allowed contestants to make deeper connections. Picture: Netflix

How much do Love Is Blind contestants get paid?

Renee claimed she earned a lump sum of $8,000 (£6,000) for her entire time on the show, however a cast member from the 2022 season revealed they were only paid a flat rate of $1,000 (£749) a week for their work on the show, according to Variety.

Their week supposedly had the cast filming up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week to which the publication calculated was lower than the minimum wage in Los Angeles at $7.14 (£5.34) per hour when the minimum is $15 (£11.23) an hour.

Whilst the fee provided by the show seems to be minimal according to past contestants, the potential to earn after the show increases significantly, with two contestants from season 2 (Deepti Vempati and Natalie Lee) supposedly earning over half a million dollars (£374,355) a year as influencers.

A career that was only made available to them because of their participation in the reality show.