Love Is Blind season 5 has differed from previous seasons, including Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Uche Okoroha’s connection before the show. In an unexpected departure from earlier seasons of one of the best reality TV shows, not everyone who appeared in the pods spoke to a total stranger. Before appearing on Love Is Blind season 5, 32-year-old geologist Lydia and 34-year-old lawyer/entrepreneur Uche were engaged in a serious relationship. Uche did not share that information with Aaliyah Cosby, his strongest connection in the pods until he was about to propose.
However, it’s very possible Uche and Lydia’s casting was not luck but a calculated move by Love Is Blind production and Lydia. There were various signs throughout the first seven episodes of Love Is Blind season 5 that Lydia orchestrated a potential reconnection between her and Uche and failed. Since Love Is Blind producer Chris Coelen claims they were unaware of Uche and Lydia’s past relationship before filming, was it possible Lydia was the mastermind behind her and Uche’s casting?
Lydia Suggested She And Uche Date In The Pods
When Uche revealed to Aaliyah he had dated Lydia in the real world, it came as an understandable shock to the 29-year-old ICU travel nurse. Uche heavily judged Aaliyah for her past as a “recent cheater” despite her vulnerability and remorse, so his withholding information from her came across as hypocritical.
While filming Uche and Lydia’s first date, Uche doesn’t recognize Lydia at first, but she immediately knows who is on the other side of the wall. Uche didn’t seem pleased to realize an old flame was in the pods, but Lydia said it was “fate” and suggested it may be a sign they needed to start over again. Uche resisted, saying it would go against the point of Love Is Blind, as they had already seen each other. Her eagerness to try again with Uche signifies she may have purposefully gotten cast on Love Is Blind because she knew Uche was auditioning.
Lydia Connected With Aaliyah To Get Closer To Uche
Once it became clear Lydia wouldn’t get a second chance with Uche in the pods; she made friends with Aaliyah, his one meaningful connection, to sabotage any potential relationships he established on Love Is Blind. It’s typical for the men and women to form strong friendships with their fellow castmates in the pod stage, as they’re sequestered from the outside world during the dating and filming process. Lydia’s manipulative friendship completely blindsided Aaliyah, as she had no idea she and Uche had dated. Meanwhile, it seems pretty shady for Lydia to have coincidentally gotten close to Aaliyah, and she’s the one who happened to connect with her ex.
Lydia Accepted A Proposal From Milton To See Uche
Lydia was ready to accept a proposal from anyone to stay on the show. While it’s clear most Love Is Blind cast members are shameless clout chasers prioritizing influencer status over marital bliss, Lydia took the obvious to a new level. After getting dumped by Izzy Zapata, she allowed herself to be wooed by 25-year-old petroleum engineer Milton Johnson, from whom she accepted a proposal. Lydia and Milton may continue to form a positive connection and say yes at the altar, but the start of their relationship came off as pretty fraudulent, considering Lydia’s past behavior.
Lydia got what she wanted and had a confrontation with Uche in which she refused to answer any of his questions directly and tried to get everyone on her side despite not having any proof to back up her qualms. Though Uche unfairly put her in a corner on camera, she doesn’t look good between her reaction and production cuts.
Lydia Stalked Uche And His Friends After They Broke Up
Uche accused Lydia of keeping close tabs on his friends on Instagram and stalking him after their breakup. While he said their separation was amicable, he later relayed red flags to Milton and anyone else who would listen. Allegedly, there are screenshots of Lydia watching various Instagram stories to ascertain Uche’s whereabouts and goings-on. Proof has not been available for the general public, but if this is true, Lydia’s manipulation to get on the show and win Uche back was a total failure.
Uche and Aaliyah’s relationship likely would have been ruined by Uche’s judgmental attitude anyway, but Lydia sped up the process of their ultimate demise. While production claims they had nothing to do with Uche and Lydia’s coincidental casting, it seems unlikely it could have been a total secret. However, if it was, Lydia’s moves as a Love Is Blind mastermind are undoubtedly unmatched by any past cast members. Hopefully, she has moved on from Uche; her intentions in casting were pure, and she and Milton are happy together. However, there seem to be too many coincidences in her storyline for her to be totally innocent.
