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When Brandon Reg He joined Netflix a decade ago to head up reality TV, and he had one major competitor in mind: ABC Bachelor’s degree.
But Riegg felt the show—which was currently in disarray—after that Cancellation His final season was sparked by a domestic violence incident involving would-be Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul – “contrived” with a “tug of war” over group dates and outings in Italian palaces. He wanted to create something that felt more “authentic” to modern dating, he says.
You succeeded. The broadcaster premiered the blind date-turned-engagement show, love is blind, in 2020, and has since been viewed 215 million times and expanded into nine markets around the world, making it a cornerstone of Netflix’s expanding reality programming roster. Other popular shows of the network include Love is on the spectrumWhich tracks data for people with autism, and what has been recently launched and already renewed Age of attractionWhere the contestants delay in revealing their ages until they commit to each other. (The duo included a 60-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman.)
However, these successes have come with their share of criticism, including from me.
As I did Previously writtenwhile Love is blind It was refreshing when he came on the scene, as the men of the last few seasons have felt increasingly plucked from the conservative atmosphere. Ohio State’s most recent season featured Chris Fusco, who compared himself to influencer and alleged human trafficker Andrew Tate, bragged about being “dominant,” and broke up with fiancée Jessica Barrett for not getting enough exercise. The other contestant, Alex Henderson, was one of his crypto bros, and he declared his love for President Donald Trump.
Combined with the constant talk (pressure?) about having kids and the ambivalent racial dynamics — several contestants apparently had difficulties when their partner was revealed to be a person of color — it made me wonder if Netflix is leaning toward people with conservative ideals to appeal to the political right.
That’s not the case, Reg, Netflix’s vice president of reality series and sports, told me.
“Half the country voted for Trump, right?” He says. “Depending on where you go, you’ll have the luck of the draw in terms of whether it’s more to the left or more to the right. I think we’re neutral on that.” (In addition to Ohio, the past few seasons have been held in Denver, Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, North Carolina.)
Barrett, a liberal doctor, has said in interviews that she examined all the men Love is blindThey asked if they voted for Trump, but none of that appeared on screen.
Rigg says Barrett’s exposition questions likely weren’t included because producers prioritized “story,” but he experienced the same anxiety when trying to have a relationship with a girlfriend.
“She says, ‘Just make sure it’s not MAGA.’ “For her, it was top of mind. I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what that is.’ I didn’t even think about that.”
According to 2025 reconnaissance From DatingAdvice.com in partnership with the Kinsey Institute Celibacy is on the rise among young people. Among Gen Z women who identify as voluntarily celibate, 64% identified politics as the reason.
More broadly, Reg admits that it is difficult to find “quality men” – and not just for TV purposes.
“Do you know how many great girlfriends I have? And I don’t have enough great friends to keep in touch with,” he says. “So I think this is probably a broader issue.”
Prior to Netflix, Riegg worked in reality television at both NBC and ABC, overseeing hugely popular shows like Sound, America’s got talentand The biggest loser. The latter, along with America’s Next Top Modelwas the subject of a Netflix documentary that reveals behind-the-scenes disagreements and instances of psychological stress between the contestants.
Riegg says he’s not worried about talking about everything Love is blind It will emerge in 10 years because Netflix adheres to high “duty of care” standards, including providing cast members with access to treatment.
When asked if reality TV was inherently exploitative, he said: “You don’t force anyone to do anything.” A quarter century later SurvivorHis debut reinforced the high-stakes template of modern reality TV, and he adds: “I don’t think anyone is ignorant of the pros and cons of doing these things.”