"Never been able to give myself fully"- Love is Blind UK star Tom opens up about how his childhood affected his relationships 

Love is Blind UK season 1 premiered on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, with the first four episodes of the British version of the Netflix social experiment. As the 30 singles bonded and got to know each other better, they opened up about their pasts and how it impacted their relationships.

One such conversation took place between Maria and Tom as the two opened up about living without their fathers. While Maria shared with Tom about losing her father during the pandemic, Tom spoke about growing up without a father.

When Maria asked him if his turbulent relationship with his father impacted the way he behaved in relationships, Tom said:

"I've never been able to give myself fully to relationships. Because I was so scared of, like, being abandoned. When you love them so much, you know?"

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Tom and Maria get emotional in Love is Blind UK episode 2

In Love is Blind UK season 1 episode 2, Tom and Maria spoke for the first time and had a good laugh together. As the two got to know each other, the female cast member told the cameras she wanted to find someone who could make her laugh in "60 years." Tom told Maria multiple jokes to make her laugh.

As the conversation continued, the topic turned somber as Tom opened up about his family. When Maria asked the Love is Blind UK cast member why he was "big on personal growth" and "development" he told her about growing up without a father. Tom said:

"When I was younger, I didn't really — I come from, like, a single-parent family, like a broken family."

The Love is Blind UK participant added that his parents split up when he was four, and he only saw his father once or twice a year. Tom revealed that since his father was so "absent", it made him want to be around his father more.

He stated he went to live with his father for a year and then went on a holiday with his mother. Tom said that by the time they got back from the holiday, "he'd done a runner," meaning, he had "just disappeared." Tom added that his father "literally left the house" that the Love is Blind UK participant lived in.

Maria asked Tom if he thought his father leaving had impacted how Tom behaved in relationships, and the latter said "100%."

The Love is Blind UK male star said that it took him a long time that the way to bond with people was to show vulnerability. While Maria agreed, she noted that being vulnerable was "really scary." She further opened up about her background and how she was raised.

Maria added that while growing up, she was taught to "get on with it" and that being sad or crying was not an option. She added that her family wouldn't show people that side because they'd be considered "weak."

The female cast member opened up about losing her father to cancer during COVID-19. Maria got emotional and said that her father was "a really good man" and didn't need to "go so early."

She explained that her father had gone back to Morrocco to say his "goodbyes" as he had terminal cancer but because it was the peak of Covid, he got stuck. She added that he passed away while he was there. Maria added:

"But I got to a point a while ago where I was just like, "I'm actually ready to sort of completely give myself to someone and like, be the best person for them and the best person for myself as well."

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Episodes 1-4 of Love is Blind UK are available to stream on Netflix. New episodes will be released on August 14, 2024.