"Indirectly insulting my family" — Love is Blind: UK star Maria sheds light on her breakup with Tom at the reunion

Love is Blind: UK season 1 concluded with the release of its reunion episode on Monday, August 26, 2024. The six couples who reached the finale discussed life after the show. Only two of the three couples who got married were still together. They were Nicole and Benaiah, and Bobby and Jasmine.

Freddie and Catherine, Tom and Maria, Ollie and Demi, and Steven and Sabrina disclosed they went their separate ways after the cameras stopped rolling.

Tom, who called off his wedding at the altar, failed to reconcile with Maria despite his chemistry with the cast member. At the reunion, Maria stated that their conflicting perspectives about gender roles and finance management separated them permanently. She thought his standpoint and expectations of her were disrespectful to her family.

"I think in terms of what he said, in regards to raising kids, it felt like he was indirectly insulting my family," Maria stated.

The Love is Blind: UK cast member explained she grew up watching her mother raise her children in a certain way and wanted to "replicate" that when it was her turn. However, when Tom stated that Maria's method would not produce independent and strong-willed children, she felt he was indirectly criticizing the ways of her family.

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Love is Blind: UK star Maria confessed Tom's conversation with her mother made her "blood boil"

When asked, Love is Blind: UK stars Maria and Tom revealed they did not reconnect after the show. Tom left Maria at the altar because he disagreed with how she wanted to raise her children.

He believed she wanted the man to bear the financial responsibility of a family, whereas he wanted to raise "strong independent daughters" who could bear their own expenses. At the reunion, Maria confessed she felt disrespected by his remarks since they indirectly questioned her upbringing.

She added she wanted to emulate her mother's approach because it resulted in "kind kids, confident kids," who treated everyone equally, regardless of their social positions. Hearing Maria speak, Tom admitted he made a few mistakes and showcased "ugly behavior" at times. Although it was a learning curve, he wished he acted differently.

On their wedding day, Maria's mother approached Tom and gave him her blessings, vowing to be a mother-like figure to him.

"Watching it back made me angry again because of his comment afterwards about I wanna raise strong independent daughters. It just made my blood boil," Maria stated.

The Love is Blind: UK cast member explained she felt angered because even after seeing the "type of women" her mother had brought up, he said he wanted to raise independent daughters. She claimed his comments indirectly disapproved of her mother's methods, hinting that her daughters were raised with incorrect ideologies. She was "mad" to see how "sweet" and "welcoming" her mother towards him.

Tom confessed it changed his perspective in life and made him wish he had treated Maria "a bit better." He added that although Maria's views about "splitting bills" differed from his, he respected them.

Maria then clarified that the issue was "taken out of context." She explained:

"Never once did I expect you to pay my bills, finance my life or buy me luxury. I wanna set that straight. I never once said that, thought that or wanted that in my life."

The Love is Blind: UK cast member also hoped Tom grew out of his unfavorable opinion of her profession as a makeup artist. When asked if they were "still friends," Maria said, "We're okay." However, she confessed they had "funny times" when they were together.

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The complete season of Love is Blind: UK is available to stream on Netflix.