"Wanna go rescue gorillas in Africa" — Love on the Spectrum star Tanner reveals his future goals

Love on the Spectrum star Tanner Smith recently shared his plans for the future and goals he wanted to accomplish. During an interview with NewsNation, shared on the network's official YouTube channel on April 14, 2025, Tanner was asked about his "next dream" that he wanted to achieve.

"I wanna go rescue gorillas in Africa one day. Yeah, I wanna do some more traveling as I get older," he said.

The Love on the Spectrum alum, who currently resides in Clemson "with no roommate," added that his "other big life goal" was to move back home by the age of 44. Tanner was joined by his mother, Nicci Smith, who then urged him to share his travel plans with the interviewer. He revealed that he wanted to "travel more" and visit Europe, Jamaica, and Greece someday.

Tanner advised viewers, pursuing their dreams and hoping to fulfill them, to never stop believing in themselves. He also shared his opinions and thoughts on autism, its challenges, filming a dating show, and the dating scene.

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"Not a bad thing" — Love on the Spectrum alum Tanner sheds light on living with autism

Love on the Spectrum season 3 premiered on Netflix on April 2, 2025, documenting the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum as they explored the dating scene in hopes of finding love or a potential life partner. Tanner Smith was one of the cast members who went on a few dates to find his ideal match. He connected with Callie, one of his blind dates, and enjoyed spending time with her.

However, their connection could not blossom into anything romantic as the pair remained in contact as good friends. Fans of the Netflix show appreciated Tanner's personality and overall demeanor with his co-stars. Consequently, his appearance garnered positive feedback on various social media platforms. When the interviewer asked Tanner how appearing on a dating show changed his life, he said:

"We got to do some more traveling than we used to and I've got more confident and I've got more smarter."

While reflecting on the fame and fan following that came with the show, the Love on the Spectrum alum admitted that he liked it when people stopped him to say, "Hi." He explained he would ask them their names and if they wanted to click a photograph with him. Tanner said that he did not mind when people stopped him or requested pictures with him.

The interviewer then asked Tanner if he had learned anything about dating that he did not know before. He revealed that he had learned men could have fun on dates even if they did not speak, saying it was a lesson author Jennifer Cook had taught him. He then shared some dating advice for those who wanted to go on dates and find love, saying:

"If somebody was going on a date, I would tell them that they have to be nice, kind, polite, and a gentleman."

The Love on the Spectrum star claimed that the "secret to a great relationship" was being authentic and honest. When asked what love meant to him, Tanner said it meant that people wanted to hang out with him and care for him. He then advised those with "broken hearts" not to be disheartened because he believed they would also find their ideal matches.

While commenting on his life as an individual on the autism spectrum, Tanner said:

"I would want the people to know that autism is not a bad thing."

The Love on the Spectrum star's mother, Nicci, chimed in, saying the "love and joy" they received from fans was unprecedented and more than they could have asked for.

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Love on the Spectrum is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.