Two stars of Netflix's ‘Love Is Blind’ are trading the pods for a stage in Over-the-Rhine. Connor Spies and Elissa Finley will sit down for a live podcast taping at the Woodward Theater on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m., hosted by local podcaster Lolli Nicodemus as part of an event called Love on the Rocks.
A Pink Carpet Comes to Over-the-Rhine
Nicodemus, who hosts the podcast Sex & the Cincy, will host Spies and Finley for the evening, according to Cincinnati CityBeat. The headlining segment is a live taping with the pair covering their hot takes, behind-the-scenes moments, and their overall experiences on the reality dating series, per the same report. Beyond the taping itself, the evening is being built as a full production: a cocktail hour, a pink carpet, local vendors, a surprise performance, and an interactive dating game featuring Cincinnati singles are all part of the lineup.
Comedian Cody Walker will serve as emcee for the night, rounding out a bill that leans more toward a produced show than a simple fan meet-and-greet. Nicodemus has promised to ask questions Netflix didn't, signaling that the conversation will push past whatever made the show's final cut.
Why a Podcast Host Wanted the Unedited Version
Nicodemus has said that hearing directly from reality TV participants may lead to a different conversation than the version viewers saw on screen. She's also said she wanted to create an experience like a night out with friends, and that the event brings conversations about dating and relationships into a shared room rather than just a feed or a screen. Sex & the Cincy itself explores modern dating, relationships and lifestyle through humorous, candid conversations with Queen City locals, and the podcast has recently expanded its format into community-focused live events, building toward exactly this kind of in-person gathering.
The Couples Behind the Cameras
Spies and Finley both appeared on Love Is Blind season 10, which brought the show's pod dating experiment to Ohio, according to Us Weekly. Spies was one of seven couples whose engagements were followed that season, paired with Brianna McNees. Finley's storyline took a different path: she became engaged to Miguel Lopez during the season, but the magazine notes that their love story was not chronicled on the show itself.
Finley has since reflected on that experience publicly, telling Tudum she's now dating with intention. “Now, I'm going to ask the harder questions sooner,” she said, a sentiment that seems to line up neatly with the kind of behind-the-scenes digging Nicodemus is promising at the Woodward Theater, located in Over-the-Rhine.
