The season finale of Love Is Blind will premiere on Wednesday, October 22. The reality show's ninth season has been nothing short of dramatic. Set in Denver, several cast members left the show early, a few more broke up before the wedding, and one ran out of his tux fitting. While there are always season favorites – I'm looking at you Cameron and Lauren – this season of Love Is Blind is showing that while love may be blind, the realities of relationships are not.
As the season progressed, less and less couples stuck it out. Episodes seven to nine followed five couples – Megan and Jordan, Kalybriah and Edmond, Anton and Ali, Annie and Nick, and Joe and Madison – back in the real world after their experiences in the pods, with the loved-up reality stars realizing things are much harder outside their four pod walls.
But, despite their real life love stories, the other very real side of Love Is Blind is the public's reactions. The reality show is extremely popular, with its seventh season debuting with 1.1 billion minutes watched. It's routinely one of the most watched shows on Netflix and viewers often become more interested in the off-screen lives of the contestants.
So, who are the most popular cast members on Love Is Blind? HELLO! spoke with Kim Than, CEO of The PR Genius, whose organization just unveiled a "Love Is Blind Popularity Index" using a blend of social media engagement metrics, sentiment analysis, and media mentions. Kim told HELLO!: "The data proves what many viewers intuitively feel Love Is Blind is not just a dating experiment, it's a social experiment in influence."
According to The PR Genius, the most popular cast member on season 9 is Megan Walerius, a.k.a. Sparkle Megan. The 35-year-old entrepreneur fell in love with Jordan Keltner, a 29-year-old father of a five-year-old named Luca, in the pods. The couple connected on their familiarity with Type 1 diabetes – which Megan's dad had and Jordan's son has. Per The PR Genius, Jordan is the third most popular cast member.
After Sparkle Megan, the next on The PR Genius' "Love Is Blind Popularity Index" is Kacie McIntosh. The PR Genius told HELLO!: "Kacie, despite drawing negative social sentiment, ranks second overall in followers with 30,000, suggesting that even polarizing personalities can drive massive engagement." The reality star left the show early after getting engaged to Patrick Suzuki, telling producers: "I just, unfortunately, don't think my attraction to him is going to grow that much."
After Megan, Kacie, and Jordan, the fourth most popular cast member of Love Is Blind season 9 is Kalybriah Haskin. The 29-year-old social worker fell in love with Edmond Harvey, 29, in the pods. But, in the real world, the couple clashed often. Back in Denver, Kalybriah accused Edmond of turning the affection on for the cameras, cutting her off, and being dismissive. This ability to stand up for herself has gained positive sentiment with the public.
As season 9 wraps up, only time will tell which Love Is Blind couples say "I do" and which are just in it for the public's affection.