Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Riccobono and Jordan Wright. They and their team shared their story with us below:
At the outset of the pandemic, there were two hot new Netflix shows keeping everyone entertained: Tiger King and Love is Blind. Love is Blind interested us from the outset. While both were an excellent distraction, Love is Blind really had staying power.
Unlike other dating shows, it really had a genuine element of people looking for love. What started as a small Facebook group chat quickly turned into a separate Facebook page or group. A few of the group members, including current co-hosts Jordan and Dina, decided to share episode recaps on the podcast.
Word about the show quickly spread, and as of season 5, which is based in Houston, and the recently wrapped season 6 in Charlotte, NC, we have had the opportunity to interview many cast members from the show. Most notable are Houston locals Taylor Rue, Chris Fox, Izzy Zapata, and Josh Simmons.
We also cover Perfect Match, which also stars Micah Lussier from Houston as well as Izzy. In addition, In addition, The Ultimatum and House of Villains are some of our favorites to discuss. We will also continue covering The Circle with special guest host from season 1 of the show Alex Lake aka catfish Adam, and will be watching the premiere of The GOAT with reality tv all stars starting in May.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish we could say it was smooth sailing along the way. Jordan and I have never met in person as we live across the country from each other. Once pandemic restrictions eased, life got chaotic again. I tried to continue the podcast with other hosts once Jordan got too busy, but chronic medical issues got in the way, and I needed more rest.
Chemistry is also hard to replicate, and continuing to gain interest when shows don’t air year-round. We tried discussing dating, other reality shows, having other podcasters guest on the show. Jordan and I have always said when it stops being fun, we will no longer do the podcast. It honestly just wasn’t fun trying to force discussion about things we weren’t genuinely passionate about.
While I still struggle with medical issues and Jordan has a very busy calendar, we absolutely love watching these shows and so appreciate the opportunity to speak with the cast. We can’t believe any of them would take the time to talk to fans who are still figuring out everything that goes with podcasting. We have tech issues, our audio was awful in season 1, and we sometimes struggle to get our messages to the cast, but overall, we are thrilled with the success the show has seen so far.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Right now, Jordan and I don’t work. She has her hands full as a stay-at-home mom, and I have been disabled since 2016. We consider the podcast fun, but it is what we are most known for.
Our Facebook group, which we manage with a team of 8 other admins, thankfully, has grown to over 60,000 fans who love to discuss reality TV shows. We have been quoted in the Wall Street Journal. Kinetic Content, the company that produces Love is Blind and Married at First Sight, has recognized our show, and we have started to partner with them for the first time ever.
We are so proud of leading our interviews with love. While reality TV can be a toxic space, we always give the cast members room to tell their stories and try to make them comfortable. Our recaps have a devil’s advocate element. While we give our opinions, we also try to put ourselves in cast member’s shoes who may not be seen in the best light.
In addition, our entire House of Villains season had us in our villain era. We spoke with the villains of many reality shows, including HOV and Survivor’s Jonny Fairplay and HOV and Love is Blind’s Shake Chatterjee. Are they show villains? That’s absolutely what they’re known for. But we really have seen them in a completely new light when they sit down with us. They are patient, kind, helpful, and understanding. We hope that helps fans and listeners understand that the cast is human, just like everyone else. We think that really sets us apart from other shows.
Thanks to Jordan, the Love Pod now has an Etsy merch shop. We have fan memorabilia for the shows we cover, and really cute shirts, mugs and other apparel and merch with memorable quotes from favorite cast members.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The community in Houston has been so welcoming to us. Everyone is so kind and helpful. Whether it’s a cast member spending extra time with us post-interview or kind words from listeners in the area, that is one of the best things about Houston.
The thing we like least about Houston? That we don’t get to spend time there! One of the great things about podcasting is that it can be done anywhere, but for now, unless we start growing to the size of Nick Viall’s podcast, we’re very much home-based.
Pricing:
- Etsy Store merch from $10+
- https://www.etsy.com/shop/LovePodRealityTV?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1688621681&from_page=listing
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lovepodpodcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelovepodpodcast/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lovepodpodcast
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lovepodpodcast
- SoundCloud: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lovepod-reality-tv-dating-and-relationships/id1500783433
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lovepod-reality-tv-dating-and-relationships/id1500783433
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rihP8UYHCQASBMMWLz7wK
Image Credits
Dina Riccobono
Jordan Wright
Love is Blind
Chris Fox
@123laurenc
Shawna Hack
