Love Is Blind contestant Ciara has defended her expensive dating demands after viewers accused her of coming across spoilt over a £15,000 first date. The 29-year-old Pilates instructor from London, who married former banking associate Ajay after forming a connection in the pods, spoke out following fan backlash over her luxury standards.
Prior to joining the Netflix reality series, Ciara admitted to going on four to five dates a week. She revealed that a past suitor once spent £15,000 taking her to the Wimbledon men's final on a first date. She also caused controversy by stating that she expects any man to spend a minimum of £300 on a first date to ensure he invests proper time and effort into the outing.
Addressing the criticism in an interview with the Daily Mail, Ciara defiantly stood by her lifestyle expectations. "I used to be quite busy, I'm worth it!" she said, explaining that her active dating life was part of her search for the right partner.
High dating standards and luxury dates
"I love a date. I love chatting to new people, especially living in London. There are so many places to go, people to meet," Ciara shared during her interview. "I guess I was going on a lot of dates, but I wasn't meeting the man that I wanted to be with."
After finding herself single despite numerous outings, she decided to change her strategy by joining the hit streaming show. "So I was like, 'Let's try something new, something completely different and see how that goes,'" she explained.
However, Ciara acknowledged in a separate interview with Netflix that her comments on screen came across as "quite bold" to viewers. She emphasized that audiences might focus on specific details without understanding the full story behind her dating philosophy.
Context behind the expensive first dates
"I think people are going to pick out certain parts of that and run with it," she said. "To be clear, the £15,000 date was a one-time thing, and I would never ask anyone to spend that amount on me."
Ciara also clarified her stance regarding her £300 minimum spend expectation, noting that it was never intended as an everyday requirement for relationships. "And the £300 minimum spend is for the first date, not every date, not every day," she stated.
Explaining why she instituted the rule, Ciara added: "A key piece of context is that I set my standards high because they used to be very low. I would invest so much time into these men - as in time, love, money - and receive nothing back."
Impact on relationship with Ajay
Her taste for luxury nearly cost her marriage to Ajay as they navigated their relationship outside the pods. The 33-year-old former banking associate opened up about the pressure he felt regarding funding her lifestyle after leaving his corporate job.
Ajay quit his high-paying role in banking to pursue a career as a fitness and reformer Pilates coach. Some fans noted that Ciara's financial standards left Ajay feeling stressed about whether his post-corporate income could sustain her expectations.
Love Is Blind is a global reality dating franchise produced for Netflix, where contestants build relationships through speed dating in isolated pods without meeting face-to-face. Reformer Pilates is an exercise method utilizing spring-loaded resistance machines to improve physical strength and posture. Wimbledon, held annually in London, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, with tickets for its men's singles final ranking among the most expensive sporting events in the United Kingdom.
Fan reactions and social media debate
Viewers of the show remained divided over Ciara's comments, with several taking to social media to criticize her attitude. Some fans went so far as to brand her "self absorbed and self centered" for placing financial stress on Ajay while maintaining high expectations.
One viewer wrote on social media: "I love that she's confident and she should be able to like nice things. But there's a way to go about it and this isn't it".
However, other viewers strongly defended her approach to dating and supported her boundaries. Another fan posted: "I want her confidence who don't want to be treated like a princess by a guy. I love it".
Despite the friction caused by her financial expectations during their pod journey, Ciara and Ajay remain married following their time on the show.
