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Are Nick and Vanessa Lachey Leaving ‘Love Is Blind’? Possible Replacements After Reunion Controversy
After fans slammed Nick and Vanessa Lachey for how they handled the live Love Is Blind season 4 reunion, speculation became rampant they could be replaced as hosts. Keep reading for details on their status with the show and who might be next to host the Netflix hit.
Are Nick and Vanessa Lachey Being Replaced on ‘Love Is Blind?’
While there is no official word on Nick and Vanessa being replaced, fans of the Netflix hit took to social media amid the speculation and expressed their feelings on the matter.
“Now I can finally watch the show. Don’t like Nick Lachey, so I’ve never seen it,” one critic wrote on Twitter, while a fan of the 98 Degrees alum commented, “I still want Nick Lachey as a host! It’s Vanessa I can’t stand.”
Adding fuel to the fire, a show insider told the Daily Mail that the disastrous live reunion could be the end to the Lachey’s hosting reign.
“There’s always been whispers about replacing them, especially now after the live reunion special which was a complete disaster on so many levels,” the source said, adding, “If they want to keep their ratings up, there’s got to be a change.” Entertainment Tonight countered that the couple’s jobs on the show are safe.
Reps for Nick and Vanessa, as well as Netflix, did not immediately respond to Life & Style‘s request for comment.
Why Are Fans Angry With Nick and Vanessa Lachey’s ‘Love Is Blind’ Hosting Skills?
Technical issues caused the season 4 reunion to be delayed by more than an hour, and when the show returned, Nick and Vanessa appeared flustered. They failed to dive deep on several topics with the contestants and Vanessa was blasted for nagging the couples about who would be the first to have a baby.
In particular, she pestered Paul Peden about his post-wedding confessional after saying he couldn’t envision ex Micah Lussier as a mom. That left him fuming after the reunion ended.
“I was like, ‘F–k, man.’ They kept drilling, drilling it down on me,” Paul told Entertainment Tonight following the reunion. “I think I said my piece. I think Vanessa might have had a little bit of personal bias in that scenario or at least I kind of detected that. I don’t know. But that’s just my assumption based on how she continued to drill into it after I gave my full rationale for why I felt the way that I did.”
Her line of questioning enraged some fans. “Quit asking when/pressuring people to have kids. Some people physically cannot and some people don’t want them. It’s rude and assuming. Do better. It was extra cringe,” one person tweeted while another slammed the former MTV personality’s hosting skills.
“The reunion is always nauseating to watch because of Vanessa Lachey. She picks sides, cuts people off, bullies the male cast, pushes motherhood onto women, and generally tries way too hard to be cool,” another viewer tweeted.
Nick and Vanessa received both criticism and support from season 2 alum Natalie Lee on the April 24 “Out of the Pods” podcast she cohosts with fellow former contestant Deepti Vempati.
“Look, I know we’re biased because of course we know Vanessa and Nick. We really considered them as Mom and Dad during filming. They played this role of mentors to us, providing advice as we were making our decision to say ‘I do’ or ‘I don’t’ on our wedding day,” Natalie explained, adding, “I also agree with the criticism, but I also think it’s unfair as well with how much backlash she’s getting. It feels like a dog pile.”
A Change.org petition was created following the reunion, reading in part, “Join the thousands of Love is Blind fans in making the show evolve into the best version of itself by removing Nick and Vanessa Lachey as hosts and replacing them with…. Well literally anyone else.” As of publication, it had 42,460 signatures on the way to a goal of 50,000.
Who Are Possible Replacements for Nick and Vanessa Lachey on ‘Love Is Blind’?
The show’s fan favorite couple Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton are reportedly in the running to replace the celebrity duo. They appeared on season 1 where they fell in love and Cameron proposed five days after they met. The couple wed less than two months later in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
“Viewers feel a connection with Lauren and Cameron because they are the real deal,” the set source told the publication. “They are down-to-earth, kind people who can actually help the contestants because they have walked in their shoes.”
“People want to relate to the hosts – and at this point they can’t relate to Vanessa or Nick,” the insider added.
