Steven Smith walked into the Love is Blind: UK pods with a gym-honed physique and a cross-border romance strategy that seemed, at first, like the stuff of fairy tales. He was the 37-year-old gym owner from London who appeared to have found his match in Sabrina Egerton, a marketing professional from Belfast. They were the first to get engaged. They were the first to say "I do." They were the couple everyone thought would actually make it.
Then came the reunion.
If you watched the finale, you saw the smiles. If you watched the reunion, you saw the wreckage. The story of Love is Blind UK Steven isn't just a reality TV trope about distance; it's a messy, complicated case study on what happens when the cameras stop rolling and the "bubble" finally pops.
The Pods and the High Stakes of Long Distance
Early on, Steven was the gold standard for the men in the experiment. He was vulnerable about his past, spoke openly about his business, and seemed genuinely ready for a partnership. His connection with Sabrina was immediate. It felt grounded.
They didn't just talk about favorite colors. They talked about the logistics of Belfast versus London. Steven, owning a gym in London, had deep roots in the city. Sabrina had her life in Northern Ireland. In the pods, these obstacles felt like minor speed bumps. They promised to make it work. Steven’s charm was his perceived steadiness. While other contestants were spiraling or getting caught in love triangles, Steven was focused. He was the "mature" one.
But here is the thing about reality TV: the pods are an artificial environment designed to foster intimacy without accountability. When Steven proposed, he wasn't just proposing to Sabrina; he was proposing to the idea of a life that hadn't been stress-tested yet.
What Really Happened After the Wedding?
The honeymoon phase for Love is Blind UK Steven and Sabrina didn't survive the flight home. While viewers saw a beautiful ceremony where both said "I do," the reunion revealed a much darker timeline.
According to Sabrina, the effort was incredibly one-sided. She claimed she traveled to London seven times in the months following the wedding. Steven? He reportedly traveled to Belfast twice. One of those times was for a funeral.
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The fallout was explosive.
On the reunion couch, Sabrina didn't hold back. She described a man who became distant, who stopped communicating, and who didn't seem interested in the actual work of a marriage. Steven's defense was largely centered on his business. He was busy. He was stressed. He was trying to keep his professional life afloat while navigating a new marriage.
It’s a classic conflict. One person prioritizes the emotional connection; the other prioritizes the structural foundation (or the excuse of it).
The Breakup Timeline
- The Wedding: Late 2023.
- The Struggle: The months immediately following involved high travel costs and mismatched expectations.
- The Split: By the time the show aired in August 2024, they had been separated for months.
- The Reunion: Recorded months after the breakup, showing a complete lack of closure.
Honestly, it was painful to watch. Steven, who started as a fan favorite, quickly became a villain in the eyes of many viewers who felt he had "sold a dream" he had no intention of fulfilling.
The Business of Being Steven Smith
To understand Love is Blind UK Steven, you have to look at his professional life. He is the founder of 63 Days, a fitness and wellness brand. His identity is deeply tied to the "grind" culture.
In the fitness industry, your brand is your face. Steven’s participation in Love is Blind: UK was always going to be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provided massive exposure for his business. On the other, the negative backlash from his relationship failure has led to a barrage of criticism on his social media pages.
People feel cheated. They feel like the "nice guy" persona was a marketing tactic. Whether that’s fair or not is debatable. It’s possible to be a good person and a terrible husband in a long-distance pressure cooker. However, the contrast between his curated Instagram presence and Sabrina’s tearful account of their marriage created a PR nightmare that he’s still navigating.
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Why the UK Version Hit Differently
The UK iteration of this franchise felt more "real" because the contestants were generally older. Steven was in his late 30s. This wasn't supposed to be a twenty-something looking for clout. That is why the disappointment was so sharp.
In the US version, we expect the chaos. In the UK version, we hoped for the stability.
Love is Blind UK Steven became a symbol of the "effort gap." This is a term therapists use to describe relationships where one partner carries the emotional and logistical load while the other simply exists within the relationship. Sabrina’s revelation that she was the one booking the flights and making the plans resonated with thousands of women who have felt that same imbalance.
Misconceptions About the Split
There were rumors. There are always rumors. Some fans speculated that there was someone else, or that Steven only did the show to promote his gym.
Let's look at the facts.
- Did he cheat? There has been no credible evidence or even an accusation from Sabrina of infidelity.
- Was it just for fame? While the show definitely helped his brand, his initial emotional connection with Sabrina in the pods seemed authentic to the other cast members.
- Could they have saved it? Probably not. When two people have fundamentally different views on what "effort" looks like, no amount of therapy can bridge the gap between London and Belfast.
The distance was 300 miles. In the grand scheme of things, that’s a 1-hour flight. But when one person stops wanting to board that plane, it might as well be 3,000 miles.
The Lessons We Can Take Away
Reality TV is a mirror. What we see in Steven and Sabrina is a reflection of modern dating struggles—specifically the tension between career ambition and romantic sacrifice.
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Steven was unwilling (or unable) to sacrifice his routine and his business focus for his wife. Sabrina was unwilling to be the only one sacrificing. They were both right in their own ways, yet they were fundamentally wrong for each other in the real world.
If you are looking at this situation and wondering how to avoid a similar fate in your own long-distance relationship, it comes down to the "Visit Ratio." If it isn't 1:1, or at least close to it, resentment will grow faster than love ever can.
Moving Forward After the Experiment
Today, Steven continues to focus on his fitness career. He has largely kept a low profile regarding the specific details of the split since the reunion aired, likely trying to let the storm pass. Sabrina, conversely, has been more vocal about her healing journey, gaining a significant following for her transparency.
It’s a reminder that "I do" is just a starting line.
In the case of Love is Blind UK Steven, the experiment proved that love isn't just blind; it's often logistical. You can fall in love with a voice, but you have to live with a person. And living with a person requires showing up—literally.
Actionable Steps for Navigating Long-Distance Logistics
- Establish a "Fixed Rotation": Don't wait until you're tired to book a flight. Set a schedule where both parties take turns traveling.
- The "End Date" Rule: Long distance should never be permanent. Have a concrete plan for when and where you will eventually live together.
- Audit the Effort: If you feel like you are the only one booking the trains or planes, speak up immediately. Resentment is a quiet killer.
- Separate the "Pod" from Reality: Understand that a deep emotional connection is not a substitute for physical presence.
- Validate the Stress: Acknowledge that running a business and maintaining a new marriage is hard. Don't use "busy" as a shield; use it as a topic for collaborative problem-solving.
The saga of Steven and Sabrina serves as a cautionary tale for the "Love is Blind" era. It’s easy to be a hero in a soundproof room. The real test is who you are when you're stuck in traffic on the way to the airport. Steven Smith may have found love in a pod, but he lost it in the departure lounge.
The most important thing to remember is that a relationship's success isn't defined by the wedding ceremony, but by the mundane Tuesdays that follow. For Steven and Sabrina, the Tuesdays were simply too far apart. If you're following their journey, look past the Instagram filters and see the reality: a marriage requires more than just a "yes" at the altar; it requires a "yes" every single morning when the alarm goes off.