The show, hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey in the US, starts with 15 men and 15 women from the same city who go on dates with members of the opposite gender in separate “pods.” The pods allow them to speak to each other via speaker but not see each other. As time goes on and couples develop in the pods, the dates get longer and more personal — though sometimes several participants date more than one person at a time. Once a couple gets engaged, they finally see each other. The pod phase lasts ten days, but couples can get engaged any time before that.
After the pod phase, the couples go on a one-week retreat to bond in person and meet the other engaged couples. Sometimes, that means interacting with someone they dated in the pods but didn’t end up with (awk).
After that, the couples move into an apartment where they live together for three more weeks, meeting each other’s friends and family and preparing for their wedding.
When it’s finally time for the big day, everyone must choose whether to say “I do” or “I don’t” to their partner at the altar.
As you might imagine, the show allows, nay, encourages, a LOT of messiness, and it has not disappointed in six seasons.
