Love may be blind—but for Lauren Speed-Hamilton, her vision was crystal clear from day one.
Not only did she steal the heart of contestant Cameron Hamilton during the inaugural season of Love is Blind in 2020, but their love story easily became one for the (modern-day) ages. However, with the Netflix show returning for its fifth season this September, fans can't help but wonder if that meant-to-be magic can still truly happen within the pods.
For Lauren, the dating show's process still stands a few years—and a huge swell in popularity—later.
"I think that the formula itself can still work," she told E! News in an exclusive interview. "I think that you really have to be in it, and you have to be genuine, and I think that's a hard thing. Going into it, it was literally an experience. We didn't know a lot about the show, which is crazy because we were just kind of like, ‘Okay, we're here to see what happens.' But now, once you get into season four, season five, people feel like they have a cheat code."
As the Atlanta resident explained, more recent participants "know what they have to do to get more camera time and be more popular."
"I feel like the show has changed in a way that's more entertaining to some," she continued. "But I enjoy the genuine part of Love is Blind. I think it's cool to actually see people really make real connections and hopefully in the future seasons, we'll see more of that aside from the drama. I want to see a healthy balance of the drama and show me some good love, some good grown-folk-want-to-be-in-love conversations.
As for any advice she has for future hopefuls? Lauren, 35, wants everyone to simply be themselves—and the rest will follow.
"You want somebody to fall in love with you—if that's really what you're there for," she added. "Because you are there to find somebody to fall in love with outside of just being an influencer. So, that's important—to be yourself. But also, I feel like so many people go into the process of wanting to be on reality TV and feeling like they have to morph into something to be popular or to fit in."
In fact, the Netflix alum shared she "purposely did the complete opposite of that."
"I said, ‘I'm going to go in as me, take or leave it,'" she added. "And so many of my supporters are like, ‘God that's so refreshing. Finally, somebody who I could relate to, who's like me.' And that's what people want to see. They want to look on TV and see people that reminds them of themselves, of their family members or somebody that they know. I mean, if you have a big, huge personality, that's good, still be you in that big personality but don't feel like you have to cause extra drama or be someone that you're not just to get famous."
But dating advice isn't the only tip that Lauren—who has expanded into creating lifestyle and beauty content—is eager to share, which is why her recent partnership with Dollar General for their week-long Days of Beauty celebration serves as the perfect fit.
"I'm so happy that we are shining light on Black women and what we do feel to feel good and sharing it with each other and the world," she noted. "And I'm excited to be a part of that because as a lover of all things beauty, all things wellness, I love that we're sharing with each other our go-tos and tips and tricks, so that we can all have a little piece for everybody to share."