Love was on the air in 2020.
The year kicked off with Peter Weber's rocky journey to find the one on The Bachelor, along with Netflix's addictive reality TV experiment Love Is Blind, which set out to find if two people could fall in love without ever seeing each other. Then there was Too Hot to Handle, where hot singles were tasked with NOT hooking up. Soon enough, Love Island returned for its second season on CBS and most recently, 12 Dates of Christmas staged a real-life rom-com for three suitors hoping to find someone to bring home for the holidays.
Sure, with the power of production it's easy to find love in front of the cameras, but what happens when the couples head back to their real lives/attempt to start their careers as social media influencers?
While some pairs have stood the test of time, other romances quickly fizzled once they went from "reality" to, well, reality.
So which reality TV couples are still together? Find out...
To quote Chris Harrison, Clare "blew up" the franchise when she left the show after she broke up with her other suitors and accepted a proposal from the former football player. Talk about a whirlwind romance!
"How he makes me feel is literally, like, sunbeams out of my heart, like, into the world," Clare explained during a Bachelorette sit-down interview in November. "And I know that sounds so stupid, but I just feel it to my core. And whether it took one day or 10 days or two weeks or two years, this man makes me happy."
They've since hinted at baby plans and had to clarify their relationship status after she referred to Dale as her "husband."
After Madison Prewett eliminated herself from the show, Peter made the no-good very-bad decision to propose to Hannah Ann. Then, one month later, he pulled an Arie Luyendyk Jr. and ended his engagement on-camera. "If you want to be with a woman, you need to become a real man," Hannah Ann told Peter during their tense After the Final Rose reunion. It was awesome and it was awkward!
She's continued to shade him on social media and sparked romance rumors with NFL star Mason Rudolph in April.
After his breakup with Hannah Ann, Peter and Madison seemed like they were going to give their romance a second shot, even if his mother Barb Weber made her objections quite clear during their After the Final Rose appearance.
And then, just one day after that insanely uncomfortable and unforgettable moment, the pair announced they were going their separate ways. Talk about the shortest relationship in Bachelor Nation history.
Alas, Peter the pilot did end up finding his happy ending...with the one contestant he had actually met months before his season began filming. Because, of course.
After he eliminated the attorney ahead of the hometown dates, Peter and Kelley first sparked reconciliation rumors when it was revealed they were social distancing together in April. Peter confirmed their romance soon after, posting a photo of the couple on Instagram. "You caught me. Let the adventure begin," he wrote.
They have since been inseparable and are reportedly moving in together.
If one good thing came out of 2020 it was this pair's love story on the Netflix hit. And fret not, the couple is still going strong. They took a couples vacay to Grand Velas Riviera Maya over the summer and became "fur baby" parents by welcoming their Airedale Terrier, Mr. Sparx.
In November, Lauren wrote a love note to her sweet husband on Instagram, saying, "We've made it through one of the craziest years of our lives! We came out stronger than ever." The 33-year-old creator added, "I'm grateful to have you by my side pushing me, supporting me, loving me, making me laugh and cry (sometimes simultaneously), everyday teaching me a new level of love I never thought possible."
We don't think anyone expected the tumultuous couple to reconcile after Damian decided not to go through with their nuptials...at the altar.
But the couple revealed in March that they reconnected once the cameras went away.
"I feel like where we are now is just so right for us.," Giannina explained during the Love Is Blind reunion special. "We can just date, and he has his own place, I have my own place. We're getting to know each other at our own pace. It's just so refreshing."
But in August, Damian was spotted with Too Hot To Handle star Francesca Farago, leading to speculation that his relationship with Gigi had ended. Damian later denied the rumors.
Though the early stages of their courtship were dramatic thanks to his multiple flirtations in the pods, the couple are still going strong and celebrated their second wedding anniversary in November.
Matt wrote, "Here's to 2 years and a million more years together," while Amber (you know, the makeup lover) also paid tribute to her "frustrating-crazy-sweet-handsome hubby."
Like the title of the Netflix hit they met on, Francesca and Harry's romance ultimately proved too much to continue and the pair called it quits in June.
Francesca first broke the news on her YouTube channel, explaining, "He decided to break up with me because he couldn't do long-distance anymore. I obviously was heartbroken. I did everything I could." She also alluded to "rumors" about her Harry's role in the split.
Meanwhile, he detailed their breakup in a YouTube video titled, naturally, "I Broke Up With Her."
The Australian reality star insisted he "never lied" to his ex-girlfriend throughout their tumultuous relationship. "There was a big reason why I had to end things with Francesca because I was in a very dark point in my life," Harry said.
In the months following her breakup from Harry, Francesca was spotted with Jersey Shore's Vinny Guadagnino, Australian model Casey Boonstra and Love Is Blind's Damian Powers (though he shot down romance rumors).
But the 27-year-old was most recently linked to Bachelor Nation alum Jef Holm, the couple confirming their relationship with some PDA in September.
The adorable pair made history when they were crowned winners of season two.
"We walked into the villa at a really interesting time with so much happening in the world that impacts us, our families and communities. With everything going on, we thank America for loving our love because it is Black," Justine and Caleb said in a joint statement to E! News. "It's amazing to see the support, especially at this important moment. It makes us feel hopeful for what may be going on outside the villa and hopeful for what's to come."
In November, the pair offered an update on their relationship in an interview with U.K.'s Metro. Caleb shared they were "definitely still just taking it day by day but we're doing good," while Justine joked she was trying to get her boyfriend to move to the East Coast.
Despite the scandal that was Johnny's time in Casa Amor, the couple worked through their problems and finished in second place.
And Johnny and Cely are still going strong. He recently relocated to Los Angeles and Cely admitted they are "attached at the hip" in an Instagram post.
Less than one year after getting engaged while filming season 35 of the MTV hit series, the longtime couple announced their breakup in respective Instagram posts.
"I thought I knew love when Jordan and I were together, but there is a different kind of love that two people feel when they decide it's time to experience life apart," Tori wrote on Nov. 27. "Even though Jordan and I are going to be moving forward in separate ways, our love, support, and connection with one another only grows stronger and deeper."
In his own caption, Jordan detailed, "Unfortunately, we weren't able to escape the pressures that come with being in a very public relationship and despite any rumors that have been started, our separation is not because of any bs 'scandal.' We are just two people who love each other deeply but are both battling with our own struggles and happiness."
The two met on the set of The Challenge XXX: Dirty Thirty in 2017 and moved in a year later.
No one—not even the showrunner—expected one of the leads to propose to their final pick in this Christmas-themed dating experiment. And yet, Chad did just that, proposing to Kate after a few weeks in the Austrian snow.
During the HBO Max series' reunion special, the couple revealed they are still engaged (despite her secret kiss with another cast member during filming) and are taking another big step in their relationship.
"We just signed a lease and Chad is coming to Chi-town!" Kate announced. "I'm super excited."
One of the most solid couples during the seasonal show's run, their journey ended with Faith committing to moving across the country to be with her detective boyfriend.
But the move never happened and a clearly hurt Faith stressed they were both "single" during the reunion.
"Things didn't go exactly as planned," Anthony explained of their stalled romance. "COVID hit, it's been tough fighting through the distance…so we're still working out certain things and it's still possible something special can happen with me and her."
While their cast mates expressed doubts about his level of commitment, Anthony told Faith, "I'm in love with you," but was concerned he was rushing her to move.
After the special aired, Faith took to her Instagram to defend Anthony from criticism, writing, "I'm thankful to have met Anthony, because he's shown me that I'm capable of giving someone my heart again. There's no one else I would've rather had by my side throughout this wild ride. You got me in your corner for life."