{"id":72648,"date":"2026-08-31T15:47:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T11:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/?post_type=articles&p=72648"},"modified":"2026-08-31T15:48:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T11:48:44","slug":"love-is-blind-uk-yasmin-toseafa-interview","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/love-is-blind-uk-yasmin-toseafa-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"“Maktoub”: How Love Is Blind UK’s Yasmin Brought Her Middle Eastern Roots To The Pods"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: @yasmeenstagram_ Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“SOS,\u00a0Love Is Blind<\/em> is on the phone!”<\/p>\n

When London-based physician associate Yasmin Toseafa<\/a> was told by her best friend Sumaiyah to register for Love Is Blind UK<\/em>, she was quick to scoff at the thought. Not to be deterred, Sumaiyah signed her up anyway.<\/p>\n

Cut to months later, when Toseafa answered a call from an unknown number that ended up being the reality TV show’s casting department. On a whim, she decided to join the ensemble for the third season, leading to her navigating uncharted waters on an international platform in the form of her first serious relationship.<\/p>\n

In an exclusive sit-down with GRAZIA on the eve of the reunion release date, the star spoke candidly about how her cultural background bleeds into everything she does as the daughter of an Egyptian-Lebanese mother and a Ghanaian father.<\/p>\n

For the 32-year-old and her eventual fianc\u00e9 Jordan, there was more to the experience than just progressing the relationship. She explained that they were both “very conscious about showing public displays of affection in front of the camera.” In the series, they are the only couple who don’t immediately acclimatise to sharing a bed, instead choosing to sleep on opposite ends, with Jordan even offering to take the couch.<\/p>\n

Speaking specifically to her culture, Toseafa elaborated, “I didn’t want anyone who knows me and knows the culture that I’ve been brought up in to find any fault in what I was doing or point any fingers. I needed to make sure I was respectful to myself, to my culture, to my parents, to my job. It’s a lot to think about whilst also getting to know your fianc\u00e9. It was hard to show our relationship progress in a respectful way that was comfortable for both of us.”<\/p>\n

When she broke the news to her parents, she joked, “It’s Sumaiyah’s fault, but now I have to go on this TV show.” While her parents had their reservations about letting her go on the show, they recognised that it was ultimately her decision and decided the best thing they could offer her was their unwavering support.<\/p>\n

Naturally, the one thing she was sure of while going into the experience was that her ethnic identity would come up. After detailed conversations with the Netflix team, they concluded that she “couldn’t talk about [herself] and allow someone to get to know [her] without mentioning it.”<\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

It ended up leading to two flagship moments of Arab representation on the global platform.<\/p>\n

In one of her first interactions with Jordan in the pods, she mentions Zaghrouta \u2013 a Middle Eastern tradition where women make a high-pitched trilling sound to signify celebration and joy \u2013 claiming it to be a non-negotiable at her wedding.<\/p>\n

Soon after, she tells him about\u00a0Maktoub<\/em> (Arabic for ‘it is written’) in what quickly became a viral moment. When asked about it, Toseafa graciously comments, “I think lots of people are really happy with the fact that I’ve brought it up and shown a bit of the Middle Eastern culture. I’m really happy that I could do that.”<\/p>\n

Expectedly then, the model divulged that several women from the region have reached out since the season premiered on Netflix on August 19. She was visibly overwhelmed by the response, sharing, “People from Egypt and Lebanon have reached out to me just to say that they’re proud of me. It’s really, really nice, actually, to have that sense of acceptance from the Middle Eastern community. So thank you.”<\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

Unfortunately for the reality TV star, her engagement with Jordan did not survive the weeks between the pods and the weddings. In the time leading up to the grand finale, the pair realised it wasn’t meant to be as they lacked the spark to fall in love and follow through on their commitment, citing the distance as a major factor. Yet, Yasmin remains positive. Despite her initial disappointment, she shrugs and smiles when she says, “That\u2019s the way it is. I think it means that there’s something better for me coming. Inshallah<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Her casual use of the phrase that literally translates to ‘if God wills’ is a reminder that she is on a journey to learn her native language. Despite her grandmother and mother speaking Arabic at home, Yasmin and her siblings never got around to learning it. But a calling came from within a couple of years ago for the model. She now has an online tutor based in Beirut who is teaching her how to read, write, and speak it. Despite her busy schedule, she persists: “I’m getting there, but shway shway<\/em>, slowly, slowly, bit by bit. I’m trying. It’s a beautiful language and I think learning it will help me be even closer to my culture.”<\/p>\n

To help in her endeavour, she mentions a desire to visit the Middle East for a full immersion, although she quips, “I’m [going to] be eating shawarma every day. I\u2019m [going to] come back 10 kgs heavier!”<\/p>\n

While the star has previously visited Egypt, she longs for Lebanon. With family in Tripoli and an eager teacher waiting to host her in Beirut, it seems like the logical next stop, although a holiday in Dubai may also be on the cards as her friend Komel from the original Pod Squad<\/em> has expressed interest in moving here.<\/p>\n

In her final remarks, she effuses once again about her gratitude and what it means to be accepted by the community, gushing that she is “over the moon [with the reception].”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42789,"featured_media":72652,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[134,36,35],"yoast_head":"\nLove Is Blind UK's Yasmin Toseafa On Her Arab Roots<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"GRAZIA spoke to the Love Is Blind UK Season 3 star in an exclusive interview to hear about her experience on the show and her Arab roots.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/love-is-blind-uk-yasmin-toseafa-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""Maktoub": How Love Is Blind UK's Yasmin Brought Her 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