Suchismita Ghosh
Netflix is home to some of the best dating shows currently on air. One of them is the Australian dating reality series ‘Love on the Spectrum.’ The show follows several people on the autism spectrum as they navigate the dating world with the assistance of relationship coach Jodi Rogers. Season 1 also featured two adorable couples, Ruth & Thomas and Jimmy & Sharnae, who wished to take fans on their romantic journey and show them that love can conquer all, even a disability.
The first season premiered in November 2019 and was a massive hit with the viewers, who loved navigating the love lives of each of these individuals. Fans who were so involved in the dating lives of the contestants cannot help but be curious to know a bit about their present whereabouts and current relationship statuses.
Ruth and Thomas Are Leading a Happy and Content Married Life
The charming pair of Ruth and Thomas, one of the two couples of the season, had been together for four years before their appearance on the show. They had giddily announced about being engaged and preparing for marriage. After an adorable anniversary celebration, the loving duo eventually got married in July 2020. Ruth, who is the only one among the two, who is quite active on social media, also shared the news with a cute black-and-white picture of the couple. Being an active advocate of mental health, Ruth has been sharing updates on her struggles to promote conversations revolving around it.
An endearing snap of theirs a day after their wedding sees them go to a cute cat cafe a day to spend time with cute sleepy kittens. Ruth has also been actively tracking her fitness journey and seems to have found a newfound passion for Tarot and witchcraft. The pair also relocated from their rented space to the railway house Thomas liked and had eventually wished to settle in. Ruth and Thomas still have their pet cat and snake living with them, making it one big happy family.
Jimmy and Sharnae Are Married and Run a YouTube Channel
The lovable Jimmy and Sharnae had been dating for three years when they appeared on the show. After moving in together, Jimmy proposed to Sharnae on a romantic beach day, and they got engaged, much to the happiness of their loved ones. It was in season 2 that the in-love couple got married on television. Fans would be delighted to know that the Berresfords are happily married and run a YouTube channel, where they post videos spreading awareness of autism. While Jimmy continues to pursue his love for pool, he also shares adorable snaps of the couple on his social media. Meanwhile, Sharnae has won the ‘Check-out Operator of the Year’ for her dedicated efforts at her workplace, Woolworths.
Michael Has Taken a Break From His Quest For Love
Wollogong’s Michael Theo, tired of being single, decided to try and find love for himself on the show. He hoped that his humor and charm would be able to win him a potential match, so, carried a ring with him to his dates, just to be sure he didn’t miss out on giving it to her. However, despite a fun-filled romantic date with Amanda, things didn’t quite materialize. Refusing to give up, Michael decides to give it another shot in the next season and tries speed dating. Luckily, he came across Heather, and both seemed to like each other, enough to be introduced to each other’s parents. But, sadly, the pair don’t last and decide to call it quits soon after.
The lovely and fun-loving Michael, who is a big fan of ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ decided to take a step back from dating and focus on his life. He has been actively working on his podcast, ‘Mr. A+,’ where he hopes to “entertain and bring love and light into people’s lives.” Michael has also been keeping busy by working on acting projects, giving TEDx talks, traveling, spending time with his friends and family, and following a spiritual path.
Kelvin Is Honing His Artistic Skills and Has Released a Graphic Novel
Youngster Kelvin Wong, a huge fan of manga, anime, and comics, had never been on a date before coming on the show. Excited about his first experience, Jodi Rogers also taught him ways of approaching a girl. Soon after, he met Jessica, a video game lover, and the two seemed to have hit it off quite well. However, both decide against taking things further after a rather abrupt end to their date.
Kelvin has continued working with Jodi, and the duo released a graphic novel called ‘Let’s Meet.’ The book is supposed to help autistic people learn about the skills of dating. He also hopes to achieve his dream job of working for the Australia Post someday. Kelvin has also been honing his drawing skills, and his social media is filled with his brilliant artwork. However, he doesn’t seem to dating anyone at present.
Chloe is Enjoying Life After Moving in With Her Best Friend
The British “pansexual icon,” Chloe Hatch, was one of the stars of the first season. She went on a date with Marcus, a drummer, but they failed to click, leading them to decide against taking their relationship ahead. Her next date was with Lotus, and the two instantly hit it off. While the date was quite memorable for Chloe, and it seemed like things were headed in a positive direction, the pair didn’t continue further. However, being sure of her requirements from potential dates led her to sign up for the second season as well.
This time, she chose to go out with Mark, a fellow season 1 returnee, after both felt a strong connection. While they did date for a while and even spent holidays with their families, they eventually parted ways. Presently, Chloe stays with her best friend, Brodee, and the two enjoy a magnitude of experiences together. Meanwhile, she is looking to further her sign language skills so she can get her dream job of being a sign language interpreter. Chloe still hopes to find her special someone someday and get a love story similar to Jimmy and Sharnae.
Maddi Now Maintains a Low-Profile
Fun-loving Maddi had hoped to find someone on the spectrum as she believed that “similar personality traits are quite good.” While she did date Mark on the show and had a beautiful experience of being showered with chocolates and roses on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, the pair eventually didn’t continue further after they realized that they did not have any spark. Her second date with Severin, despite looking promising, did not eventually materialize into anything serious, even though the couple seemed to enjoy each other’s company.
However, the shy and reserved Maddi did earn quite a few fans through her time on the show. As per reports, she had taken up a job working at a doggy daycare and also intended to take up driving classes soon. However, since Maddi is not on social media and prefers to maintain a low profile, it is unclear whether she is still single.
Olivia Has Come Out As Bisexual
One of the most confident and well-prepared contestants, Olivia Sharpe, was a natural on camera, thanks to her background of working with Options Theatre Company. Having gone on three dates, all of which gave her different experiences, she enjoyed her time on the show as she believed that it would help break the stereotypes revolving around autistic individuals and autism in general. Olivia has since then continued with her passion for art and acting. She has also spoken about being bisexual and has been looking into dating women as well. However, since Olivia is not very active on social media, her current relationship status remains a little ambiguous.
I would love it if Danny Ramsay's kids joined the cast or Billy Kennedy's kids! Make it happen! #Neighbours
— Olivia Sharpe (@Puffs_Pride) January 18, 2024
Mark Is Now Doing Movie and Book Reviews
Mark Radburn, considered to be one of the nicest guys on the show, left fans teary-eyed when he was seen being consoled by his father after his date suggested they be friends. However, that didn’t discourage the dinosaur enthusiast from trying his luck once again. He signed up in season two, to give romance another shot. While season 1 returnee Chloe and he dated for a while and things started to look serious, the pair eventually separated.
Post his experiences on the show, he has taken up a dating boot camp by renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson. Mark has also recorded a conference at ‘AUStism 2021’ to define the neurodivergent to the neurotypical. While he still hopes to meet his special someone, Mark has been spending most of his time giving film and book reviews on his social media and seems pretty thrilled and excited about it.
Andrew Stays Away From the Limelight
Believing that time was running out, Andrew decided to give speed dating a shot on the show. He went on a date with Carli and was a thorough gentleman for realizing that she wasn’t quite ready to date as yet. However, this hasn’t deterred him, and he looks forward to partaking in speed dating events in the future. It is believed that Andrew works in Newcastle at the Family and Community Services and lives with his family, where he is proud to have built a massive Ferris wheel. As Andrew stays away from social media, it is not apparent as to whether he is currently single.
Read More: Are Journey and Talia From Love on the Spectrum US Still Together?
