Following five couples, the series offers deep dissection of modern Black British relationships.
Following the success of YouTube series Blue Therapy, described as a “deep dissection of modern Black British relationships”, the series returned as a six-parter earlier this month on E4.
In Love & Toxic: Blue Therapy follows five couples as they detail their relationship challenges in a series of couples therapy sessions, placing difficult issues out in the open.
The series will examine almost every aspect of dating and relationships, says Channel 4, “from the growing curiosity surrounding polygamy, the allure of ‘soft life’ living, and the complexities of intercultural dating” as no subject is off limits and some hard truths will be told.
The couples are guided by returning relationships coach, Denise, and new joiner, Jo.
Viewers can expect more jaw-dropping moments and some shocking revelations. As the series continues, here’s everything you need to know about Love & Toxic: Blue Therapy below…
Love & Toxic: Blue Therapy cast
Meet the cast below.
Couple Marie & Tunde
Marie
Job: Realtor
From: London
Instagram: @mariemaria___
Ambitious and career-driven, Marie knows exactly what she wants in a relationship – to be treated like the queen she knows she is.
Havingmet Tunde 10 years ago through a mutual friend, Marie appreciates the unique bond she’s built with him, but she’s uncertain whether their relationship is worth fighting for due to their differing opinions on marriage and family, and now she’s in search of clarity.
Marie thinks that a mediator will help her see beneath the surface of their problems and allow her and Tunde to communicate with each other without clashing.
Tunde
Job: Airbnb host/Property manager
From: London
Instagram: @txnde.oj
Father of three Tunde is often described as the male version of Marie – fun, charismatic and highly ambitious.
Tunde admires drive in a woman, which is one of the traits that attracted him to Marie, and he describes himself as the perfect gentleman and modern alpha male.
While he prefers to seek relationship advice from those close to him and thinks their challenges should be resolved privately, Tunde was persuaded to give couples therapy a shot. He questions whether it’ll be worth it.
Couple Rae & Shaun
Rae
Job: Mental health nurse
From: South London
Instagram: @iberaerogers
Rae was on the fence when Shaun first suggested couples therapy, and thought he was more concerned with holding her accountable than actually addressing the issues in their relationship.
Now she wants Shaun to prove that he can be the man that he always says he is.
Despite having a strong connection at first, Shaun’s lack of effort and consistency has left Rae questioning their future together, and whether he’s in it for the long run.
With the help of the relationship coaches, Rae wants to finally put her guard down so she can express her true feelings.
Shaun
Job: Professional model
From: London
Instagram: @shaunokojie
Shaun fell head over heels for Rae when they first met, but tired of them not being able to see eye to eye, he thinks couples therapy is the only way that they can resolve their issues without butting heads.
The idea of therapy caught Shaun’s attention after seeing conversations around mental health on social media and seeing clips of the original series circulating online.
While it’s unchartered territory for him, he’s hoping that therapy will help them understand each other and address the trust issues in their relationship.
Couple Michael & Lauren
Lauren
Job: Singer-songwriter
From: London
Instagram: @laurencofie
Ambitious, confident and quick-witted, Lauren is hardly ever lost for words, but when Michael proposed the idea of couples therapy, Lauren wasn’t too sure what to say or how to feel about it.
Moving from Nottingham to London to pursue her music career, Lauren doesn’t play when it comes to fulfilling her dreams. However, her drive and ambition has left Michael feeling self-conscious in their relationship.
Lauren wants to reassure Michael that she will put more of an effort into their relationship, but she also wants Michael to know that her career is important to her. Is she willing to compromise?
Michael
Job: Doggy day care trainer and manager
From: Hertfordshire
Instagram: @michaelmendesdc
More low-key and reserved than his partner Lauren, Michael has struggled to voice his opinions in the past, and his fear of confrontation has allowed issues in their relationship to brew inside of him.
One of Michael’s pet peeves in a relationship is someone who prioritises other things over him, so Lauren’s music career has driven a wedge in their relationship.
Especially with his 9-5 job, Michael struggles to understand Lauren’s hectic schedule and be fully supportive of her dreams.
Michael hopes that the sessions will open the line of communication between them, where he can voice his thoughts and opinions without being interrupted.
Couple Temi & Tang
Temi
Job: Broadcast programme buyer
From: London
Instagram: @temi_official
Having grown up in a Nigerian-Trinidadian household, Temi was taught from an early age to only confide in the church or her family, but now she’s hopeful that the coaching sessions will allow her to express her true feelings.
Temi often struggles to pick Tang’s busy brain, and doubts whether he actually listens to her when she speaks. For Temi, therapy is the only place where Tang has no choice but to be attentive.
She wants to use the coaching sessions to discuss how they can be better parents to their daughter, ways to reignite the sexual passion in their relationship, and also hold Tang accountable for some of his past behaviour.
Tang
Job: IT specialist
From: London
Instagram: @tangyinzworld
Tang initially swept Temi off her feet with his loving and infectious personality, but his humour can sometimes prevent them from having serious conversations.
After experiencing a turbulent first marriage, Tang thought that he would never get married again, but he loves how much fun he and Temi have together and how open they are with one another.
Tang thinks that couples counselling can help them understand each other’s feelings and how they can approach difficult situations better. As a man of East Asian background, he also wants to learn more about Temi’s culture.
Couple Lucky and Annah
Annah
Job: Mental health professional
From: Essex
Annah’s biggest ick in a relationship is inconsistency, so it’s fair to say that her relationship with Lucky has been a rollercoaster ride from the moment they met.
Lucky slid into Annah’s DMs after initially locking eyes at an Amapiano festival, but having dealt with his ghosting and ‘love bombing’ habits, Annah has struggled to ignore the red flags in their relationship.
As a mother of two, Annah wants a man who is intentional and someone who takes their relationship seriously.
Annah believes that the coaching sessions will help them address the root cause of their issues and save their relationship from reaching breaking point. She also wants to understand herself better and hear Lucky out.
Lucky
Job: Healthcare professional
From: Brighton
Originally his partner Annah’s idea to start couples therapy, Lucky’s willing to fix their relationship by whatever means necessary.
His biggest red flag in a relationship is someone who doesn’t know how to communicate and can only resolve conflict through make up sex, so transparency is a big deal for him.
Through the coaching sessions, he’s hoping that Annah can give him the verbal reassurance he needs to get their relationship back on track, and make her see that two wrongs never make a right.
The relationship coaches
Denise
An experienced actress, celebrant and children’s confidence-building teacher, Denise has worn many professional hats, but her passion for helping people express their emotions led to a career in relationship coaching, where she provides a listening ear to couples in search of answers.
Denise’s mission is pretty simple – to help her clients find the solution to their problems within themselves. She believes that all relationships are a work in progress and require a trying effort to truly succeed. She also says that the “if it’s broken, replace it” mentality in today’s society has allowed people to end good relationships without having tried to fix them.
In her sessions, Denise encourages her clients to listen to both sides and work through their challenges as a team. Her advice to couples who want to start therapy is, “What have you got to lose? You only have something to gain by trying it.”
Jo
Jo has been a holistic and wellness coach for four years, and has been able to support his clients through various relationship challenges. Now he’s here to help the couples overcome their issues.
Jo believes that society’s unrealistic expectations of love is the root cause of most toxic relationships today, which prevents people from being honest about their real intentions and feelings.
Having observed this, Jo’s coaching technique emphasises the importance of authenticity and truth as a way of building a strong foundation in a relationship.
His objective is to encourage the couples to be totally raw and honest with one another, and to adopt a different perspective to better understand their partner.
In Love & Toxic: Blue Therapy airs on E4 on Thursdays at 10pm.
If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our hub for more Entertainment news.
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