In the first episode of Tough Love, VH1's newest reality television series, viewers are introduced to the Tough Love Cast: Abiola, Arian, Jacklyn, Jessa, Jody, Natasha, Stasha and Taylor.
Tough Love's first episode begins with a speed dating event. What the cast members don't' know is that one of the men is actually matchmaker and Tough Love host Steven Ward, who decides to go undercover for his first meeting with the cast so he can get a realistic view of the womens' flaws and quirks.
At the end of the speed dating event, the women learn that they've already met their matchmaker. But Steven gets right down to business getting to know the Tough Love cast.
The Tough Love Cast
Abiola is a 32-year-old writer from New York City who believes she's a princess in a fairy tale of sorts. Abiola is outgoing and seemingly confident, but she has poor luck with men. She's even gained a bit of weight to keep men at arm's length.
Arian is a 27-year-old model from Albany, New York who has serious insecurities and emotional dysfunction, masked by an overly-sexual facade. After constantly seeking approval from her father as a teen -- approval that she never received -- Arian finds herself with an extreme distrust for men.
Natasha is a 28-year-old tour operator from New York City, who's quiet, motherly and nuturing. Unfortunately, she attracts men who need "fixing." But what's worse is the fact that Natasha doesn't stand out in a crowd. In fact, the men who she meets later in the episode don't even recall meeting her - a problem since some believe that while it's bad to leave a negative impression, it's even worse to leave no impression at all.
Jessa is a 28-year-old data processor from Los Cruces, New Mexico, who has a classically pretty appearance, sweet demeanor, and confidence issues. Her issue? She's a bit of a stalker and when Jessa gets involved in a new dating relationship, she gets a bit overbearing.
Taylor is a 26-year-old model from Scottsdale, Arizona. Taylor is loud, obnoxious, shallow and ditzy; she even has the audacity to call the men she laters meets on the show shallow, but fails to realize that she's the personification of shallow -- After all, Taylor won't date men who are shorter than 5'7".
Jody is a 38-year-old fashion publicist from Los Angeles, California. Jody's a bit older than the rest of the Tough Love cast, and she gives off a rather desperate, frumpy and broken vibe to men. But what's worse is she obsesses about her career and perseverates on this topic when speaking with men. Jody claims that she has no problem meeting men; she just has a problem meeting the right men.
Stasha is a 31-year-old ballerina originally from Serbia, who is now living in Los Angeles, California. Stasha's primary problem is that she completely lacks softness. Stasha comes off as harsh, critical and downright mean at times, which means she usually scares men off rather than reeling them in.
Jacklyn is a 23-year-old sales rep from Dallas, Texas who is absolutely obsessed with getting married. Her marriage obsession drives men away, as does her constant insecurity and complaining. In fact, Jacklyn's constant complaining about her hair, her shoes and her dress earn her the title of worst performer in a dating challenge following the Tough Love cast's makeovers.
Learning What Men Really Think - A Tough Love Challenge
The Tough Love cast is provided with some real-life feedback on how men perceive them in an exercise where the women walk around the pool at the Tough Love house, while three men take notes. The men then candidly share their opinions and first impressions of the women with Matchmaker Steven Ward.
The women are then shown the video footage of what the men had to say. And while all the women are upset, some find the feedback more difficult to stomach than others.
With the criticisms in mind, Tough Love Matchmaker Steve Ward treats the women to makeovers in an attempt to give the ladies an appearance that's more consistent with the image they want to portray to others.
Once the Tough Love cast members get their makeovers, they're given an opportunity to interact with the men they met during the speed dating session. And again, after the evening, the women hear the feedback from the men and while the Tough Love women are still romantically challenged, it's clear some have started to make strides in the right direction...all except for Jacklyn who regresses as she whines and complains incessantly to the men.
Notably, in the latter part of this premier Tough Love episode, Taylor suddenly falls ill, leading to her hospitalization. Viewers are left to wonder, "Will Taylor return to the Tough Love cast?"
Wondering what happens next? Check out the Tough Love episode summary for Episode Two.
To learn more about the Tough Love Cast, check out the Tough Love Cast Profile and check out the Tough Love Page for more episode summaries and to find out where you can watch full episodes of Tough Love online!
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