It turns out that there are some ex-lovers among the cast of Netflix’s new dating competition show Perfect Match, which features a number of reality TV veterans reuniting for the challenge. Joey Sasso, who won the first season of The Circle, and Kariselle Snow, who is best known as the panda from Sexy Beasts, are among the eligible singles moving into the villa on night one.
Due to their extensive history together prior to being cast on Perfect Match, the bartender and pageant queen (whose first reality show was actually MTV’s Are You The One? Season 8, featuring an all sexually-fluid cast) quickly become one of the most interesting couples as they try to give their connection another chance.
Read on for everything we know about what happened between Kariselle and Joey before Perfect Match season 1, their trip on the program, and whether they’re dating post-filming.
Did Joey and Kariselle Date Before ‘Perfect Match’?
After Joey’s identity as a member of The Circle cast was made public, the two finally had their first interaction. Joey revealed in Episode 1 of Perfect Match that Kariselle DMed him and that he was immediately attracted to her. She eventually made the trip to L.A., where they had a good time together, but Joey said they weren’t ready for a serious commitment.
Kariselle claims that they lost touch for a while, but that eventually, he tracked her down. They went on a few dates, but she claims he broke up with her because the “commitment thing” was too much.
According to Instagram, they attempted dating again in the first half of 2021. In an emotional July 2021 post, Joey thanked his friends and family for their support while he was getting clean and posted a photo of himself wearing Kariselle. Their passionate kiss is captured on film in his 2021 year-in-review video. By the time filming of Perfect Match began in early 2022, the pair had apparently broken up.
What Happened Between Joey and Kariselle on ‘Perfect Match’?
When Kariselle and Joey were among the first contestants to enter the Perfect Match villa, they were both taken aback to see each other. (Since Joey also had a past with Francesca Farago, the effect may have been amplified for him.)
They reviewed their past interactions and Kariselle gave off vibes of being hesitant to give him another shot, but she also considered the possibility that their unexpected meeting on the show was predetermined. Joey finally confessed his undying love for her, and she accepted.
The next day, however, during the first “compatibility challenge” of the show, the euphoric reunion is met with some strife. Joey reveals in the game that he can’t get over an ex-girlfriend from four years ago.
Kariselle was already feeling ashamed when the water was spilled on her head, but she grew even more enraged when he attempted to pursue a romantic relationship with her despite his inability to move on from the past. She tells Francesca later that evening that she is “quite open” to going on a date and meeting new people.
Kariselle is, of course, set up on a date with Chase DeMoor the following day, and the two have such a wonderful time that they end up walking back into the villa hand in hand and kissing that night. Joey is outraged when he sees them kissing, but he doesn’t interfere; instead, he tells Kariselle that he’ll go home if she doesn’t pick him.
Even though this makes her question why he would be fine with her being with someone else, she chooses to reconcile with Joey anyway. After that, things started going more smoothly between them, and they ended up being matched after they gave each other perfect scores in the anonymous kissing challenge.
With the release of the second batch of episodes on February 21, Joey and Kariselle remain a solid match throughout, and Joey eventually asks Kariselle to be his match in the house and his girlfriend. The acceptance is enthusiastically accepted by Kariselle, and a party is thrown.
In another touching scene, Kariselle opens up to Joey about her sexuality, expressing her worries about losing that part of her identity if she marries a guy and asks whether the fact that the last person she was in love with was a woman frightens him. Joey answers, “No,” emphatically reiterating his love and acceptance of Kariselle in her authentic form.
By the finale, Joey and Kariselle had been together longer than any other pair in the villa, and the show has shifted its focus to the friendship between Kariselle and her show BFF Francesca (including that awkward pool kiss). By winning the show’s final challenge together, in which pairs try to guess each other’s views on matters like marriage, sex, and relocation, they further demonstrate that they are on the same page.
The two go on one last date, where Joey pulls off the ultimate surprise by popping the question, much to Kariselle’s delight (and the delight of anyone watching). He claims he contacted her father to ask for his approval, and they subsequently contacted his mother to break the news.
Even though they end up losing the ultimate prize (an all-expenses-paid trip), they are overjoyed to share the news of their engagement with the other contestants on the Survivor-style panel at the end of the show.
Are Joey and Kariselle Still Together After ‘Perfect Match’?
In the wake of the release of the final episodes of Perfect Match, fans were given some not-so-great signals regarding the future of Joey and Kariselle’s relationship. A video of Kariselle lip-syncing to the audio clip, “I’m sure we all know why we are all gathered here today,” was released on TikTok. She speaks while pointingly clasping her hands to highlight the absence of rings on her fingers.
A caption reads, “POV: the final episodes of Perfect Match dropped but you still have to wait a few days till updates so everyone can catch up!”
Joey hadn’t commented on their relationship status by the time the finale aired, but he did discuss the proposal in a Newsweek(opens in new tab) interview published on the day of the finale, revealing that he knew he wanted to marry Kariselle with roughly a week remaining of filming. He also expressed his eager anticipation for watching the event’s video recording.
The phrase “I can’t wait to see it” comes to mind. In retrospect, I see that I was actually quite anxious. For the duration of the proposal, I was so anxious that I passed out. I really do hope that came out well!” he exclaimed.
It was one of the most beautiful times in my life, and I’m sure there were many tears shed, he said.
Joey acknowledged in a TODAY interview that he and Kariselle broke up after filming, only one day after he reminisced about their romantic proposal. He also made passing references to the difficulties they encountered in real life, away from the show.
We both feel like we need some space from one other right now, and we’ve kind of settled on this as a compromise. I know it’s for the best, but she and I love each other so much,” he told the media. My immediate thought while I was there was, “This is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.” After the shooting is done, you return to your regular life. As the saying goes, “life is full of things to deal with.”
He added that he and she maintain regular communication. We’ve known each other for a very long time and have become very close friends. And right now, before we worry about anything else, we’re focusing on mending the friendship,” he continued.
The official scoop came from Joey and Kariselle on March 2 in a “Where Are They Now?” segment for the series on Netflix. Kariselle mimes a rollercoaster as she explains the breakdown of her relationship with Joey, adding that they were at their best during the show but have since drifted apart. Unfortunately, I can’t say “Oh my god, absolutely, we’re getting married tomorrow or we eloped in Vegas,” as I’d like to.
When we started talking about being a power couple, I knew it was done. Joey said we were the future Batman and Robin, and I was like, “Who’s Batman?” she continued. Is this kid seriously considering me a sidekick? Like, “What the heck is going on?”
If you’re going to blame someone, Joey said, “you can blame me. Without getting into specifics, I just get the impression that something wasn’t quite right. In the same interview with Variety, he elaborated, “We have so much in common, but I simply think that we truly tried to do everything we could to work on everything… The curtain has fallen on that era of my life.
Conclusion
Joey Sasso and Kariselle Snow are among the contestants of Netflix’s dating competition show Perfect Match. Joey Sasso is known for winning the first season of The Circle, while Kariselle Snow is known as the panda from Sexy Beasts. The two had a romantic history before the show and attempted to rekindle their relationship before filming for Perfect Match.
During the show, they started off with some tension, but eventually reconciled and ended up being the most stable couple in the villa. In the finale, Joey proposed to Kariselle, and the two got engaged. As of March 2023, it is unclear if they are still together.
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