Episode 043: Tom Stroud
Tom Stroud became one of the breakout personalities on the smash hit Netflix show Love Is Blind UK - but his most powerful story started well before the cameras rolled.
In this episode, Tom opens up about:
Growing up with an absent father and how it fuelled anger, rebellion and a lifelong pattern of emotional avoidance
The moment his dad walked out – and why that became a defining event
Why he now believes what he felt on Love Is Blind wasn’t love, but intense infatuation shaped by unmet childhood needs
The reality of being trapped in a high-pressure filming environment with no phone, no escape – and why so many men struggle with vulnerability in those settings
How shame can keep men stuck for decades, and the moment he chose to forgive his father shortly before he died
The power and complexity of male friendships - including the breakdown and repair of his relationship with co-star Benaiah
What he’s learned about masculinity and boundaries
Why avoidance might keep you safe, but never fulfilled
Tom’s story isn't just about reality TV. It’s about identity, fatherhood, healing, and what it really takes to understand who you are. Honest, introspective and hopeful - this is the kind of conversation that makes you think about the person you are, the one you’ve been, and the one you still have time to become.
