Lakewood High School English teacher Katie Spies recently stepped into the spotlight during a “Meet the Family” episode of “Love is Blind” to support her younger brother, Connor Spies, a featured cast member on the hit series’ tenth season.

“Love Is Blind” is a groundbreaking dating experiment that challenges singles to be vulnerable and connect emotionally without seeing each other face-to-face. Contestants form bonds in “pods,” where they communicate through walls; if they find a strong match and the right connection, they get engaged before ever meeting in person.

LHS Connection to the Pods

Katie Spies expressed pride and excitement about her brother’s appearance on the show, saying that his journey has been a family affair with everyone supporting him along the way. “I’ve always known him to be kind, genuine and brave,” she said. “Seeing him put himself out there on a platform like this makes me so proud. He’s shown incredible courage, and I think he will resonate with many viewers as just a kind, genuine person.”

The excitement has vibrated through the halls of Lakewood High School, with students and staff rallying behind their teacher’s family. Senior Audrey McNulty, who is following the season closely, shared the sentiment of many local fans: “Connor is the only reason I’m still watching!”

Finding Focus in a Fast-Paced World

The experiment’s unique structure — dating without phones or outside distractions — allowed Spies to focus entirely on his connections.

“Falling in love with a personality without seeing their face was obviously pretty crazy, but you just find things to connect on,” Spies said. “Without your phone and all the distractions, there’s no outside noise. You can really just laser in on who you’re dating.”

This isolated environment forced contestants to quickly envision a long-term future. “Is this someone I could see myself staying with for the rest of my life?” Spies remarked. “It was honestly very crazy to say yes.” This intense focus led to a new perspective for Spies, who now encourages others to approach relationships with a similar mindset. “I want to tell everyone to kind of date with intention, as long as the intentions are the same or aligned,” he shared.

​The “Brotherhood” Behind the Scenes

While the show focuses on romance, Spies found that the experience offered unexpected personal growth and a unique kind of camaraderie. “Going into ‘Love Is Blind,’ I really didn’t have that much expectation-wise. Obviously, the hope was there, the intention was there,” said Spies. “I really didn’t expect the experiment to make me feel the way I did, which was a fun surprise.”

He noted that being isolated from the real world changed his perspective on support. “It just kind of felt like a brotherhood,” he explained, mentioning that contestants would help each other organically once they realized they weren’t dating the same person. He noted that “friendships [were] huge” and acted as a “rock during filming.”

A Family Affair

The Spies family has remained a central part of the experience, with Connor’s parents and sisters appearing on the show — much to the delight of local viewers. “As you guys saw, you see why I’m the favorite child,” Spies joked. He added that his quieter nature on screen makes sense given his home life: “You see why I also don’t talk too much with two sisters who kind of take the reins on that and lead the charge. I thought it was so fun that they got to see themselves on the Netflix show too.”

He praised his parents for their unwavering support during the process. “My mom had my back, no matter what, just blindly saying, ‘That’s my son,'” said Spies. “My dad with the zinger — he killed it, too.” Spies added that the family will be able to watch those “real moments” back for the rest of their lives.

Community Support

Since the show’s debut, the response has been significant, and Spies has enjoyed reconnecting with old friends while making new ones. “The support has been unbelievable. I never thought that this many people would be reaching out just kind of saying, ‘Great job,'” he said. “Which is also weird to me, because I don’t think I really did anything different. It wasn’t like acting or anything. I was just kind of there, doing my thing, having fun with it, and kind of being as genuine and authentic as possible.”

Even as his face appears on millions of screens around the world, Spies remains grounded. “Since the show’s been out, it’s been a little crazy, but it’s been a lot of fun, kind of making stupid videos and social,” he said.

As the season unfolds and Netflix viewers tune in to see who finds a match in the pods, Lakewood fans have already reached a verdict: Connor Spies is officially this season’s favorite child.

Season 10 of “Love Is Blind” is currently streaming on Netflix.