It shows real couples in incredibly difficult situations, trying to make their love possible.
It transcends borders, boundaries, languages, religions, you name it.
And it clearly has struck at the heartstrings of viewers, because the90 Daysuniverse only keeps growing.
The series pits 24 couples from the90 Daysuniverse against one another for the ultimate victory: bragging rights.
And Krishnan is there alongside them as host.
Was Suki Krishnan a fan of 90 Day Fiance before hosting Love Games?
Well, who isn’t!
It just felt like it was the perfect fit.
I was already doing it remotely.
And it was TLC’s kind of first foray into live TV.
So it’s fantastic.
So it is just wonderfully salacious and juicy and magical.
I’m excited to watch and see the couples in a new element.
It will be really exciting.
And you know the best part about it is thatLove Gameswas shot entirely at home, at their home.
So it was done completely remotely.
It all kind of weaves a beautiful web that we love to somehow take apart as viewers.
How did Suki Krishnan’s career as a journalist impact her time on Love Games?
And I think what TLC does is just an extension of storytelling, just in a different way.
I mean, you’ve fallen in love with these couples.
You’ve fallen in love with these people, and they’re sharing their story.
I don’t think there’s anything that I’m uncomfortable asking.
So I know how to ask the right question at the right time.
And that’s what discovery+ and this is what TLC does better.
What was it about a romantic game show that really caught your eye and your interest?
I think the reality is just I wanted to transition from news.
I was doing news for 29 years at that point.
And I feel like I’ve got so much to share.
But I don’t think anybody was prepared for the pandemic.
What we did here withLove Gameswas kind of help people through the process.
But we’re also a show that is sprinkling in the aspects of love.
I mean, we’ve seen their journey.
The distance, the cultural exchanges, the language barriers.
Some people walk away, some people get angry at me.
Some people get angry at the other couples that are on screen.
So there’s a lot of drama.
It gets a little R-rated.
Who teams up on 90 Day Fiance: Love Games?
Because that [on-screen drama] is what people want to see really, isn’t it?
We go undercover because that’s what being in love is all about.
It’s all those salacious juicy details that you get to sort of taste.
You got Debbie and Colt.
A mom and a son who have now paired up.
That’s kind of fun.
And let me tell you something, Debbie and Colt know a lot about each other.
Strange, but true.
He’s very magnetic.
You’ve got Darcey and Georgie.
They get together and you get to see their new relationship and how it is and how they are.
What are some annoying habits?
And some of them don’t even know that what they’re doing is annoying.
And then they argue about that.
And somebody says like, I think it was … Evelin and Corey.
Am I yelling at you?"
And I’m like, “You’re yelling at him, you’re yelling at him.”
And you walk away with a sense of really falling in love with them again.
Like some of these people are the OGs, like Russ and Pao.
How’s Russ and Pao doing?
And then you see the jealousy between some of the castmates and Pao.
It’s very interesting.
Especially Evelin and Pao get to kind of team up on somebody else.
So there’s four rounds.
I’m going to explain this really quickly.
So the first round, you’ve got three couples going head to head.
The winner goes immediately to the semi-finals.
The second runner-up goes to the wildcard round.
And the third person sadly is eliminated.
And then you’ve got round two, which is basically the wildcard round.
… And then round three is the semi-final rounds.
And then round four is the final round, which is you go after
The pinnacle.
Love Games, got the trophy, bragging rights.
Basically, who doesn’t want to have those kinds of bragging rights?
Especially in the90 Dayuniverse, which is so competitive.
Everybody’s got their claws out.
They say that they’re not watching, but they’re all watching each other very closely.
What was it like for Suki Krishnan to host Love Games during a pandemic?
I wanted to ask you about how the pandemic.
It’s just thrown such a curve ball into television production.
What was it like filming this at home for you?
What was it like hosting the contestants while they were at home?
What was that whole virtual time like?
We actually had dealt with, believe it or not, a tornado, with Darcey and Georgie.
It’s kind of crazy, but I can’t give away too much.
So I was kind of affected by it, too.
Listen, there were a lot of challenges.
And I think that viewers demand, and they’re able to meet the challenge.
It’s like stepping up to that moment.
People do talk about their experiences.
I mean, you see it in90 Day: Bares All, and you see it in90 Day Diaries.
These are all of the things that came out of this experience of the pandemic.
So I don’t think TLC is going to shy away from anything.
That’s what I want to say.
And I feel like viewers could really grab onto that.
It’s kind of like a time capsule.
It shows people dealing with a tragedy in real time.
We have to make America laugh again.
We have to make America smile again.
And90 Dayuniverse does this better than anything.
And this is just another jewel in the90 Dayuniverse crown.
This is just another piece of this wonderful little pie that we all get to deliciously dive into.
And I can tell you as the host, I had fun.
I’m the host."
It’s also a trust process because they have to trust me.
We’re all like meeting each other virtually.
So we have to find connections within each other.
By the way the show is coming out on Valentine’s day, February 14th.
That’s why I’m wearing red.
I’m wearing red because I am Cupid of sorts.
And yeah, it’s a lot of fun.
So I walked away with some friends.
You might walk away with some people that you never thought you would really love.
Like some of the couples in the90 Dayuniverse where you were like, “Oh, forget about them.
They’re never going to last.
Their relationship, oh, it’s a sham or whatever.”
Whatever you might think, what you’ll realize is they’re really working through the relationship.
They’re going through the process of marriage.
And that’s why90 Daydoesn’t stop.
It continues to pick up because the stories continue.
And it’s the gift that just keeps on giving.
And I am here for it every day.
What parts of her life did Suki Krishnan share while hosting Love Games?
Did you find yourself sharing any of your own life story?
My kids would walk into the shots and they’d be like, “Mom.”
I was like literally schooling my children.
It was the summertime we shot this, right?
So my kids were home.
There was nothing going on.
So they’re home, they’re hungry.
We’d take breaks.
I would see their life, and they would see a little piece of mine.
They met my husband, my kids.
So yeah, we all got to know each other in some fun ways.
We made each other laugh.
We talked about music.
It’s the whole thing.
And we got to ask a lot of questions.
And they really embraced me as like a friend.
We touched on some really, really difficult things.
Same thing with Evelin and Corey.
Evelin had some moments from the show which you will see, but Evelin walked away…
Same thing with Elizabeth and Andrei.
And David and Annie.
I mean, who doesn’t love Annie?
I mean, who doesn’t love David?
I say some crazy stuff that I know I haven’t said [when] delivering the news.
So let’s just go with it.
Let’s just live in this moment.
Let’s live in this moment.
You were thefirst South Asian to anchor newsin such a major news market.
So in what ways did you find your own barrier-breaking career impacting your approach as a host?
I think individuality is really important.
For me, when it comes to the real, I go to the heart.
I want to connect right there.
And so for me, I think what I really bring to it is the authenticity of a struggle.
Nobody gave me anything.
It was just like trying to tell people that you are good enough.
And sometimes with these shows, people might walk away with the feeling of not feeling their best.
And I’m that friend that’s able to hug you.
I’m that friend that’s able to laugh with you.
I’m that friend that’s able to show your difference and let you shine.
All of these people have different relationships with each other.
They came together in their own specific way and the mantra is love is love.
And so diversity is what we are as a nation.
And these are the stories that make up the fabric of who we are as a country.
What makes us unique?
Why is someone’s story so engaging that you might relate to them?
You could feel their pain.
Some women even share their struggles of getting pregnant or not being able to get pregnant.
So you go through those joys and those moments of not feeling good enough.
And I know what that feels like.
I think I’m fabulous, but it is the world that we live in.
So I feel like I’m the perfect person for that perfect show.
And I’m so glad they casted me because that was able to weave all this stuff together.
And it was a difficult task doing it all remotely.
And so it’s just a love fest atLove Gamesreally.
Suki Krishan talks about feeling comfortable in her own skin
How didLove Gameschallenge you creatively?
I want to know a little bit about that and what your biggest takeaway was from your whole experience.
I thinkLove Gameshas opened up the person that I am.
I’ve always been comfortable in my skin, but now I’m comfortable enough to voice it.
I don’t think news really allows you to have that narrative.
So now I have a narrative.
I know who I am.
I’m old enough to know who I am.
I’m a mother, I’m a friend, I’m a daughter, I’m a sister.
I have all of these hats that I wear every day.
So I think all of that kind of falls into place because of that.
We all have different roles that we play.
How would you describe what you learned from being host to someone?
Oh, I think it’s really simple.
That love is complicated and we cannot judge anybody wherever they are.
They followed their hearts, despite cultural challenges, religious challenges, distance, language barriers.
You got to believe in yourself and you got to go after what you want to do.
And that’s the beauty of it.
That’s my takeaway.
That really go after what you want, fight for it.
Look at these women and men on90 Day, they fight for it every day.
But the best feeling is really winning theLove Gamescup.
So there are a lot of egos being bruised.
That’s all I’ll say.
So something to keep our eyes out for then.
Definitely because Evelin is somebody that doesn’t kind of mince words and she’s definitely a woman.
A strong, very authentic woman.
And I think Corey loves that about her, but it’s really cute to watch Corey grovel.
I actually fell love with Corey.
They’ve already talked about the boom boom, right?
So you get a chance to see some of the things that she’s struggling with personally, health-wise.
And somebody else actually chimed in.
The family aspect of the show.
The jealousy that might come out of this show.
But hey, that’s the magic of the90 Dayuniverse and that’s the magic ofLove Games.
Will there be a Love Games Season 2?
Do you know of any plans for a Season 2?
What’s the next step after this?
All I can say is go to discovery+, watch it, give us your feedback.
The web link will see it.
And you know what?
We’ll have a Season 2 before you know [it], but I really don’t know.
The host of the show is always the last to know, you know how that goes.
Chris Harrison is my hero.
If I could have a job like him, I am down.
I am so down.
What does Suki Krishnan think the biggest takeaway from Love Games is?
We talked about your key takeaway from the show.
This is like unscripted.
It really is unscripted.
It’s a game show.
So, it’s unscripted.
It’s unfiltered, and it’s just downright a lot of fun.
I hope they just realize that.
I don’t know…
I really don’t know what else to say.
What is the one thing that they’re going to take away from it?
It’s serious, but it’s not serious.
And sometimes really funny.
It’s makes you sad sometimes.
And your heart is breaking that somebody shared something so beautiful with you and trusted you with it.
And then there’s a moment that you want to scream at them.
And you know what,Love Gamesdoes it.
And it’s just, like I said, it’s another piece.
It’s another jewel in theLove Games, in the90 Dayuniverse.
I want to say that again.
It’s another jewel in the90 Dayuniverse crown.
