‘Match Me Abroad’: Meet the Matchmakers
Some people are lucky enough to find love on their own. But not everyone has success in the traditional dating scene. Fortunately, those who are having trouble meeting the right person have options. In TLC’s new reality dating series Match Me Abroad, seven U.S. singles turn to international matchmakers in the hope they’ll find the love of their life in another country. So, will these pros be able to guide their clients to a happily ever after?
Katarína Němcová
Matchmaker Katarína Němcová, who is based in the Czech Republic, has been running her own agency, Find L’Amour, since 2014. She dedicates herself to finding the right person for each of her clients, and her 80% success rate proves she has what it takes to match almost anyone.
“There is nothing my heart burns for more than helping people find the right match,” she says in a Match Me Abroad teaser (via YouTube).
Katarína’s expertise lies in drawing on her skills “to match people’s temperaments and characters,” according to her firm’s website. In addition, she “teaches people how to be emotionally and psychologically open” and guides them in how to communicate better so a relationship can grow and thrive.
In the TLC show, Katarína works with two clients. Harold, 41, is a self-described “starving artist” with autism. He has trouble reading social cues and thinks he might have better luck dating more “blunt and honest” Eastern European women. Katarína, who has worked with autistic clients in the past, fears that Harold will be “a challenging case” because he’s been disappointed in love in the past and lacks confidence (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Michelle is a 34-year-old from North Carolina with Czech roots who isn’t willing to compromise her feminist principles to find a man.
Juan Manuel Nino
Colombian matchmaker and life coach Juan Manuel Nino admits that his job isn’t always easy. But the challenges are worth it when he makes a successful match.
“As a matchmaker, the more challenging it is, the bigger the rewards,” he says.
Juan, who believes everyone deserves love, is working with three clients on Match Me Abroad. Nathaly, a 25-year-old Californian with a strict Sri Lankan mother, is headed to South America to find love. Susan, 52, is done with dating in NYC. But will her long list of requirements for a man make her matchmaker’s job more difficult? Finally, there’s Chad. He’s a 38-year-old from Tennessee who’s been engaged three times already and believes Colombian women are more serious about marriage than Americans.
Nina Kharoufeh
Jersey girl Nina Kharoufeh is a Palestinian American, making her uniquely able to work with Americans who hope to find love with someone from the Arab world. Currently, she has an undefeated matchmaker record. But could one of her new clients break her streak?
On Match Me Abroad, Nina is charged with finding someone for 32-year-old dating novice Stanika, who believes she’ll find her dream man in Morocco. She will also work with Mark, 44. The Arizona man is convinced he’ll find love with a Moroccan woman, even though he’s never been to the country before.
One thing Nina is sure of: Whatever her clients have been doing in the past to find love hasn’t been working. If they hope to find their dream partner, they’ll need to try a different approach.
“The dating scene in America is just broken,” she says. “People just need to see something different.”
Match Me Abroad premieres Sunday, May 14 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.
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