Being on a reality show can change your life in many ways. Blake Robertson, who starred in season 4 of the hit Netflix dating reality show, “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On,” said his time on the show completely changed the course of his life.
During an exclusive interview with The Blast, Blake opened up about why the intense dating experiment helped him realize he was in the wrong relationship, the surprising bond he formed with Ashley Wilson, his partner in the trial marriage, and why he believes the experience ultimately saved him from spending more time with the wrong partner, his then-girlfriend Hayley Hendrich. He also shared some behind the scenes information that didn’t make it to the TV screen, how the experience changed his view on his relationship, and if we would ever do another reality show if the opportunity popped up.
While Blake signed up for “The Ultimatum” hoping to strengthen his relationship with his girlfriend Hayley, he said the Netflix experiment had the opposite effect. Instead, an unexpected connection and the show’s intense environment helped him to come to a major realization that shifted his life.
When asked what surprised him the most about the experience, Blake said it was “just how deep you get as fast as you get going.”
“I kind of said it when we were at the cabin with Ashley’s family. It was almost like summer camp in a weird way where Ashley and I were able to get extremely close, extremely fast,” Blake told The Blast exclusively. “I was very much shocked by that. And it really is like a pressure cooker where you get to figure out the most about your relationship in a short amount of time.”
That’s something he said he was “grateful” for because the experience “saved me ultimately a lot of time.”
“My relationship with Hayley could have went on for several more years,” he added.
While viewers saw everything from laughter to screaming on the show, there were a lot of things viewers didn’t get to see, including one of the hardest parts of filming.
“I think for me, the hardest part about the experience was dealing with the insecurity from the partner you showed up there with,” he said. “I think seeing Hayley and Killian both kind of go crazy on Ashley and I, and just really having to cater to their experience on the show.”
The Connection Blake & Ashley Formed During The Trial Marriage Was ‘Different’ Than The One He Had With Hayley
Partnering up with Ashley for the trial marriage was an eye opener for Blake. The two bonded and formed a connection that was different than the one he had with Hayley.
“That to me was definitely a game changer in a weird way. I was like, okay, this is totally different,” he said.
“And when I got back with Hayley and we just continued to argue and argue and argue, I was like I love Hayley because there are so many amazing qualities about her that obviously I enjoy, but Ashley was different, so I think that was kind of the main thing between the two of them that had me like what is going on here.”
Many People Felt Blake Was ‘Non-Emotional’ On ‘The Ultimatum’
Blame it on the Dysport or the editing, but Blake said he’s heard from a lot of people that he just wasn’t emotional enough on the show. He wants to clear that up once and for all (and no, we weren’t kidding about the Dysport.)
“I definitely don’t appreciate watching it back with Hayley saying, ‘Oh hey, Blake, I created you. You are my creation. I would pay money to see you get emotional.’ You can see me laughing and having the time of my life,” he said. “Stabbed full of Dysport at that point, so I can’t make any facial expressions. My head was frozen.”
Blake said he is “an emotional person” and the way people assumed he wasn’t was a bit shocking to him.
“I love people. I love people’s stories,” he said. “I love to laugh and have fun, so hearing Hayley say that, I mean, we’ve had some of the deepest conversations that I’ve had with anyone.”
This One Thing Really Killed The Vibe Of The Experience For Four People
When asked what he would change if he could go back and start the experience again but with the knowledge he has now, Blake said he would absolutely change the “phone situation.” (For those who haven’t watched, participants on the show were allowed to have their phones and early on in the experience, the original couples were texting each other often, which started some tense situations.)
“The phone situation killed everything. Who knows what would have happened. I mean, Ashley and I definitely had a lot of fun behind the scenes, but the phone situation just completely stalled everything,” Blake told The Blast. “I think who knows what would have happened with Ashley and I. We might have left together if the whole phone thing didn’t happen.”
Blake shared that he was up in the middle of the night on calls with Hayley and other times, Hayley was “blowing up” his phone.
“I gotta take accountability for when Ashley asked me, ‘Hey Blake, did you go to the movies alone?’ I lied. I did not go to the movies alone. Hayley was blowing up my phone and trying to get me to meet up with her,” he said. “With some of these podcasts coming out, Hayley is trying to act like she was the therapist in Killian and Ashley’s relationship when that was not the case at all. She was blowing up my phone left and right.”
One Misconception About Blake On ‘The Ultimatum’ Has To Do With ChatGPT
While being on a reality show can lead to many misconceptions, there’s one humorous one that Blake wants to clear up – his use of ChatGPT. He said the “unemotional ChatGPT thing was hilarious.”
“That was a creation of Hayley. Hayley had me prefacing everything. I was walking on absolute eggshells trying to keep her happy at all times,” he said. “So I think for me just being able to not feel that way anymore, you can even see it in the reunion. Everyone that commented was like, ‘Blake, we’ve never seen you laugh so hard, smile and enjoy life.’ That’s truly who I am as a human being.”
Blake said that getting out of a relationship where he had to “compete for somebody’s love” and being able to meet someone who he “just naturally” clicked with, was a better experience for him.
When asked if he would ever consider doing another reality show after his experience on “The Ultimatum,” he shared he would “definitely be open” to another experience.
Stay tuned for a follow up story with more information about “The Ultimatum” season 4 from Blake Robertson.
