Nova’s Eliza Paschke and Carly Bowyer reveal coronavirus dating struggles
Nova radio hosts Eliza Paschke and Carly Bowyer — who was a past Married At First Sight bride — say dating during lockdown is great for singles but tough on relationships as they share their very different experiences during the COVID-19 restrictions.
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Dating during the global health crisis appears to be a breeze for some but a challenge for others.
Nova’s Finding a Unicorn co-hosts Eliza Paschke and Carly Bowyer have shared their very different dating experiences and say one good thing to come out of the chaos is that courtship is back.
“At the end of 2019, I had swiper’s fatigue and decided to delete all the apps and focus on meeting someone in real life. That plan has gone out the window and I’ve had to revive my online dating game,” Paschke, who is single, told Confidential.
“Corona is the dawning of a new dating revolution … we’re back to old school courting! Goodbye to one-night stands and casual hook-ups, hello to virtual dates, sexting and fresh meat on all the apps (thanks to a lack of other options).”
Meanwhile, former Married At First Sight star Bowyer, who has been dating actor Neil Goldsmith for eight months, said for her things haven’t been all smooth sailing.
“Coronavirus definitely puts pressure on people in relationships,” Bowyer said.
“On one hand, it’s great to have a partner there for support in a really uncertain time and I’m so thankful to have Neil around. But he’s also the only person that I’ve seen for the past few weeks, so of course with that comes its own raft of issues!”
The marketing executive said arguments are more likely due to lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures.
“Most people aren’t used to spending so much time with their partner. All of a sudden, you’re indoors with that person, living, eating, working, exercising, sleeping and there’s nowhere else to go,” she said.
“It’s also an uncertain and stressful time, so tensions can be high. Unfortunately, this will bring an increase in the bad times as well as the good! It’ll certainly be a learning curve for a lot of couples.”
With online dating on the rise, one expert agrees that the current climate favours singles over those who are already in committed relationships.
Kimberly De La Cruz, who is the spokeswoman for dating website Seeking Arrangements, said the coronavirus pandemic has forced people to go back to basics and get to know each other on a deeper level.
“Globally, we’ve seen a 74 per cent increase in member sign-ups over the past year. In Australia, we’ve seen a 34 per cent increase,” she said.
“I think it’s going to change the way that we date, I really do. Chemistry building and connection building is going to come back, where people actually get to know each other and have a genuine interest.
“Singles who are quarantined are home alone all day, it’s very different to someone who’s in a relationship.
“Courtship is back, we’re getting to know someone before we actually get to meet them in person … there’s a lot of different ways you can do that — there’s virtual dates, you can watch live concerts together and watch Netflix together.”