MTV’s Are You The One? is back and now streaming the first two seasons on Netflix. Fan favorites and success couple Amber Lee Diamond and her husband Ethan join Chelsie Overocker on House of Hallmark to talk about their favorite moments while filming. They discussed new qualities they have learned about each other while being quarantined together with their two beautiful daughters in Austin, Texas and how dating in the public eye strengthened their relationship.
The last few weeks Amber and Ethan have been posting cute photos of their family on Instagram. Our favorite photo so far is with all of them playing in the snow. They explain why this Christmas was special for them and that December is a big month for their family.
“It was really, really fun.” Amber states, “we live in Texas and we never get a white Christmas here ever but last week it snowed like crazy. So we were able to have a lot of fun with the girls.”
Ethan added.
“Yeah December is a big month for us too because our daughter’s birthday is just before Christmas so it is quite the month that’s for sure [laughs].”
December is definitely a month that will keep you and your family busy with the holidays and your daughter’s birthday. But these are the moments that make life special. It’s fun for us fans to watch your two daughters grow up and your journey as a couple.
You two are the longest lasting and most successful couple in the series history. It’s so rare to have a couple who met on a reality show stay together and build a family. What did you two do as a couple to make your relationship work?
“That is such a tricky question.” Amber stated, “It’s been seven years since we met on the show so it’s been wild reliving everything with the relaunch on Netflix. But for us we didn’t actually fall in love until after we stopped filming. We progressed so much, we lived two different relationships. We had a TV relationship and then “making it work” type of relationship. When we meet friends now these days they are like, ‘oh how did you guys meet?’ We always take a step back for a second and we’re like ‘oh we met in Hawaii you know.’ [laughs] TV relationships are challenging so you have to have really big trust and awesome communication because there are so many things that pull TV relationships apart.”
Was it an easy transition after you both left the show and you no longer had cameras filming you?
“Yea it was definitely weird right?” Amber asks as she turns to Ethan.
“Yeah and you couldn’t really see each other because I’m from Denver and she’s from Austin.” Ethan explains, “so when they sent us back home from Hawaii we weren’t allowed to see each other because it was part of the game. So we actually blossomed our relationship secretly. I would go down to Austin and she come up to Denver and we had to be away from our family and friends.”
Amber added,
“We couldn’t be seen together because it would be a spoiler alert for the longest time.”
Ethan:
“So it was a really good opportunity to dive into each other and get to know one another. It was probably the best thing that happened to us throughout the whole process.”
There were hard moments they faced while Amber and Ethan were still getting to know each other. Amber recalls a time she got really sick when Ethan came and visited her. At first she was disappointed because she had planned a lot of events for them to go to but realized it was a blessing in disguise because that helped strengthen their relationship as a couple.
“It wasn’t easy. We had a lot of cards playing against us.” Amber explains, “I went out to Colorado to stay with him for a few weeks and he came out to Texas to visit me and I got so sick. I had all of these fun things planned for us and I was in bed sleeping all day. I can’t even imagine, I’m dating this guy trying to get to know him and we don’t have that much time together. He was taking care of me the whole time even though he had to go back to Colorado the next day and I thought I totally blew it. But things like that strengthened our relationship.”
We agree. It’s nice to want to have romantic dates when you’re dating someone but at the end of the day if you’re trying to find the person to spend the rest of your life with. It’s important to know how they make you feel when you are having a bad day or you don’t feel good.
While you two were secretly dating what is one thing that you learned about each other that surprised you.
Ethan:
“For me, Amber was always so nice. Just a genuine human. There are few genuine humans that you meet and I thought the whole time on the show there is no way and it turns out she was the real deal.”
Amber adds,
“He was skeptical he was like she’s putting on an act then he met my bubbly family and was like, okay, I see, I see.”
“It was beautiful. This was it. Hands down game over.” Ethan stated.
Amber explains that she didn’t realize how much Ethan loved the outdoors.
“Getting to know him in real life and seeing him in his comfort zone. He is really outdoorsy and we had so much fun doing boring things together and really bonded together on it.”
Are You The One? is now streaming on Netflix did you two rewatch your season?
Amber:
“We weren’t planning on it and then we did. [laughs]
Ethan added,
“We binged the whole thing together!”
After watching their season again the couple were able to get some closure and have good conversations with each other. Things they weren’t able to see eye to eye on they are now able to be level headed about.
Amber:
“I feel like the first time we watched it because it was a lot harder because it’s like hearing yourself on your voicemail. You sound weird. [laughs] Seeing yourself watching yourself going through this drama on camera it was kind of uncomfortable.”
Ethan adds.
“It’s cringey you know.”
Amber:
“Totally, then you make mistakes and I think the whole experience is like people make mistakes and we made ours under a microscope for everyone to see. It was definitely a learning process and I think that’s why I was nervous to watch it back. But watching we’re way more grown now, we’re parents, and seven years later I finally got some closure from it. Things that I thought were cringey and embarrassing before are now I’m like okay I was young and cute it’s fine. We actually had some really good talks after watching it together. Things that we weren’t able to see level headed before.”
Ethan and Amber also enjoyed being able to reconnect with their cast-mates and relive their journey from the show.
“Another fun part is we got to connect with our cast-mates a lot.” Amber states, “we kept in touch with some of them here and there. But with the relaunch it was really fun to hop on the phone and FaceTime each other and relive everything together.”
Is there anyone that you both stay in contact with after the show got done filming?
Amber:
“Jessica she got married and had kids so we are mom friends. It’s kinda hard to keep in touch with everyone and visit each other last year and Covid.”
Ethan adds,
“We keep up with Wes, Ryan, Jessica, and Shanley. I would say a good chunk.”
After becoming a successful couple and raising two daughters. What advice would give you someone who was interested in going on a dating reality show?
Amber:
“I would say be yourself 100 percent and do not second guess it. I’m not a very dramatic person so I felt like I didn’t fit in when I got there. I was like why did they cast me with all of these huge personalities. So I felt a little more reserved because I wasn’t about to fight for a spotlight. But then I learned throughout the process of me being me and who I am is the reason why this works (as she points between her and Ethan). The reason why we’re the only success story.”
We’re glad that these two are a success story but at the beginning of the show Amber admits that Ethan was the last person she wanted to engage with.
“I avoided him at the beginning [laughs] you go in and overthink everything. You’re like we suck at relationships. Are these matchmakers giving us someone that we usually go for or someone totally opposite. Out of all the guys in there he was just so much more similar like physically to the type of guys I’ve dated before. So I was like okay there is no way he is my match and he was the last person I had a conversation with.”
There was a chance that these two weren’t going to have a chance to become a couple because Amber was ready to quit the show only a couple of days into production.
“I actually almost quit the show a couple days in because I just felt homesick. It’s hard being there. You are isolated, you don’t have your phones or anything. The producers were really encouraging; they talked me into staying a couple more days. Then I had my first conversation with Ethan and then I just felt like after that I was like alright I can stick it out I have a crush on someone. [laughs]
Now fast forward seven years later Amber and Ethan have a strong relationship and a family with two beautiful daughters. Ethan explains their time on the show of getting to know each other helped strengthen their relationship when they were quarantined together.
“During quarantine you can’t really do anything and so on the show we would just spend hours just sitting on a couch talking to each other or sitting out back talking to each other. Then the same thing now at night when we would be going out to dinner or maybe going to dance; now we just sit in the backyard and hang out and talk. So if that’s something that if anybody can take anything away you know spend some time still getting to know your person. Even during times like this.”
Great advice. We are accustomed to be on the go but during these times it forces us to slow down and spend quality time with the people we care about.
Thank you Amber and Ethan for coming on the House of Hallmark to give us an update on your lives and discussing your favorite moments from the show.
Fans if you want to rewatch how Amber and Ethan’s love story unfold be sure to check out Are You the One now streaming on Netflix.
Make sure you follow Amber on IG @amberleediamond and Ethan @ethan.g.diamond to keep up with their latest projects.
For more Hallmark related content make sure you are following us on IG @houseofhallmarkshow and on Twitter @houseofhallmark.
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