Season 11 of Ready to Love takes place in Detroit, where 20 accomplished singles — men and women with careers, children, and a clear interest in building meaningful relationships — are trying to navigate love under the watchful eyes of host Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles and a camera crew.
A recent group date — a cooking class arranged as a week’s assignment by the show — served as the backdrop for Ashanté and Lauren to explore potential connections with Carde and Vince.
In that setting, under the guidance of a private chef, the participants were tasked to pick knives, chop vegetables, and cook together — a first for many, leading to awkward but revealing moments.
The cooking class became more than a culinary lesson; it acted as a social test. The chef welcomed everyone and instructed them to say “Sharp” when holding a knife — a kitchen safety ritual.
The heat of things, mixed with how new everything felt in there, made it tense. They struggled with chopping up the vegetables.
Although on a lighter note, Lauren was seemingly annoyed with Vince repeteadly yelling out the word "sharp", and said she would “run up out of there” if someone shouted "sharp" one more time.
Even so, with things feeling tight, they got the vegetables cut up, tossed them into the pan, and even slipped in a joke or two while doing it.
Once the cooking was done, the group sat down with drinks, and the conversation turned personal. They had a one-on-one conversation among themselves.
Carde said he was “looking forward to chatting” with Lauren because she “seems like a good person”. Over the course of the evening, they had a long conversation and some deeper topics surfaced: parenting, life ambitions, and values.
On the other side, Vince shared with Ashante that if he were earning $150,000 a year and providing a particular lifestyle, he believed his partner didn’t need to work — unless she wanted more.
When questioned whether that meant a 50/50 balance was off the table, he clarified: if the lifestyle increased, then additional contribution would be needed.
Ashante, visibly hesitant, responded that if he felt that way, she didn’t have the energy to argue about it — concluding that she wasn’t connecting with him.
The exchange ended with her saying she didn’t think she heard him clearly and decided they probably lacked compatibility. That moment reportedly ended any budding chemistry between them.
Thus, by the close of the dinner, while tokens of light flirtation existed, the cooking date had laid bare some fundamental misalignment for at least one pairing.
Ready to Love is structured around meaningful interactions, and this cooking-class dinner proved a fertile ground for “real selves” to emerge.
The cooking date provided common ground — but as the evening unfolded, it became recognisable that shared ambition or background does not necessarily translate into shared values.
The candid exchange about financial contribution and lifestyle expectations underlined the importance of compatibility beyond surface-level attraction.
In a show premised on finding lasting connections rather than merely creating dramatic content, this cooking date may serve as an early filter.
For Ashante, who expressed discomfort over Vince’s financial philosophy, this might effectively close the door on that potential match.
For Lauren and Carde, chemistry may still be under assessment, depending on future dates.
Given the format of Ready to Love, where compatibility is tested through group activities, one-on-ones, and emotional conversations, experiences like this cooking class — with its mix of intimacy, pressure, and honest discussion — may prove decisive.
If trust and mutual respect emerge, it could open paths to stable relationships. If not, these scenes may simply represent early catalysts for departure or redirection.
For viewers, the dinner offers more than just entertainment; it’s a lens into real-life relationship mechanics: ambition, parenting, financial clarity, and personal values — themes that many watching may relate to beyond reality TV.
Stay tuned for more updates.
TOPICS: Ready to Love, Ready to Love season 11, Ready to Love Ashante, Ready to Love Carde, Ready to Love Lauren, Ready to Love Vince