Exclusive Interview: Jacklyn Romano Talks Life After ‘Love Undercover,’ the Friendships She Made, Her Businesses and Empowering Women, and More

Jacklyn Romano was among the contestants in searching for love on the thrilling new reality television program, Love Undercover.

The series is a modern-day fairytale meets buddy comedy about an elite group of international soccer stars who come to the United States on a secret quest for true love. We’ll follow them on an epic journey filled with drama, heartbreak and self-discovery. Can they win over the ladies without their fame and fortune? Will they manage to keep their true identities a secret? And will any of them fall for an American princess before inviting them back to their home countries and testing their relationships on the global stage. For these men, finding love is the #1 goal.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Jacklyn about life after Love Undercover, the friendship that was formed between all the women, her businesses and empowering women, and more!

PC: Anyone who’s a fan of reality television knows that there is so much that isn’t shown, and things may be edited in one way or another. Having seen the entire series now, how accurate do you think your own portrayal was? Was there something that you wish was shown that they didn’t?
Jacklyn: I would say that I was portrayed pretty accurately. I’m from New Jersey. I’m loud. I’m outgoing. I do have a mouth on me. I am who I am. When I came into the show, I really wanted to authentically be myself. If a guy liked it, then he did. If he didn’t, then I’m going back to Jersey. But there are a couple of things that I wish they had shown, mostly the funny things between the girls and stuff like that. But for the most part, they did a good job.

PC: I love the sisterhood that was formed between all the women. Outside of yourself, who do you think got an edit that didn’t accurately portray who they are and why?
Jacklyn: Brittany [Gibson]. A lot of people are coming in strong with Brittany. I know her personally. After the show, I’ve hung out with her a bit. She’s not a gold digger. She’s really genuine and funny.

PC: You were one of my favorite people on the show because you had such a strong sense of self and you weren’t willing to compromise that to stay longer, especially when things went south with Sebastián [Fassi]. That’s such an important lesson for anyone who wants to go on a reality show. Having gone through this experience, what advice would you give somebody who wanted to do a show similar to this? How close were you to walking out that door?
Jacklyn: Thank you so much for that. I really appreciate it. My advice would be to stick to who you truly are. When the whole as*hole conversation started, I don’t let men talk to me like that. If you’re kidding, you’re kidding. But I was feeling like crap because the whole night he was talking to all these girls. He told me I was his number one, but he was stringing me along. That night, the other guys were giving time to their number ones. We had that conversation. I don’t let anyone walk all over me. The men are the leads. It’s easy to fall into the trap of being a people pleaser. My advice would be don’t be a people pleaser and be yourself. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it’s not meant to be.

PC: I was cheering for you when you got up and ended that conversation. At the end, Lloyd [Jones] reveals to you that he’s a professional soccer player but doesn’t invite you back to the U.K. In a hypothetical situation where he did, would you have been able to get over the fact that this relationship started off as a lie? If so, how helpful was it that he’s a terrible liar?
Jacklyn: [laughs] He is a terrible liar. I think I could have gotten over it. As you saw throughout the show, Lloyd and I had such a great friendship and bond that continues today. We were pretty honest with each other the entire time. We had our tiffs. We love to tease each other, but I think I would have been able to get over the fact that he lied because he wanted to find a real connection despite his career. I would have been able to get over it.

PC: Abby [Kowal] went on a date where Marco [Fabián] was getting recognized left and right. Did that ever get brought up in discussions at afterwards? When did you realize there had to be a twist to this series?
Jacklyn: I had no idea. None of us were onto it. We would make jokes occasionally like, “I don’t really understand the plot of the show.” Me and Renee [Ash] would joke around all the time behind the scenes, but we never thought they were professional athletes.

No one ever told us that Marco got recognized on a date. Abby kept it a secret. She really did. If it were me, I would have run up to Renee and been like, “They’re rich and famous.”

PC: During and after the show, there’s been such a strong sisterhood that’s formed between all the women. People have their opinions, but I think the women were actually there for the right reasons. Did you expect to form these strong bonds with these women past the show? What were your expectations heading in?
Jacklyn: When you look at other reality TV shows, you see it’s a lot of competition. I love competition, but at the end of the day, I’m there to find love. If that means I’ve got to step on a few toes of other women, I will. But genuinely, the whole time, we were all really honest with each other. There wasn’t as much drama in the house as you might expect. It was really sweet. We continued our friendships outside the show. We were all rooting for each other in the end and kept moving forward as a group.

PC: You also got to bring your family as part of this experience. What has their reaction been like to the reveal?
Jacklyn: They loved it. I volunteered to put myself and my love life on camera. My dad was a little scared when he got there, but he ended up loving it. They still love Lloyd. They think he made the wrong choice, but it was his choice.

PC: You also have your own fitness studio, and you used your platform to celebrate your clients and the work and progress they’ve made. Have you always known this is the career path for you? What’s next for you and the studio?
Jacklyn: I’ve always known my passion in life is to help others, specifically women. I own a bikini business and a studio, all geared towards making women feel good inside and out. Moving forward, I want to focus on growing my business and finding ways to positively impact the world and boost women’s confidence.

To keep up with Jacklyn, follow her on Instagram. Stream Love Undercover on Peacock today.