Dated & Related’s Host Melinda Berry Got Her Start On Too Hot To Handle

Netflix’s latest reality dating show is here, and it’s hosted by someone who knows exactly what it’s like to be in the spotlight. Dated & Related will feature siblings going on dates and trying to find a partner for one another. (No, they won’t be dating each other.) The all-new series, which arrived Netflix on Sept. 2, has one familiar face — its host, Melinda Berry.

You may recognize Berry after she appeared in Season 2 of Too Hot To Handle, where she was the talk of the show for her love triangle with Peter Vigilante and Marvin Anthony. According to Page Six, she was quickly dubbed a fan favorite for her “style and beauty savvy and shining confidence.” But she originally entered the show — in which beautiful singles avoid physical intimacy to win a cash prize of $100,000 — with a bit of skepticism and anxiety. “I went in there as myself, but my biggest fear was going in there and no one wanting me,” she told the outlet. “So I never bit my tongue, stayed confident and held my head high. My personality spoke for me.”

Though she coupled up with eventual winner Anthony, they didn’t end up staying together past filming. In the time since the show ended, Berry has gone back to her life as a TikToker and street model before signing on to host the new Netflix reality show. Here’s what you should know about Berry before tuning into Dated & Related.

Melinda Berry’s Instagram & TikTok

While she lives in Brooklyn, Berry can often be found strutting the cobblestone streets of New York City’s Lower Manhattan neighborhoods in stylish clothing with enough confidence to weather the amount of attention it brings. “Sometimes I’ll get a crowd of people applauding me for my walks, or I’ll get people taking pics and videos,” she told Vogue about her content creation. In fact, she doesn’t mind the extra eyeballs on her as she walks down the street — she even turned the bloopers into a behind-the-scenes TikTok that garnered over 12 million views. “I think it blew up because it showed how I am just a normal girl who messes up and can have fun with a shoot,” Berry said of the viral video.

Berry leans on her secret weapon for the shoots. “The secret is confidence—when you have that, your videos will always look amazing. I usually take about 10-15 takes just to make sure I have enough to work with when I’m editing later.” She models her catwalk strut after her favorite models Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks.

Berry often mentions her height as a limiting factor in her modeling career, with her Instagram bio reading, “Created my own runway I’m not too short for.” Even if the traditional modeling houses haven’t signed her, she is a client of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) — a major talent agency.

Berry’s TikTok and Instagram videos are all conceptualized and created by her, but the inspiration originally comes from the music she listens to. “All my ideas come from the music I listen to—from Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, to Leikeli47,” she told Vogue. The content creator even has a playlist titled “Catwalks” that houses all of her current music obsessions and provides the jumping-off point for her new projects.

Melinda Berry’s Family

Berry isn’t super open about her family and rarely posts photos of them to her public social media profiles, but the Netflix announcement about her hosting Dated & Related cited that she’s got 14 siblings, making her the perfect choice for the chaotic dating show centered on sibling dynamics.

Melinda Berry’s Relationship Status

After her breakup with Too Hot To Handle co-star Marvin Anthony, Berry confirmed in July 2021 that she was not dating the other member of the love triangle, Vigilante, though she regretted not putting more effort into their courtship. “When I watched the episodes for the first time, I almost cried a little bit,” Berry told Page Six. “I wish I could’ve put all my time and effort into Peter, instead of chasing after Marvin. That’s the one thing I regret.”

Since the show aired, she and Vigilante have remained friends though Berry dismissed any rumors of a rekindled romance. And while a lot can change in a year, Berry has kept mum about any new beaus in her life.