My sister has men throwing themselves at her but I’m a protective big brother & no-one gets a date without my say so
IF hot guys wanted a date with one newly-minted Netflix star, they needed to get her big brother’s approval first in the most public way.
Completely cutting yourself off from the world to film a Netflix reality show is never an easy decision, but thankfully siblings Alara and Ceylan Taneri had a strong enough bond to help each other get through their time on Netflix’s Dated & Related.
Hailing from Cyprus, Alara Taneri, 23, and Ceylan Taneri, 26, received the opportunity of a lifetime to appear on the first season of the new dating show.
The show premiered on Netflix on September 2, 2022, and is based on the premise that all participants join a luxurious French villa with their siblings and help each other navigate their dating journeys.
The Taneri siblings quickly became fan favorites due to their kind and supportive relationship that really resonated with viewers, as well as their unique fashion sense and interests.
The duo shared a candid exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, where they opened up about their experience on the show, relationship statuses, future plans, and adjusting to their newfound life in the spotlight.
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Before appearing on the show, Alara was a college student studying fashion and Ceylan was playing professional football in Cyprus.
Their mother was dealing with severe health-related issues and they both wanted to do something that was both a mental health break and a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Alara was originally pitched for a UK version of The Bachelorette and Love Island, but ultimately they didn’t work out.
When this show came up, she was asked if she had any siblings and ended up on Dated & Related with her older brother.
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After a months-long casting process, she and Ceylan spent two weeks in quarantine before entering the villa with the other stars, making their appearance on the third episode.
The show began filming in August 2021 and aired in September 2022.
Alara and Ceylan’s extremely close relationship was evident from the moment they stepped on the scene, with cameras catching their comfortable and uncomfortable moments.
Alara shared that on the very first day of filming, she broke down crying from the atmosphere and stress of the moment and her brother Ceylan was right there to comfort her.
The siblings both agreed that they feel like they were both “born in the wrong generation,” and have very old-school values toward dating.
For Ceylan, vetting prospective partners for his sister was a bit difficult at first, as “in Cyprus, we’re very protective of our women.”
“I think I was quite open-minded going into it,” he added.
However, it was a bit awkward at first having to literally date alongside his sister.
“I know what you’re thinking. Stop looking at her,” Ceylan humorously said when asked how he felt about the dates.
The doting brother did affirm that he has a certain standard for his sister and only wants the best for her, so he became more relaxed about her dating anyone in the house as time went on.
“When you see people in a similar situation, it makes you more comfortable,” Alara interjected.
The fashion lover stated that she was a lot more open-minded coming into the show and just wanted her brother to find happiness.
“I have a certain standard for my brother, but I haven’t met anyone that hit that,” she declared.
The duo also mentioned that while the show was filming they were the only pair of siblings who didn’t drink, and it made the time “so much more fun.”
Alara captivated the eyes of many suitors on location but ultimately ended up creating a bond with UK-based Kieran.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, she revealed that she is currently single since the show aired and is not actively looking because she wants to focus on her budding fashion career.
Alara did, however, mention that she’s “got some blue ticks in there,” referring to the many messages she’s received from prospective suitors.
Ceylan, on the other hand, has been casually dating but has yet to meet anyone that particularly captivates him.
In the interim period between completing the filming of the show and its airing, Alara and Ceylan went back to their regular lives.
“We just disappeared for two months and came back like everything was normal,” Ceylan said.
Alara went straight back to school and finished her degree, while Ceylan went back to Cyprus to play professional soccer until the season launched in September and went back home to spend time with his family and sister.
“After the show, I graduated from college, which didn’t give me much time to find a job,” Alara shared.
Her end goal is to have her own successful fashion brand and said: “I believe that no one’s seen what I’ve seen in my vision.”
Ceylan was incredibly supportive sitting next to her, as he voiced his support for her career ambitions, especially as a fan of fashion himself, shown by the many looks by popular brands he rocks on his Instagram.
Not only is he a fashion fan, but he also is a health and wellness advocate.
According to Ceylan, “fitness is a big passion of mine,” shown by his regular Instagram stories at the gym and on the football field.
But his true love might be something unexpected, online gaming.
“I love taking and editing videos. Who doesn’t want to play games for a living? You can reach so many people through YouTube and Twitch,” he explained.
Though the Taneri duo got their reality television beginnings on Dated & Related, they say they are open to other television projects as well.
“I think I’d like to do something like Big Brother… I think that would be such a cool experience,” Ceylan admitted.
“I would like to do anything that is well-suited for me,” Alara added.
The success of Dated & Related has given both of them platform a platform that they plan to use to focus on individual philanthropic projects that are meaningful to them.
Alara said that she herself believes that “the more you give back, the more you get.”
The siblings also described themselves as huge believers in good karma.
“I spent five hours in a day, where I cleaned up the sea from the village we’re from in Cyprus,” she added.
They are passionate about speaking awareness about inflammatory breast cancer, an incredibly rare and rapidly developing cancer that affects their mother.
Inflammatory breast cancer can sometimes not have any detectable symptoms until it’s too late.
The Taneris shared that their mother went to the doctor repeatedly and kept being told nothing was wrong with her when in reality many things were wrong.
“For our mom, it started with a rash and was found late, late,” Ceylan shared.
To them, the most important thing they want to let people know about it is the importance of time and early detection in women’s health.
Alara has a charitable heart and plans to use her platform from the show to further education about and raise funds for inflammatory breast cancer.
Ceylan has a very similar outlook on generous endeavors and is interested in putting together a tattoo roulette auction, where he encourages his followers to donate to a particular cause.
Whoever gives the most money, gets to pick the tattoo Ceylan imprints on his body, with no exceptions.
Since the success of the show, the Taneri siblings have been seen working with numerous brands, and have a long list of others they would love to collab with as well.
To further their career goals, the pair plans to move to London shortly.
Alara can be seen online collaborating with brands like the HiSmile teeth whitening kit.
She has major dreams of working with the french clothing brand Manière De Voir, which vibes with her fashionable tastes.
Ceylan’s style choices are a bit more traditional and he could envision himself collaborating with fashion brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Gym Shark, and bodybuilding fitness apparel clothing company, Young LA.
“But if we’re hitting a high point, Balenciaga,” he said.
Alara and Ceylan Taneri are major believers in the power of manifesting your future and positive thinking.
Following their experience on Netflix’s Dated & Related, the sky is the limit.
