Meet the two KC natives starring on Hulu’s new reality show, ‘Love Overboard’

A new reality series has contestants living on a boat as they compete for love and a $100,000 grand prize. In the thick of the madness are two Kansas City natives.

“Love Overboard” debuted its first season March 26 on Hulu. The series takes place on a yacht, cruising the coast of Malta. The season starts with 16 single contestants, and the last couple standing not only leaves the boat with a new boo, but gets a $100,000 trip around the world.

Reece Kane and Bella Palk are two Kansas City natives competing on the show. Kane, 27, is an alumnus of Liberty North High School and UMKC. Palk, 23, was born and raised in Wyandotte County.

The two had separate paths into getting on the show. Kane recalled being on a date with a girl when he got an Instagram message about being on Love Overboard.

“Normally, I would probably not entertain the idea of going on a dating show. But, I’m a boat captain, I love the ocean, and this theme of the show was right up my alley,” Kane told The Star, who currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. “I was like, ‘Well, you’ve already sold me with there being girls on a boat.’”

Palk was scrolling on Facebook Marketplace looking for a desk when she stumbled upon a flyer about a show casting. The flyer didn’t have specific details about who was running it or what was going on, but it did say the show was looking for “hot singles” who wanted to be on a yacht.

She ended up reaching out to a casting director, who asked her to submit a video that would best describe herself. In true Bella fashion, she sent videos of her bull riding and line-dancing, and just showing off her true personality. Two days later, she got the call that she made the show.

Filming of the show took place June 2025 was around two months after Kane said he was contacted. Similar to reality shows like “Love Is Blind” and “Love Island,” the cast did not have access to their phones during the month of filming.

The show starts with 16 single contestants, where four are coupled up, and the rest are single. The couples live on the top of the boat, which has the nicest suites you could imagine, with amenities like masseuses, access to a gym, fancier food and more. The singles’ living situation is a lot less favorable, as they work as crew members on the boat, living in smaller, “uncomfortable” rooms.

The singles’ goal is to steal someone’s partner so they can move up on the ship. If someone changes partners, the person who gets kicked out of the relationship gets removed from the ship and the show, via walking the plank into the ocean.

“You have these different aspects that are going into it. You’re introducing these different living conditions, and I think it makes it a lot more interesting for the viewers, because it really spices things up,” Kane said.

The trip to Malta was actually Palk’s first time out the country. In fact, she got her passport in order to be on the show. The trip to Malta was described as a “culture shock” for the Kansas City native.

“I’m out of the country, and I’ve never been out of the country before. This is so weird and odd. And I’m also on a yacht, and I’ve never been on a yacht before,” she said. “Also my co-stars are from bigger cities. I was feeling a culture shock from the L.A. girls, the Miami girls. So it was definitely a unique experience.”

Without spoiling too much, Kane and Palk get to bond over their Kansas City roots in the beginning of the show. The two showed a mutual respect for one another. Palk said Kane is a great person, while Kane said that he hopes to reconnect with Palk whenever he finds himself back in Kansas City.

The two said that they’ve been receiving a lot more attention on social media since the show debuted —Particularly with Palk, who said she was recognized at a coffee shop in Kansas City. She also said she’s been getting hundreds of comments and messages from fans about the show.

“I was just in the store with my mom, and I just started crying, because I was so overwhelmed by the love. People are DMing me saying ‘Oh my gosh, I just had hip surgery, and you just brought some light in my recovery,’” she said. “Or someone saying ‘Oh my gosh, it’s awesome to see another woman who has ADHD and is so fun and vibrant on the screen.’ There’s nothing else that I would ever want in this world but to be seen in that way and to be felt like in that way.”

As for what’s next for the duo? Kane will be enjoying his time on the water and live his active and adventurous lifestyle. Palk said that she’s still living her normal life, but claims she has “some things in the works” following her reality TV run.

When Palk was asked what her pitch would be to get fans to watch this new show, she kept it brief: “Just tune in and watch the mess unfold.”

Rashad Alexander

The Kansas City Star