When Season 1 of "The Perfect Match" arrived on Netflix last year, fans of the streaming giant quickly learned that the dating series was a place for lesser-known stars in the Netflix reality TV world to shine. No cast member is more in the spotlight than Tolu Ekunndare in Season 2 of "The Perfect Match" (premiering June 7, finale June 21). The Houston-based marketing whiz (winner of The Trust: A Game of Greed) first appeared in the Perfect Match villa and quickly became a fan favorite.

Not everyone has time to watch "The Trust" again (although it is highly recommended), so read on to learn more about the Perfect Match scene stealer.

27-year-old Ekunndare is a Nigerian-American influencer who describes herself in her Instagram bio as "Thee Main Character" and "Naija babe taking over LA." in early 2024, "The Trust." According to Netflix's Tudum, who disclosed her bio when she appeared on the show, she worked as a marketing manager before her reality TV debut and was originally based in Houston, Texas. Her Instagram and TikTok are filled with fashion, beauty, and travel inspiration, including some fun videos featuring her mother and father. She has also appeared in rapper Monaleo's "We Not Humping" music video.

Earlier this year, Ekendare made her first appearance on the Netflix show as a member of the first season of the social strategy competition "The Trust: A Game of Greed". (She is the newest reality star in the Netflix world, having appeared on Perfect Match. Jessica Vestal is narrowly ahead of her, as she appeared in Season 6 of Love is Blind.) In "The Trust," eleven strangers, men and women, are brought together to decide how to split the $250,000 prize money in the face of several alliances, betrayals, and cruel omissions.

Despite the risk of being ousted by a larger alliance, Tolu survived on the show until the final episode, when the remaining five contestants split the pot, each taking home $48,600. She also picked up another $25,000 from the pot before the pot was split, taking home $73,600, the second most money of any contestant on the show.

On the premiere of Perfect Match Season 2, Ekendare said she was looking for the perfect partner and was ready to get married and settle down. (She was initially paired with Love Is Blind alum Izzy Zapata, who seemed promising, and Ekundare appreciated that he expressed readiness to settle down. However, Ekundare was soon sent on a date with Perfect Match Season 1 winner Dom Gabriel, who returned to the show for a second round after his pairing with Georgia Hassarati broke down.

Ekendare had seen Gabrielle in Season 1 and was immediately hooked, as he was her favorite cast member. However, Gabrielle was less interested than she was, and although they were initially paired up (bye-bye, Izzy), Gabrielle eventually showed interest when Alara Taneri entered the house. Taneri was matched with Stevan Ditter, so Ekundare and Gabriel stayed together and won the next compatibility challenge. Nevertheless, upon arriving in the boardroom, Ekendare confronted Gabriel, saying that he felt he had been "played from the beginning" and that he believed he had done a 180-degree turn when he initially showed interest but then closed his mind.

After the season 2 premiere, Ekendare spoke to Today about the end of her relationship with Gabriel. She called Dom's energy "draining" and claimed that every time she tried to talk to him, he told her she was "saving (his) social battery."

She said that she was "really trying to save her life.

"It was really depressing. I felt like maybe I was going overboard. I don't think he likes me as a person. He clearly doesn't seem to like me as a romantic interest," she added.

Dom did not share his thoughts on the situation, but in his final confession, he showed no signs of regret for his time in season two." It feels bittersweet to leave because I came here to find myself and I made the decision to come here. And that's okay. Because it's my responsibility. It's not like I'm throwing a pity party for myself or anything," he said at the time.

As a loose example of someone who might have had the right person in front of him all along, Ekendare had a surprising encounter with Chris Hahn from "Dating & Relationships" late in the Perfect Match season. Hahn appeared on the show in episode 3, but his first attempt at romance didn't work out, and he ended up friend-matching with Elise Hutchinson. However, after Ekendahl broke up with Gabrielle and set up a date with "Ultimatum" alum Jake Cunningham, Hahn revealed his interest in Ekendahl through a racy lap dance.

Ekendare was impressed by Hearn's clearly upfront interest in her and chose to go out with him instead of Cunningham. Throughout episodes 5 and 6, she repeatedly says, "We are literally the most unlikely couple in the house." Still, they seem to be one of the strongest couples in the House.

However, they are also not immune from the chaos when the cast of unmatched perfect matches return for a second chance.

While Ekendare had a brief conversation with Izzy and reported that he and Hahn were well matched, Hahn admitted at the men's meeting that he "feels guilty for not exploring" the connection more since being paired with Ekendare. His relationship with Tolu, he said, "isn't as strong as I thought it would be." He also casually wooed Xanthi Perdikomatis.

Of course, Perdikomatis (who also entered the villa on the first day) is a friend of Ekundare's, so Ekundare soon learned of his remarks through a second-hand account and was upset. She wondered if Hahn liked her or if he just saw her as a "last option" and was keeping her around to make it to the finale.

But by the end of the evening, Ekendare also knew exactly how much she liked Hahn. She told him, "I can't stop thinking about you, but at the same time, it hurt me to hear that you painted me as a last resort option when I never saw you that way." An emotional Hahn apologized and agreed to stop "testing and being open about our connection," and the couple was matched again.

Whether the two will last outside the program will have to wait for the June 21 finale.