Pokimane Went On A Dating Show, But It's Not What You Think
Back in March, Pokimane caused a stir among her fanbase when she confirmed on Twitter that she is single. At the time, she clarified that she was fine being single, adding, "not looking ... just tired of seeing the same question/assumption over [and] over." However, that didn't mean that Poki was completely closing the door to the possibility of making some new friends, which is where fellow Twitch streamer and YouTuber Austin came in.
On an episode of Austin's show Love or Host, Austin rounded up a dozen streamers to compete for Pokimane's (platonic) love. QTCinderella, Mizkif, Jack Manifold, and CaptainPuffy were among the streamers who participated in the "dating show," and all of them were playing for keeps.
The show was off to a chaotic start right away. As the streamers all made their introductions, they immediately began to vie for Pokimane's platonic affection with a series of gifts. QTCinderella excitedly showed Pokimane a "best friend necklace" she had gotten for her fellow streamer, as well as a collage on her wall of Pokimane photos and fan art (including a commissioned drawing of the two hanging out together).
In an attempt to outdo QTCinderella's gifts, Jack Manifold showed off a t-shirt that read, "I love Pokimane platonically." QT responded by immediately putting on a sweater with Pokimane's face on it, which sent the whole panel into hysterical laughter.
The number of gifts from QTCinderella may have come to a surprise for longtime fans, as Poki and QT haven't always seen eye to eye. Last year, QTCinderella criticized Pokimane for what she considered "toxic behavior" on Twitch. However, since 2021 began, the two have collaborated here and there. Judging from this latest video, it's safe to assume that the pair will be working together more often, and the fans love to see it. Many of the commenters on Poki's video of the Love or Host stream have singled out QT's participation as their favorite part of the whole thing, and it seemed like she was the early favorite to win the competition.
The show wasn't all about gift-giving, however. Austin also brought up past interactions between Pokimane and the participating streamers. At one point, Austin shared an older Twitter thread between Poki and contestant Stonepa in which Pokimane sarcastically replied to Stonepa asking if he could DM her. The panel also took streamer GoldenBari to task for some videos he's made about female Twitch streamers, which seemed to be the deciding factor in his first round elimination.
At the end of the day, there could be only one platonic love for Pokimane, and it came down between CaptainPuffy and Mizkif. Ultimately, Captain Puffy took home the gold. She excitedly rubbed the victory in Mizkif's face as he lowered his head in defeat.
Pokimane has recently informed her fans that her living situation is a bit up in the air at the moment, which has led to her rethinking some things. With that in mind, maybe this was the exact right time for her to find a new best friend in CaptainPuffy.