EXCLUSIVE: Texan ‘Match Me Abroad’ Star Is Left Horrified by Her Irish Date’s Home—and His Eco-Friendly ‘Compost Toilet’

Going home with a date to see their place can reveal a lot about a potential partner and can often be the thing that seals the deal as far as a future relationship is concerned.

But for “Match Me Abroad” star Amber Temple, from Texas, getting a taste of her Irish love interest’s off-the-wall bathroom design left her with such a bad taste in her mouth that she almost threw in the towel on their budding romance.

Temple, 38, is one of six single Americans starring on the second season of the hit TLC series. All are going the distance in their quest for love.

For Temple, a professional makeup artist, esthetician, and Pilates instructor, that quest has taken her from her home in Fort Worth, TX, to Dublin in search of a soulmate.

“Irish men, they’re very sexy,” she says of her decision to seek love in the country. “I love their accent. I love their masculinity. That’s why I traveled 4,500 miles to Ireland to find the love of my life. I’m about to get my pot of gold. I’m claiming it!”

With a little luck of the Irish—and the help of a matchmaker—Temple lands a date with Paul, a rugged Irishman who calls the Emerald Isle’s countryside home. 

In an exclusive clip from an upcoming episode, the prospective couple appear to be getting along so great that their romantic rendezvous leads to a tour of Paul’s home.

They kick things off in the kitchen, which is a humble space defined by laminate countertops, blue mosaic tile backsplash, and stainless steel sink. A combination of open shelving and white and glass-doored cabinets line the walls above. A unicorn decal on one of the doors is the first clue that Paul’s place is unique, but it’s his admission that there’s no refrigerator that really piques Amber’s curiosity. 

“So most of my food is in the garden or it’s dried goods so it doesn’t go off,” explains Paul about his food supply and storage system.

Amber seems to understand that Paul can “just go out [to the garden] and get it immediately,” but is still left wondering how long food lasts in the space before it spoils.

“Well, I don’t even have a fridge, so I don’t let it go bad,” retorts Paul, as Amber whips her head around in search of the customary kitchen appliance. 

Surprised that there’s no fridge in sight, she confirms, “Oh my God, you really don’t!”

As the two continue their conversation about common design details that are missing from Paul’s home, they make their way into the living room to enjoy tea served in mismatched mugs. They pass through a tiled area with a wooden coatrack and various maps and posters taped to the white walls.

Paul places the teacups down on a stool that stands in front of a wood-burning fireplace topped by a wooden mantelpiece. 

The two cozy up on a shaggy taupe rug beside an armless rust-colored couch, and their position on the floor reveals more posters fastened to the walls, this time nature-themed ones that depict Irish garden butterflies and birds.

Paul and Amber settle in to learn more about each other—and more about their individual interior design styles.

“What a pleasure; thank you so much for making me a tea,” says Amber. 

“OK, so you don’t have a refrigerator,” she continues. “What else is something that I would normally have at home that you don’t have?”

The casual banter becomes serious when Paul makes even more stunning admissions.

“I don’t have a dishwasher,” he starts off, before dropping this shocker: “I have a compost toilet.”

Observing how puzzled Amber is over the compost toilet talk, Paul takes the initiative to point it out in person.

“I’ll show you [and] get that out of the way,” he says, leading Amber to the restroom.

By all appearances, Paul’s bathroom is typical and Amber calls it “cute.” There’s a rubber duck-patterned shower curtain, white bathtub, white pedestal sink, cream-colored square tiles on the floor, and maroon rectangle-shaped ones on the walls. 

Even the wood toilet looks fairly normal, but a bucket full of sawdust placed beside the seat signals there’s more to it.

“So, this is my compost toilet,” begins Paul. “It’s basically, you make your deposit, and then you cover it with sawdust, and then move it into the garden.”

At first, Amber is skeptical and expresses some disbelief, but quickly comes around to the idea and gives it the “OK.”

Paul continues making his case in favor of the compost toilet by reassuring Amber that the unconventional commode is relatively odorless.

Picking up the pail of sawdust, Paul contends that “it shouldn’t smell, it should be a nice, piney smell.”

Amber braves a whiff and is relieved by what she smells.

“Oh yeah, it does smell good,” she says. “OK, that’s not what I was expecting at all. Did you make the toilet, too?”

Paul takes credit for creating the compost loo and brings Amber back to the living room to resume their date.

“I love that you make everything,” says Amber. “And this tea is phenomenal.”

But Amber’s relief over the sewage system turns out to be temporary because it’s only after she takes a huge swig of the tea that Paul reveals where he got the tea leaves in the first place: “From the garden.” 

In a private confessional with show producers, Amber vents about the shocking source of Paul’s tea leaves—and it remains to be seen whether his special strain turns out to be a true love potion or a total waste.

“I took a sip of the tea and it is delicious, so good,” she says. “And then immediately I think, Paul’s doody fertilized this and I am disgusted. He had other teas there! Why would you give me the poo tea?”

“Match Me Abroad” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on TLC.