Bri & DeMari: 'Too Hot to Handle' Winners On A Break (Exclusive)

Bri Balram and DeMari Davis, the winning couple from *Too Hot to Handle

season 6, are navigating life after the show, revealing their relationship is currently on a break.

The pair, who found love amidst the challenges of the Netflix reality show, won a substantial £120,000 prize. "We went through so much on that show together," DeMari exclusively told PEOPLE. "It felt like, 'after all this, something's got to give! We've got to win something at this point.'"

Bri, echoing DeMari's sentiment, added, "Me and DeMari, we'd already been building that momentum of our relationship. I forgot we were even in a competition. I was just so caught up on how much I've grown in the experience."

Their journey wasn't without its bumps. Bri's initial rule-breaking led to a temporary banishment from the villa, leaving DeMari to navigate the temptations with new arrival, Flavia Laos Urbina, a season 4 alum. While banished, Bri spied on their date using some of the group's prize money.

Upon her return, they rekindled their romance, but DeMari's subsequent date with another bombshell, Valentina Rueda Velez, resulted in a kiss. Though DeMari confessed everything to Bri, it caused friction in their relationship.

Despite the hurdles, they eventually reconciled, solidifying their connection when DeMari asked Bri to be his girlfriend.

However, the transition back to reality has proven challenging. Bri explained, "At first when we came out the villa, it seemed fairly easy because we were FaceTiming every night, but he is on a different time zone, so it did start to get really difficult. And then he told me that he was having delayed reactions from the whole experience, and so we just decided to take a break, separate for a little bit and we actually weren't speaking for a while."

DeMari admitted, "It's complicated. We're working on things... It was real in there, but it was such a small window. So we've really been trying to learn each other on the outside [and] figure things out."

Both confirmed they are not currently seeing anyone else and have met each other's families, but their current relationship status is "BriMari on a break."

"Watching this stuff back has been tough," DeMari shared. "Even though we both know how we feel about each other, regardless of the title or not, it has been tough for Bri having to watch that whole Valentina situation back. And even me, I'm not jealous, but I got a little tic there, watching back Chris... but it really does let us play into remembering how good things are as well, how real those feelings were when we were in there."

Bri added, "Yeah, it's kind of complicated right now. Our communication is really great. We do still have our disagreements about what's going on on the screen, we're reflecting on past things. So all these old emotions are starting to come up... it's the up-and-downs right now, but we are still on our journey of BriMari."

Despite the complexities, both Bri and DeMari acknowledge personal growth. Bri admitted that her struggle with trust remains a challenge, particularly in her relationship with DeMari.

DeMari, however, believes he has grown as an individual, regretting some of his actions in the villa, particularly his date with Valentina. "Honestly, if Bri had reacted any other way, I would've left the exact same way as I went in," he admitted. "So she really did help me to actually own up to the things I'm doing. But I definitely regret making that decision in the moment [with Valentina], because as I'm looking back on it, I'm like, 'You didn't have to do that on the date, bro.' You could have easily came back and been like, 'Hey, I think I feel something, or whatever. Let me see.' Any other option of ways to do this. It was like a million other ways and I just decided to do the dumbest one."

When asked about the future, Bri shared, "I do want it [marriage], but not in this moment. I am not ready for marriage on no level. So I will also not be taking part in like *Love Is Blind

or *The Ultimatum* or any of that kind of thing... but marriage is something that I do want in my next partner that is long-term, which I hope is maybe DeMari."

DeMari agreed, "I agree as well. Obviously my brother's the reason that I came to the show. He has a wife and four kids now... it's very important to me to keep that going. My mom and my dad were married for 10 years prior to me being born, so it is very important to me for that to happen. I'm not saying right now, I'm not saying really when, but at some point I really do want that."

While their future remains uncertain, Bri and DeMari's journey on *Too Hot to Handle

has left a lasting impact, showcasing their growth and the potential for a future together, albeit on a pause for now.