i think you’re right. they kept calling them “our older couple” in the matching show (which is kinda rude as they’re only late 40s/early 50s but i guess they are “old” in comparison to the rest). it absolutely is a terrible reason to match them but i guess they matched pjay and jess on harry potter and apparently only matched thomas and adrian because they’re both gay menI think they literally just put Lara and Richie together as they’re the only ones of that kind of age (I think Lara is 49??) I can’t see any other reason for them to have matched them!
lara has so much character though that i think she would have really vibed with someone a little younger. also even though richie is “old” he’s young in a relationship sense given that he’s never had a serious girlfriend. it’s a bad match all around though.