I am smiling to myself as I write. My grand daughter submitted my name to appear on first dates 3 or 4 years ago now. I am a massive fan of the show and my grand daughter and I enjoy watching teen first dates together.

I have had a busy career and enjoy my single life so when it was suggested I throw my name in the hat for a laugh I thought why not.

We had great fun completing the application, submitting it to www.firstdatescasting.co.uk and then to be honest I forgot all about it until last week when I got an email saying I’d been cast and a match had been found for me.

The show which began in 2013 initially as an experiment, real daters were filmed, and then viewers got the chance to apply to date the unsuccessful participants the next week. This aspect was rethought and replaced with the cast of regular restaurant staff we now know as the First Dates Restaurant singles visit for the experience (of a lifetime or not ha ha)

The format of the show is a restaurant setting where Maitre D Fred and bartender Merlin, assisted by waitresses Cici and Aoife and waiters Grant and Kofi, my favorite staff member recruited from first dates hotel Italy is the hilarious Francesca.

The show now in it’s 10 season is produced by production company 2024 puts together willing singles looking for love in a restaurant setting (the hotel show extends the one date to an overnight stay and next day voyeurism which I also love to watch.

I am not sure how producers manage to capture such compelling compulsive viewing television and I couldn’t be more excited to actually be going one step further and taking part in my favourite show.

It’s true this hopeful happy, authentic TV format (an absolute diamond in the rough) shows us all we never know what’s coming around the corner.

I absolutely cannot wait to meet everyone and my date in the New Year. Roll on 2025.