First Dates

Maître D Fred and his team are back, opening the doors of the First Dates restaurant once again to hopeful singletons from all over the country.

Maître D Fred and his team are back, opening the doors of the First Dates restaurant once again to hopeful singletons from all over the country.

In a first for the restaurant, mum and daughter Maria and Charlotte arrive for the mother of all double dates. Maria meets 46-year-old builder Steve, a divorcé who has a saucy way with the ladies. Charlotte is a single mum who's looking for a man to heal her broken heart. And what a man she's got: 25-year-old bodybuilder Ben, who spends most of his days flexing his muscles in tiny pants. Thirty-year-old academic Dan is a self-confessed 'acquired taste' who prefers to flirt 'intellectually'. So it's a good thing he's been matched with accomplished cancer cell biologist Jemma from north London, who's swimming against the tide of her parents' expectations that she find a nice Jewish boy to settle down with. They have brains in common, but as Dan demonstrates his flirting skills will this be an affair of the heart as well as the mind?

More hopeful singletons from across the country step through the doors of the First Dates restaurant hoping to meet their match. Retired labourer Ted, who's 69, lost his beloved wife Carol three years ago after 40 years of marriage. Now Ted's taking his first steps back into the dating world. He meets 67-year-old retired legal secretary Marian, who's been married four times but hasn't given up on love. Fran, who's 47, was named the UK's 'hottest Milf' in 2014. She meets 46-year-old builder and part-time erotic thriller writer Colin. It's a fun and flirty date, but when Fran reveals she's been bringing up her disabled son alone for ten years, it strikes a sympathetic chord with dad-of-two Colin. Immaculately groomed part-time model Linford, who's 25, holds the Mr Leicestershire title, and is a local celebrity in his home town.

More hopeful singletons visit the First Dates restaurant looking for love. Twelve years ago, Ben sustained a brain injury in a road accident, turning his world upside down. He worries that dates will reject him when they find out about his condition. His date Charlotte, a fellow Mancunian, also has confidence issues and says she always thinks men fancy her mates rather than her. Ambitious Megan is gearing up for the next Olympics, but her rigid training schedule leaves little time for love. Entrepreneur Steven has his work cut out trying to melt self-confessed 'hard bitch' Megan's heart. Xanthi has already carefully planned out his wedding: the guest list, the Tom Ford suit, the country manor; everything but the groom.

First through the restaurant door in this episode is six foot four tattooed teetotaller Danny. This Brummie hunk wants a girl who'll accept him for who he is, and his match is Scouse mum of one Kate, a lady with a penchant for tattooed giants. There's definite flirty chemistry between them, but as Danny opens up about his recovery from addiction, their burgeoning romance is put to the test. Sharp-tongued anaesthetist David needs a healthy injection of love, and his date for the evening is rugby-loving marketing manager Alex, who's looking for 'husband material'. Unfortunately, he can't remember Alex's name, and puckish Alex isn't in a rush to remind him. Fifty-year-old warehouse manager Gary has been married twice before, but has since hit a run of bad luck. His blind date is 48-year-old Lancashire lass Wendy. With two divorces under her belt she too is no stranger to heartbreak.