Jono Read

First Dates Phone Call

First Dates: Series 7, Episode 10

Our Irish Queen Teresa was back in the First Dates restaurant. Could she find someone as “mad for life” as her tonight?

Justin and Maisie


 First Dates Series 7 Episode 10 Justin and Maisie

25-year-old Justin from Worthing is described as the “wolf of Worthing”. He describes his life as being full of cocaine, fast cars, and hookers, although backtracked on this when he realised his parents were going to be watching. Is it any wonder he struggles with women? He’s read the books on women to find out how they work – yet seems surprised by the idea women don’t stick around after dates.

23-year-old Maisie from London is described as a “model booker” and has been out with plenty of good looking boys but has never found one with something going on upstairs. She’s described as a daddy’s girl, but hasn’t come into the money. Before we can find out more, we’re lead on to one of the cringiest scenes I’ve ever seen on First Dates, where the pair discuss horse riding. Justin admits to riding “but not that sort of riding”, much to Maisie’s disapproval. Is this why Justin is single? Just to excite Justin a bit further, Maisie’s boob fell out earlier that day.

While Justin was having problems with relationships, which seemed to stem from being a very geeky overweight child and teenager, Maisie’s track record wasn’t much better either. In one of her relationships her boyfriend just disappeared, and it was left to the flatmate to break up with her. Maisie was looking to find someone who could restore her faith in men – but was Justin the person to do that?

Still, with Justin constantly banging on about the help guide books he’s read, and his understanding that “women are another species” how could he fail? Ah yes by asking his date if she would be up for a polygamist relationship and proclaiming: “In the crudest, most simplistic sense. We need to spread our seeds in as many hole sites as possible. Reproduce and make sure our genes live on.”

Justin and Maisie

After all of that, Justin still thought he was in for a second date, which left me cringing behind my pillow as Maisie put him right. Rather than patch it all up, Justin then proceeded to tell Maisie that he was hoping for a second date as she was a girl he would like to have sex with. It’s amazing Maisie managed not to walk out there and then, what will his parents say?

Ekow and Deborah

24-year-old Ekow from Enfield is an MS sufferer who is a wheelchair user but hasn’t let his disability get in the way. At 6’3 he remains sporty – he’s a rower and trying to compete in the Paralympics. He is particularly inspiring and hasn’t let his wheelchair define who he is as a person. His date is 29-year-old Deborah.

Ekow and Deborah

Deborah’s allergies to seafood and nuts quickly got the conversation flowing, and enabled Ekow to bring up in conversation the bit he was dreading the most, his wheelchair and his MS. Ekow described experiencing the symptoms from the age of 14, and being unable to walk without the help of walking aids.

Ekow has suffered a lot of barriers due to his MS. His ex-girlfriend didn’t want to have children with him, because of his illness. She didn’t want to have sex with him, because he was in a wheelchair. It has left him very sceptical about love, so he’s in the restaurant hoping his mind can be changed.

Both Deborah and Ekow were a fan of poetry. They both write poems, and Ekow shared some of his work with Deborah tonight. Poetry gave Ekow a chance to forget about the surroundings, his wheelchair, and the pressure of a first date.

This was destined to be a date that led to another. Certainly the two were up for it in the post-date interview, although it wasn’t clear by the end of the programme if one was likely to progress.

Teresa and Lee

Our 66-year-old Irish Queen Teresa was back in the restaurant tonight. Her last date didn’t really go to plan last time, she’s certainly a wild one, and sadly James was struggling to keep up. Still, it looks like First Dates had made a good stab at making it second time lucky is ecentric party lover Lee. At 79, he recalls attending a legalising pot rally back in 1967, and looked back fondly at that era. Lee had been at a party until 5.15 earlier that morning, and claimed to be enjoying the wild life in his 70s.

Teresa and Lee

It doesn’t get mentioned in the programme but some might recognise Lee from running for Mayor in 2016 up against Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan. Even then a controversial change of policy on drugs was one of the reasons he was standing.

Lee is sadly widowed, he met a girl in his 30s and stayed with her for over 30 years until she died eight years ago. He loved her enthusiasm for science fiction and said she had enjoyed every book that the Stowmarket library offered. Although he’s on a date tonight, he says she continues to inspire him, and that she remains on his mind every day. Whatever happens, he explains, she has made him very happy.

Religion isn’t usually something to bring up on a first date, but Teresa and Lee got on to the subject tonight. Talking about atheism, Buddhism and Catholicism. This led to Teresa opening up about the death of her family members: her brother, her mother, and her 21-year-old nephew dying all in the short space of time. She had a breakdown following this, but once recovered, used dressing in bright colours to express herself.

Teresa and Lee seem to be trying to outperform each other when it came to this date, and I couldn’t work out who was the wildiest out of the two. It’s little wonder both were enthusiastic about seeing each other a second time.

Jonathan and David

Old fashioned 57-year-old ex-dancer turned Personal Trainer Jonathan was looking to find love in a conventional way. 57-year-old flight attendant David from Brighton was Jonathan’s date tonight. Neither were looking to make compromises for love, so were hoping they would find the one in the restaurant this evening.

David and Jonathan

Things didn’t start too smoothly for Jonathan, as he described David’s job as a “trolley dolly”, while David was a little too open about suffering from gout while he chose from the menu. It is going to be a bumpy ride.

David has been shockingly single for 24 years. He revealed back in September 1994 David’s partner had suffered from HIV, and it’s left him feeling alone ever since. Now they’re on to “the last third of their life” he’s hoping to find someone to share the finer moments in life with.

Despite being a traditionalist, Jonathan didn’t seem able to keep his phone alone. He didn’t impress his date David with his phone ringing loudly half way through the date, something that even the waiting staff gasped at.

Just as you thought the date was picking up, and the pair had moved outside, David then began to chastise Jonathan for smoking, and began to list every ailment wrong with his body. This seemed to be the last straw for Jonathan, who decided the pair had a wonderful evening, but they weren’t ever going to be a romantic pairing. And just to to reaffirm it all for David that he had made the right decision, Jonathan’s phone rang once more…

Jessica and Jake

23-year-old girl Jessica has been single for three years, but when it comes to her lifestyle, she knows what she wants. The classy Cheltenham girl was quick to order a glass of Prosecco at the bar. Jessica is worried guys only see her for being the funny one in the group and nothing more. But hoping to change all that is 26-year-old roofer Jake from Swindon.

Jessica and Jake

Within seconds of Jake arriving, Jessica was adding a bottle of Prosecco to the tab. Not that Jake was complaining; he was becoming rather distracted by the boobs and bum of her date.

Before the pair had even sat down, they were inviting themselves out for karaoke, and by the time they’d had a drink they were rapping and singing at the table. What is it with the dates recently and their cringey serenading?

As the night progressed Jake and Jessica it was clear the two weren’t looking for anything serious. In-depth conversation was certainly lacking, but they were both entertaining each other by setting each other dares, with the pair downing tequila shots long before the food arrived! It was clearly an enjoyable evening for the pair, one that continued long after the First Dates restaurant, but not one they were looking to recreate any time soon.

First Dates

Next time on First Dates things are going to get interesting. We don’t know what the plot twist will be, but it’s one that the producers promise will involve one pairing in a way that has never been seen before in the restaurant. Keep an eye on Channel 4 next Monday night at 10pm.

Meanwhile watch more First Dates on catch-up on All4, and read more reviews of this series of First Dates on my blog.

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