Is your Second Name Jacobs...?

... because you're a cracker!

First Dates is back on TV…and it reveals just how brilliantly eccentric and diverse we all truly are!

Did you see it? Channel 4's First Dates is back and it did not disappoint… with serious sexual tension, fireworks, a former jockey who loves his beer and a fabulous Maître d' named Fred.

First Dates is the show that lets us eavesdrop on blind dates in all their lovely, eccentric and sometimes excruciating awkward splendour...

In this first episode Frankie, self-confessed "booty call" extraordinaire has decided that having a boyfriend may actually be quote nice, and meets up with Muhala, a cool, self-confessed "player." Suffice to say that whether there's romance or not, there is sexual tension in abundance. There is lots of checking each other out, giggling over the table and the occasional lip bite.

Coincidence – the pair are both dancers and talk work without really talking work at all: "When I come home from work I like to take all my clothes off," says Frankie. You can nearly sympathize with Muhala as he realises they've got another course to devour before he has any chance of getting her back to his place for coffee.  

While these first encounters are fun to watch, it's the less obvious, more subtle interactions that are the most intriguing. Natasha the fireworks display coordinator goes on a date with ex-jockey Scott who is half her height - awkward. Surprisingly though, a rapport (although perhaps more matey than partner) develops as they roar with laughter at Scott's cheeky innuendos.

Then the most unlikely of the whole bunch Tim. He’s a friendly, chatty kind of man, mid 30’s – the type you’d expect to have a wife, 2.4 children, a dog and a Volvo. But he’s actually the last single man in his friendship group and looking for something special… a touching example of how the pressure to settle down can really get to us all at some stage or another. His tactic of honestly is something we’d question but equine specialist Jenny doesn't mind so much. 

There’s always one though, or in this case two… as one couple's meeting goes disastrously wrong due to the woman's hatred of polo necks. He mistakenly construes her rudeness for playground cruelty – when your mum would justify a boy pushing you over or pulling your hair by saying he must like you.. Well in this case he’s wrong and she’s just plain rude.

We couldn’t not mention Fred… the French Maitre d' is fabulous and quotes bits of Shakespeare's sonnets!

As we all know dating is a strange thing, and we've all had to find common ground with a stranger at some point in our lives – if only to get through a meal. Now that Brits are being more like New Yorkers and going on more dates than ever, this third series feels particularly poignant revealing just how brilliantly diverse and eccentric we all really are. 

Let us know what you thought…

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