| Genre: | Reality |
| Narrated: | Dean Lennox Kelly (2013) Ralf Little (2014) Brian Protheroe (2015–) |
| Music: | Miguel d'Oliveira |
| Starring: | Fred Sirieix |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 9 (regular) 3 (hotel) 2 (teen) |
| Num Episodes: | 183 (regular) 42 (hotel) 16 (teen) |
| Location: | Paternoster Chop House, London (2013–2020)[1] The Refinery, Manchester (2021–2023) The Botanist bar & restaurant, Bath, Somerset (2023–) |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes (inc. adverts) |
| Company: | Twenty Twenty |
| Channel: | Channel 4 |
| Last Aired: | present |
First Dates is a British reality television programme that has aired on Channel 4 since 20 June 2013. The programme has been narrated by Brian Protheroe since 2015.
The production was filmed at the Paternoster Chop House restaurant in Paternoster Square, central London from 2013 to 2020, showing many people on dates, none of whom have met each other before. At the end of the date, the couples are interviewed together and asked whether they would like to see each other again. The restaurant is closed to the public while filming takes place. The restaurant is fitted with 42 "Pan–tilt–zoom" cameras and there are at least 70 crew members on set during filming, which lasts 15 hours a day. Each diner is given £25 towards the cost of their meal.
The spin-off show, First Dates Hotel, follows the same TV format with contestants meeting for the first time in a hotel restaurant, but if the date goes well, the couples are offered the opportunity to check in for the night. The first series was filmed at Le Vieux Castillon in Castillon-du-Gard[2] offering idyllic settings with a variety of activities for the successful second daters, and added sommelier Xavier Chapelou to Fred Sirieix's team. The second series was filmed at Aquapetra Resort & Spa in Campania near Naples, Italy.[2] [3]
In 2020, it was announced that filming would move to Manchester. The specific location was later confirmed in January 2021, when it was announced that the ninth series would begin airing on 19 January 2021, in the new location of The Refinery, located in Spinningfields, in Manchester.[4]
Another spin-off show, Teen First Dates began airing on E4 on 22 February 2021 and consisted of 6 episodes. Each episode was also available to stream on All 4. Following the same format as the parent show and also taking place at Spinningfields, it follows 16-19 year olds as they begin dating for the first time. Series 2 began airing on 23 February 2022.
In July 2023, it was announced that filming would be relocated to The Botanist bar & restaurant in Bath, Somerset for the 10th anniversary of the show.[5] Along with a new restaurant location, the tenth anniversary series will launch brand-new cast members as well as a format refresh.
Since series 3 (2015) the restaurant's maître d'hôtel Fred Sirieix offers pieces to camera on the nature of love, romance and dating.[6] When not filming for First Dates, he was the general manager at restaurant Galvin at Windows, although he left in December 2019 after 14 years.[7]
The waiting staff and barman do not work in the restaurant full-time, but are recruited for when the series is being filmed. Surrey-born[8] Laura Nicole Tott[9] left the show, in 2021,[10] to train as a Paramedic, get married and gave birth to their son in 2023.[11] She hasn't ruled out a return at some stage.[12] Oxford-born[13] CiCi Coleman is an actor[14] [15] [16] [17] who trained at New York Film Academy. The waiting staff are joined by Sam Conrad,[18] Austin Ventour, Aoife Smyth,[19] Grant Urquhart, David Marc and Daniella Kalita.[20]
London-born and Cheltenham-raised barman Merlin Griffiths was[21] a pub landlord[22] now owning a chain of pubs,[23] who had previously worked as a global brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire gin.[24] Griffiths also works alongside co-bartender Fiona Beck who as well as working in the First Dates restaurant, has a career in advertising. She has also worked as a model in the past, featuring in fashion shows in Paris, Barcelona and New York.[25]
In June 2023, First Dates production company Twenty Twenty and Nordic podcast company Podimo announced[26] a new spin-off podcast would be launched in the Summer. The show, which launched in July 2023, is hosted by CiCi Coleman and Frankie Bridge.[27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 June 2013 | 25 July 2013 | 6 | |
| 2 | 12 February 2014 | 2 April 2014 | 8 | |
| 3 | 6 March 2015 | 24 September 2015 | 12[34] | |
| 4 | 1 October 2015 | 19 April 2016 | 24 | |
| 5 | 8 July 2016 | 30 May 2017 | 24 | |
| 6 | 18 April 2017 | 18 December 2017 | 25 | |
| 7 | 2 November 2017 | 3 December 2019 | 25 | |
| 8 | 25 October 2018 | 23 December 2020 | 27 | |
| 9 | 19 January 2021 | 15 May 2023 | 32 | |
| 10 | 2 January 2024 | TBD | 30 |
| Date | Entitle | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 October 2020 | Together Forever | |
| 4 November 2020 | Opposites Attract | |
| 11 November 2020 | Second Chances | |
| 18 November 2020 | Plot Twists | |
| 25 November 2020 | Celebrity Best Bits | |
| 2 December 2020 | Fireworks | |
| 24 February 2022 | The Awkward Ones | |
| 3 March 2022 | Doubles Dates | |
| 10 March 2022 | This Is Me | |
| 17 March 2022 | The Returners | |
| 24 March 2022 | Needle in a Haystack | |
| 31 March 2022 | Odd Jobs | |
| 30 June 2022 | Pride Special |
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 January 2017 | 6 February 2017 | 6 | |
| 2 | 8 January 2018 | 9 October 2018 | 12 | |
| 3 | 5 September 2019 | 4 October 2022 | 24 |
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 February 2021 | 5 April 2021 | 6 | |
| 2 | 23 February 2022 | TBD 2023 | TBD |
The format created in the United Kingdom has been adapted in Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Australia, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Poland, USA, France, Brazil, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Argentina, Portugal, Austria, South Africa and Greece.
| Country | Title | TV channel | Year aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Dates | Slice | 1 September 2015 – 18 April 2017 | |
| First Dates | sixx | 21 October 2015 – 9 December 2015 | |
| First Dates – Ein Tisch für Zwei | VOX | 5 March 2018 – present | |
| First Dates Hotel | 20 April 2020 – present | ||
| First Dates | Seven Network | 3 February 2016 – 11 March 2020 | |
| Network 10 | 24 February 2022 – 18 May 2022 | ||
| First Dates | Cuatro | 17 April 2016 – present | |
| First Dates: Crucero | 13 January 2020 – present | ||
| First Dates | RTÉ2 | 21 April 2016 – present | |
| First Dates | NPO 3 (BNNVARA) | 18 March 2015 – present | |
| First Dates | Television New Zealand | October 2016 – present | |
| Första dejten | SVT | 13 March 2017 – present | |
| Primo appuntamento | Real Time | 14 March 2017 – present | |
| Primo appuntamento Crociera | 18 May 2021 – present | ||
| Primo appuntamento Hotel | 2 January 2024 – present | ||
| Pierwsza randka | TVP2 | 16 March 2017 – 16 November 2017 | |
| First Dates | NBC | 7 April 2017 – 26 May 2017 | |
| Premier rendez-vous et plus si affinités | TF1 | 12 June 2017 – present | |
| À Primeira Vista | Rede Bandeirantes | 22 June 2017 – 21 September 2017 | |
| דייט ראשון Date Rishon | Channel 2 | 18 December 2017 – present | |
| Første date | TVNorge | 4 January 2018 – present[35] | |
| Primera Cita | Telefe | 14 February 2018 – 30 March 2018 | |
| First Dates – O Primeiro Encontro | TVI | 2 January 2019 – present | |
| First Dates Austria | ATV | 17 April 2019 – present | |
| First Dates Suomi | MTV3 | 19 September 2019 – present | |
| First Dates South Africa | BBC Lifestyle | 16 October 2019 – present | |
| First Dates | Eén | 5 March 2020 – present | |
| První večeře | Prima | 30 August 2021 – present | |
| First Dates | Star Channel | 30 April 2023 – present | |