'There are some moments that are truly unexpected'

Expect awkwardness and genuine sparks galore from the new series of First Dates, say the onscreen staff on the hit Channel 4 show

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Expect awkwardness and genuine sparks galore from the new series, say the onscreen staff on the hit Channel 4 show.

It's almost hard to believe that First Dates has been on our screens for 12 years. For more than a decade, single diners have turned up to the famous restaurant, stomachs a-flutter, hands shaky with nerves, and hearts full of hope for love, drama, and a bit of fun.

The hit Channel 4 documentary-series is BAFTA award-winning, and for the uninitiated, sees couples on blind dates filmed having dinner together, before they are asked whether they'd like to see each other again. It's the simplest of formats, and yet as a viewer, it's almost impossible to turn off.

The whole shebang is kept in motion by charming maître d' Fred Sirieix, who hopes to bring diners out of themselves and help them find love. The 53-year-old from Limoges, France, is a newly married man himself this series, having tied the knot with his long-term partner, Fruitcake, in February this year.