Blind date: ‘Pick a number higher than 10. The company, restaurant and atmosphere were simply the best'
A story to tell.
First impressions?
Tall, charming and the first to arrive. I had hoped to so I could be composed and in control, but my phone is rubbish so I couldn't follow the directions.
What did you talk about?
Brexshit and the fallout with which we are living. We had a cheers to my friend's mum, Brenda, who had the most wonderful funeral earlier in the day, and a cheers to Jayesh's mum, whose birthday it would've been.
Most awkward moment?
We decided the food mess on my side of the table was not worth mentioning. So, no awkward moments.
Good table manners?
Impeccable.
Best thing about Jayesh?
I got an incredibly warm welcome. We cut straight to the chase about the wine (really fab choice by Jayesh). Our political opinions and suchlike were on a par, and he is generous to a fault.
Blind date is Saturday's dating column: every week, two
strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans
to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we
take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the
UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It's been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here.What questions will I be asked?We
ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of
person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions
cover everything you would like to know, tell us what's on your mind.
Can I choose who I match with?No,
it's a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests,
preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely
to be.
Can I pick the photograph?No, but don't worry: we'll choose the nicest ones.
What personal details will appear?Your first name, job and age.
How should I answer?Honestly
but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that
Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.
Will I see the other person's answers?No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.
Will you find me The One?We'll try! Marriage! Babies!
Can I do it in my home town?Only if it's in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.
How to applyEmail blind.date@theguardian.com
Would you introduce Jayesh to your friends?
Of course – my friends are inquisitive (nosy), so it would be nice.
Describe Jayesh in three words.
Very engaging person.
What do you think Jayesh made of you?
Not at all a messy eater – pretty sure of that.
Did you go on somewhere?
Couldn't really – it was a school night.
And … did you kiss?
Guardian, please!
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
My phone, to guide me in the right direction.
Marks out of 10?
Pick a number higher than 10. The company, restaurant and atmosphere were simply the best.
Would you meet again?
We promised the restaurant a revisit.
What were you hoping for?
A fun night out and not to make a fool of myself.
First impressions?
Imelda is a charming, happy lady and put me at ease immediately.
What did you talk about?
Life experiences, politics, Brexshit … We talked so much I can't remember what we talked about.
Most awkward moment?
Me being early.
Good table manners?
Absolutely perfect.
Best thing about Imelda?
Putting me at ease, and her Irish accent.
Would you introduce Imelda to your friends?
No, I think they'd like Imelda more than me! Yes, of course, no reason not to.
Describe Imelda in three words.
Sensitive, caring lady.
What do you think Imelda made of you?
No idea – I probably talked too much.
Did you go on somewhere?
We were the last in the restaurant, so Imelda walked me to my station.
And … did you kiss?
We had three hugs. The connection felt more friendly – but ours will be a great friendship, that's for sure.
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
We could have carried on talking for longer, but it was getting late.
Marks out of 10?
10.
Would you meet again?
Yes. We are going back to Cord for a taster menu, as friends.
Imelda and Jayesh ate at Cord, London EC4. Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins... and says Dad's Army's Private Godfrey could have done better than these recruits
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins - Channel 4 Rating: At ease, you men... dancer Louie Spence has declared that, in the event of World War III breaking out, he's ready to serve. 'I might just jump at it,' he bragged, on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. 'I think I'd be in the Home Guard. We'd have a gay Dad's Army, darling. Honestly, they wouldn't want to mess with the gays.' Shortly after that, he botched a hostage rescue exercise by hurling a grenade into a building where two civilians were waiting to be saved. Private Godfrey could have done a better job. The show launched on Sunday night — small wonder that by yesterday's second episode, Louie had already bailed out and gone home. His big idea might not save the country from invasion, but surely the BBC would love an LGBT remake of its most successful comedy. Call it Fab Army. Previous series of Celebrity SAS have been camp enough to merit their own float at a Pride festival. The ex-special forces veterans in charge of each batch of hapless volunteers couldn't help standing in a row with their thumbs tucked into their belts, like a Village People tribute act. Former U.S. Marine Rudy Reyes was caught on camera, stripped to the waist and admiring his muscles in the mirror. I worried that the next ordeal the celebs faced would be a choreographed Full Monty striptease, to a soundtrack of You Can Keep Your Hat On. This time, the NCOs are less flamboyant but also less aggressive. They snarl, swear and belittle contestants for every mistake, but so far we've seen no 'beastings' — the punishing bouts of intensive exercise that end only when recruits pass out from exhaustion. And these days, the mock interrogations are more like therapy sessions. They still begin with victims propelled into half-lit cells with bags over their heads, but the questions are sympathetic, even kindly. 'Don't be so nervous,' chief instructor Mark 'Billy' Billingham told Michaella McCollum, one of the 'Peru Two' jailed in South America for drug smuggling. They coaxed the story from her, beginning with teenage drug abuse in Northern Ireland, then working as a courier for an organised crime gang in Spain, followed by arrest at the airport in Lima. 'So yeah, I ended up spending three years in prison,' she said. Billy asked the questions expected of all good psychotherapists: 'How did that feel? Do you wanna talk about it?' Back in the dorm, she was beaming: 'I feel a bit better after that chat with them, really positive.' The physical challenges involve lots of running up mountains with rucksacks, as ever, but I can't help feeling that a lot of the tears and terror are manufactured for the cameras. One test saw the celebs hanging from a zipwire over an abyss. If that same set-up were an attraction at a theme park, people would queue for hours to have a go.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Shock winners of popular TV dating show revealed
The Love Island 2025 winners were crowned during a live ceremony on Monday, 4 August. The ITV2 dating show concluded after an eight-week run of love triangles and drama. Four couples competed in the final for the chance to win the £50,000 prize money. The finalists included Shakira Khan and Harry Cooksley, Toni Laites and Cach Mercer, Yasmin Pettet and Jamie Rhodes, and Angel Swift and Ty Isherwood. ITV also announced that Love Island: All Stars will return for an extended third series in 2026.
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The Chase star Mark Labbett apologises for his 'bursts of anger' on Celebs Go Dating - as quizzer admits he 'got quite grumpy on set'
The Chase's Mark Labbett has apologised for experiencing 'bursts of anger' while looking for love on Celebs Go Dating. The professional quizzer, 59, admitted that the filming schedule of reality TV was drastically different from what he is used to and as a result, he lost his temper on set. He told The Mirror: 'I'm used to being in a pre-planned environment on The Chase, where timings are strict, but reality TV can go on for longer and the days end up ending later than you think.' Mark, who has publicly stated that he believes he is on the autism spectrum but not been diagnosed, said his mental health suffered on the show. The star added: 'For me, the one thing I found was that you need a social battery recharge, and as someone on the spectrum, that's something I really need.' He also revealed that his suspected neurodivergence has impacted his dating life as he finds people hard to read. Mark now plans to take the lessons he has learned from filming the show into any future contracts to ensure he does not act in an unbecoming manner again. He said: 'I got quite grumpy on set. I did apologise to everyone, but, in the future, I'd definitely have it in my contract that I need breaks to have a nap and recharge.' As well as admitting that he got moody on set, he also explained that he was impacted by his diabetes. He revealed: 'I wear a glucose monitor and on one of the nights, my glucose level went off the scale.' This prompted his co-star Kerry Katona to joke: 'And Mark went off the scale too!' Even though the show was a 'learning curve' for the star, he said that he is still looking forward to its release. Mark's grumpiness was not the only issue he faced in his latest attempt to find love and he also had a health scare on the set of Celebs Go Dating, which temporarily halted filming. The presenter suffered what's known as a hypoglycaemic attack - an event caused by a person's blood sugar dropping too low, resulting in symptoms like shaking and sweating. Mark (pictured on the far left) said that even though Celebs Go Dating was a 'learning curve' for the star, he is looking forward to its release Recalling the moment, Mark said: 'One night, I had a hypoglycaemic attack. 'I might have been a bit grumpy that night. I apologised to everyone after.' Mark was previously in a relationship with TV presenter Hayley Palmer, 43, but the pair split a week after their first anniversary last year. It was Mark who decided to leave the relationship, blindsiding Hayley when he ended their romance over the phone. The Chase presenter later put his reasoning down to their 16-year age gap and stressed to The Sun that he was 'very lucky' to have dated her for a year. Prior to this, he was married to Katie Lawrence, 32, who was 27 years his junior. The couple were together for seven years and share one child, a son, but parted ways in 2020, with their age gap once again cited as a contributing factor in the split.
