Featured Image Credit: Channel 4
Topics: First Dates, Sex and Relationships, TV, Channel 4, UK News
Olivia Burke
Topics: First Dates, Sex and Relationships, TV, Channel 4, UK News
Putting yourself out there after suffering heartbreak is hard enough as it is, but it must be even more daunting when you're doing it in front of thousands of people on First Dates.
The 22nd series of the show - which sets up singletons searching for a significant other - has officially kicked off, with the first episode airing last night (6 August) on Channel 4 much to the joy of Brits who are simply suckers for love.
Fred Sirieix is once again returning as the maître d’, while his beloved co-stars, bartender and cancer survivor Merlin Griffiths, and waitress Cici Coleman, are also back on our screens
This time around, they are hoping that love will blossom between contestants in what has been dubbed one of the UK's most romantic cities, Bath.
Advert
And although we've only seen one episode so far, fans reckon this series of First Dates will certainly be an emotional rollercoaster, as one participant has already left viewers sobbing thanks to his brutally-honest revelation.
Business owner Glen was paired up with fire performer Hayley on the show and it didn't take a genius to work out that the pair had the hots for one another.
The father-of-four appeared to be quite the charmer, while wining and dining his blind date, and Brits watching at home were really rooting for him.
But it was the things that Glen said away from the dinner table that really tugged on the heart strings of viewers.
The dad bravely opened up about how he was nervous about navigating the dating world claiming to have been burned - big time - by his other half after being together for a whopping 20-years.
Fighting back tears, Glen candidly explained how his last long-term relationship had come to a devastating end after he discovered that he 'wasn't the only one' who his partner had eyes for.
The First Dates contestant told the camera: "I'd found out that I wasn't the only one in the relationship. That's how it kind of ended...I'm actually finding it quite hard to talk about."
Taking a second to regain his composure, Glen then continued: "We were together about 20 odd years, so yeah, quite a long time. I was 18, so I was quite young."
He admitted he 'didn't think he was going to be so emotional' discussing his heartbreak, but had clearly struggled to come to terms with the huge betrayal.
But after hitting his 40s, Glen bravely decided to give romance another chance - and thankfully, he and Hayley seemed to get on like a house on fire.
Even after a few decades out of the dating game, this fella clearly hasn't lost his smooth-talking skills.
First Dates staff ended up stumbling into the couple sharing a passionate smooch outside of the restaurant, while they were waiting to hop into a cab.
And it gets even better - as the success of their first date wasn't just a fluke and Glen and Hayley are still seeing one another six months later.
You go, Glen Coco.