Get ready for your evenings to heat up as First Dates returns to our screens!
Season 11 of the beloved dating series continued tonight with eight hopeful romantics taking their seats at the Gibson Hotel, looking for love, romance, connection and at the very least a nice meal.
But as tonight’s episode proved, it isn’t always sweet in the First Dates restaurant.
After what looked like a pleasant first date, one dater’s reluctance to offer to cover the bill left a sour taste in their date’s mouth.
Three months’ retired from Aer Lingus and a self-confessed ‘happily unmarried’ man, Gerry, 64, from Meath took a big step out of his comfort zone in the hopes that love would take flight for him. Having been married for 10 years and now single, he described himself as looking for love and companionship.
For Meath-based Tai Chi instructor Bernie, 70, she was looking for a bit of balance and plenty of kindness but not someone too saintly. “I can be very bold!” she joked to producers.
“I’d literally given up”, she told barman Neil.
Both daters promptly swapped stories of their marriages and how they parted ways, and what they’re looking for now. By the end of the date, it seemed like there was enough chemistry and connection to lead to a second date, but one misstep threw Bernie.
Once the bill arrived to the table, and after what appeared to be a little silence, Bernie asked “do you want to go halfs on that?” which Gerry agreed to.
“The whole thing for me”, Bernie told producers after their date, “was about going halfs. It’s just [in] my generation, men paid because women didn’t have money. Now I know women do have money, but he didn’t even offer.”
She added: “It showed a lot about his character to me.”
Whether it was a coincidence or not, when asked if they would like to meet again, Gerry didn’t hesitate to say he wouldn’t, leaving no room for doubt. “I wouldn’t jump at it”, he said as the pair sat in front of the cameras, adding that he’d go for a “coffee date” in the future.
“Yeah, I agree”, Bernie replied.
So as for who should or shouldn’t cover the bill after a date, the jury is still out, but it’s clear that it never hurts to offer!
Watch First Dates Ireland on Thursdays at 9.35pm on RTÉ2 or catch up on RTÉ Player.