A 30-year-old woman who signed up for a live dating show in London ended up rejecting her chosen suitor on stage, opting to join a group of female audience members on the dancefloor instead. The event, held at the Big Belly Bar on the Southbank, saw the contestant picked from a pool of hopefuls after their pager buzzed.
The woman, who had moved to London a month earlier and was "seriously done with dating apps," bought a single ticket to the show, which she described as similar to Cilla Black's Blind Date but not televised. She arrived straight from work and initially felt confident her chances of being selected were low.
On-Stage Questions Spark Disappointment
After being blindfolded and led on stage with another female contestant, Zoe, the mystery man was allowed to ask them questions. His first question, "What's your best asset?" drew a collective groan from the crowd, and the woman said her perception of him went downhill from there.
She challenged him to create a marketing slogan for himself, and he answered "always," prompting someone in the crowd to shout, "like the period stuff?" His explanation, she said, didn't make sense.
Choosing Friends Over a Man
When it was revealed she had been chosen, the woman said she felt dread, laughing in disbelief and hanging her head in her hands. Asked where he would take her on a first date, the man replied, "Er, downstairs in the bar I guess?"
Rather than leave Zoe standing alone, a group of girls stormed the stage in solidarity. The woman took the mic and said, "I'd rather have a night with the girls – do you mind if I join you?" She was swiftly swept into a group hug, mouthing sorry to her no-longer date.
Dancing the Night Away
The group descended on the dancefloor, singing and dancing "as if no one was watching." The woman said she left feeling confident in the universal truth that choosing friends over a man is always the right thing to do.
