A former First Dates contestant has opened up about her experience on the popular Channel 4 show, revealing the one thing that caught her off guard and a lingering regret from her appearances.
Fran Garrett-Levy's Surprising Revelation
Fran Garrett-Levy, who appeared on the show's eighth series, was matched with office broker Will. The couple hit it off at the First Dates restaurant in Bath and have now been married for five years, tying the knot in 2021. Speaking to Smooth Spins Casino, Fran disclosed the aspect of filming that took her by surprise.
"This is going to sound weird, but you don't know that you're being filmed because you don't know where the cameras are," she confessed. "They're all quite dotted around the place. I'd never been to the restaurant before."
What Fred Sirieix Is Really Like
When asked about the show's iconic maître d', Fred Sirieix, Fran said: "He's lovely. He's really, really nice actually. I was a little bit of a rabbit in the headlights because I thought there would be a camera right in front of you, but there's cameras everywhere in the restaurant but you can't see them." She also praised bartender Merlin Griffiths, calling him "the nicest guy actually."
Fran's One Regret
Fran and Will have become regulars at the First Dates restaurant, appearing in two Christmas specials and even during the Covid-19 lockdown. Despite their multiple appearances, one moment still bothers her. "There was one thing when we did the Christmas special the first time. I think Will had said something to me, 'Oh, we can look back at something in the next 60 years.' And I think I made a face. I remember one of the comments reading afterwards online which said, 'Oh, she doesn't look very happy about that.' But I didn't mean it like that. When you're in the restaurant being filmed, I was still a bit nervous about it."
Behind the Scenes of First Dates
Fran was also quizzed about whether contestants can wear their own clothes and keep their phones. She revealed that the producers knew her mantra: "a man in tweed is all you need." They even asked Will if he had any tweed. "It's all very relaxed though. I was just very conscious of the fact that there were cameras everywhere. So I didn't want to get my phone out and start doing anything."
First Dates airs every Friday at 10pm on Channel 4.
