First Dates

The programme was filmed at the Paternoster Chop House restaurant in Paternoster Square, central London from 2013 to 2020, showing many people on dates, all of whom have not met each other before. At the end of the date, the couples are interviewed together and asked whether they would like to see each other again. The restaurant is closed to the public while filming takes place. The restaurant is fitted with 42 "Pan–tilt–zoom" cameras and there are at least 70 crew members on set during filming, which lasts 15 hours a day. Each diner is given £25 towards the cost of their meal.

The spin-off show, First Dates Hotel, follows the same TV format with contestants meeting for the first time in a hotel restaurant, but if the date goes well, the couples are offered the opportunity to check in for the night. The first series was filmed at Le Vieux Castillon in Castillon-du-Gard^[2] offering idyllic settings with a variety of activities for the successful second daters, and added sommelier Xavier Chapelou to Fred Sirieix's team. The second series was filmed at Aquapetra Resort & Spa in Campania near Naples, Italy.[2][3]

In 2020 it was announced that filming would move to Manchester for Series 16.[4] The specific location was later confirmed in January 2021, when it was announced that the sixteenth series would begin airing on 19 January 2021, in the new location of The Refinery, located in Spinningfields, in Manchester.[5]

Another spin-off show, Teen First Dates began airing on E4 on 22 February 2021 and consisted of 6 episodes. Each episode was also available to stream on All 4. Following the same format as the parent show and also taking place at Spinningfields, it follows 16-19 year olds as they begin dating for the first time. Series 2 began airing on 23 February 2022 and consisted of 10 episodes. A third series was commissioned in 2023 to air later this year.[6]

In July 2023, it was announced that filming would be relocated to The Botanist bar & restaurant in Bath, Somerset for the 10th anniversary of the show.[7] Along with a new restaurant location, the tenth anniversary series will launch brand-new cast members as well as a format refresh.

Since series 3 (2015) the restaurant's maître d'hôtel Fred Sirieix offers pieces to camera on the nature of love, romance and dating.[8] When not filming for First Dates, he was the general manager at restaurant Galvin at Windows, although he left in December 2019 after 14 years.[9]

The waiting staff and barman do not work in the restaurant full-time, but are recruited for when the series is being filmed. CiCi Coleman is an actor who trained at New York Film Academy, whilst barman Merlin Griffiths is a pub landlord[10] who has previously worked as a global brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire gin.[11] Griffiths also works alongside co-bartender Fiona Beck who as well as working in the First Dates restaurant, has a career in advertising, and has also worked as a model in the past and has featured in fashion shows in Paris, Barcelona and New York.[12] The waiting staff are joined by Grant Urquhart, David Marc and Daniella Kalita.[13]

In June 2023, First Dates production company Twenty Twenty and Nordic podcast company Podimo announced[14] a new spin-off podcast would be launched in the Summer. The show, which launched in July 2023, is hosted by CiCi Coleman and Frankie Bridge.[15]

The format created in the United Kingdom has been adapted in Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Australia, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Poland, USA, France, Brazil, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Argentina, Portugal, Austria, South Africa and Greece.

Country	Title	TV channel	Year aired
Netherlands	First Dates	NPO 3 (BNNVARA)	18 March 2015 – present
Canada	First Dates	Slice	1 September 2015 – 18 April 2017
Germany	First Dates	sixx	21 October 2015 – 9 December 2015
	First Dates – Ein Tisch für Zwei	VOX	5 March 2018 – present
	First Dates Hotel		20 April 2020 – present
Australia	First Dates	Seven Network	3 February 2016 – present
Spain	First Dates	Cuatro	17 April 2016 – present
	First Dates: Crucero		13 January 2020 – present
Ireland	First Dates	RTÉ2	21 April 2016 – present
New Zealand	First Dates	Television New Zealand	October 2016 – present
Sweden	Första dejten	SVT	13 March 2017 – present
Italy	Primo appuntamento	Real Time	14 March 2017 – present
	Primo appuntamento Crociera		18 May 2021 – present
Poland	Pierwsza randka	TVP2	16 March 2017 – 16 November 2017
USA	First Dates	NBC	7 April 2017 – 26 May 2017
France	Premier rendez-vous et plus si affinités	TF1	12 June 2017 – present
Brazil	À Primeira Vista	Rede Bandeirantes	22 June 2017 – 21 September 2017
Israel	דייט ראשון Date Rishon	Channel 2	18 December 2017 – present
Norway	Første date	TVNorge	4 January 2018 – present[25]
Argentina	Primera Cita	Telefe	14 February 2018 – 30 March 2018
Portugal	First Dates – O Primeiro Encontro	TVI	2 January 2019 – present
Austria	First Dates Austria	ATV	17 April 2019 – present
Finland	First Dates Suomi	MTV3	19 September 2019 – present
South Africa	First Dates South Africa	BBC Lifestyle	16 October 2019 – present
Belgium	First Dates	Eén	5 March 2020 – present
Czech Republic	První večeře	Prima	30 August 2021 – present
Greece	First Dates	Star Channel	30 April 2023 – present

• Official website
• First Dates on Channel 4
• First Dates at IMDb
• First Dates: The Podcast Official Website