What occurred to Blind Date’s hottest contestants?
Back when Tinder was something you put on a fire, and Hinge was more associated with DIY stores, TV show Blind Date was a viable matchmaker for people looking for love – and who didn’t mind their quest for a life partner doubling up as Saturday night entertainment for the nation.
And while Cupid almost always didn’t strike, host Cilla Black – and her sidekick Graham, who offered a ‘quick reminder’ of the daters – did succeed in the case of Alex and Sue Tatham who tied the knot in 1991 in front of millions of viewers after meeting on the show in 1988.
This week, the couple, both now 59, revealed that they’d renewed their wedding vows at the church where they were wed, St Michael & All Angels Church in Pelsall, Walsall.
Sadly, their guest of honour the first time around, Cilla, wasn’t in attendance – the TV star died in 2015 at the age of 72 after a fall at her Spanish holiday home.
Alex and Sue Tatham on Blind Date in 1988; the couple, just 22 at the time, fell in love thanks to Blind Date host’s Cilla Black’s matchmaking – and wed in 1991 – 33 years on they’ve just renewed their vows
The devoted pair tied the knot three years after meeting on Blind Date in 1991 at St Michael and All Angels Pelsall Parish Church in Walsall – with Cilla the guest of honour
We do again! The couple returned to the church where they were married this week to renew their vows after 33 years of marriage
Blind Date’s format saw a ‘picker’ choosing from three potential suitors, all of whom were sat behind a screen, based entirely on the answers to their questions.
The show dominated weekend viewing in the eighties and nineties and its catchy theme tune is a hard-to-shake earworm even now for those who tuned in.
Recalling the moment celebrity matchmaker Cilla brought them together, Alex, who runs a management consultancy firm, added: ‘Sue was number two, aged 22, from the West Midlands.
Hostess with the most-ess: Cilla Black, who died in 2015 at the age of 72 saw three couples tie the knot who’d appeared as potential love matches on Blind Date
What’s your name and where do you come from? Blind Date first hit screens in 1985 and proved an instant success with viewers. The combination of eccentric guests, Cilla Black’s Liverpudlian charm and a ‘lorra lorra’ terrible jokes made it compulsive viewing for families
‘And I picked ‘Sue number two’. We went for a medieval banquet in Ireland for our date. We got on famously.
‘One of the joys of Blind Date was we got to see each other again in two weeks.
‘We clearly said glowing things about each other. Sue lived in the Midlands and I lived in the London. I asked Sue to marry me and she moved to London.
‘We got engaged in February 1991, that was about the only thing that took the first Gulf War off the newspapers front pages.
‘It was a really exciting period. I think it was 17.5 million people that watched our wedding, about 5,000 in person.’
While some contestants were genuinely looking for a significant other, others were there simply to enjoy a brief moment of fame on a show that captivated Saturday night audiences for nearly two decades.
Some managed to make fame stick – including Amanda Holden, Jenni Falconer and Ed Byrne – but what happened to other memorable contestants… who left the show with a ‘lorra lorra’ nothing at all, and certainly not love?
1998: THE UNDERCOVER JOURNALIST WHO BUSTED BY CILLA
Nothing gets past our Cilla! Nicola Gill, then a journalist for Cosmopolitan – was sniffed out by the Blind Date team…and humiliated live on air in 1998
Nicola, who’s still working as a journalist, gifted the nation with one of the show’s stand-out moments, but reflected later that being caught out was a humbling experience
When Cosmopolitan journalist Nicola Gill, then 27, was tasked with going under the radar in 1998 to report on the show’s inner workings, she came undone in front of a live audience – after Cilla was tipped off.
Gill pretended she was a secretary and plucked innocent Paul Mankelow out of the three men behind the screen for a date.
However, when the couple regrouped with Cilla on the sofa following their rendez-vouz, the veteran entertainer revealed to viewers she knew exactly what Nicola had been up to.
When Nicola Gill, then 27, told the Blind Date team she was a secretary, she strolled through the auditions and onto the set to pick date Paul Mankelow…
The couple jetted off on a date…but Nicola face a very awkward TV encounter upon her return
Cilla announced to a shocked live audience and TV viewers at home: ‘Well Nicola, I have to say I’ve got more than a little surprise for you.
‘Cause I know what you’re at and I feel awfully, deeply saddened by this. You don’t work as a temporary secretary.
‘I know for a fact that you’re actually an undercover journalist and you’ve robbed somebody of coming on a proper Blind Date. You work for Cosmopolitan magazine…
‘It’s just a shame you tried to pull the wool over our eyes… but you didn’t!’
Gill, still a journalist, wrote a piece about her strange television encounter after the event and described the awkward moment Cilla revealed she knew her real job as ‘TV hell’
Many years later, journalist Nicola wrote about what it was like being found out while sat on Cilla’s Blind Date sofa.
She wrote in The Telegraph about the moment in 2015: ‘Paul looks stunned. I feel sick. The studio is spinning. The audience is booing. […] All I can do is keep smiling, mumble about the fantastic time I’ve had and wait for this TV hell to end.
Now a mum, Nicola is still plying her trade as a journalist.
1994: THE GAY COUNT WHO PLAYED IT STRAIGHT
In 1994, flamboyant Count Roberto Luigi Michieli, then 29, wowed Cilla – and viewers with his red coat-tails, mahogany tan and perfectly coiffured hair.
The right show, the wrong sex: Aristocrat Count Roberto Luigi Michieli admitted he was actually gay after appearing on Blind Date in 1994
Roberto is still living a flamboyant life worthy of his title according to his Instagram page
Still partial to a regal coat! Count Roberto gave a twirl of his colourful tails in 1994 – and years later was still wearing a variation of them
The Venetian appears to still reside in the UK, although he enjoys frequent trips back to Italy
The aristocrat from Venice later confirmed that he was in fact gay – and Cilla’s dating prowess would never have worked.
Now? According to the Count’s Instagram page, he continues to enjoy a privileged life living in the UK, but frequently returning to his native Italy, with photographs of Venetian gondolas and glamorous soirees.
1989: THE DATER WHO MADE SOOTY A THIRD WHEEL
Geoff from Cheshire brought along a little friend…and a unique pair of trousers when he appeared looking for love in 1989
Same expression, 36 years on: Geoff is now a YouTuber who shares videos of his travels
Brummie Cheryl was left wide-eyed when she clapped eyes on Geoff’s interesting attire back in 1989
The ‘tash has gone but Carter, now a traveller and film-maker, is still enjoying an interesting life
When Cheshire’s Geoff Carter arrived on screen wearing patchwork trousers and accompanied by a Sooty puppet, 1989 audiences couldn’t get enough of his colourful charm. When asked what he was looking for in a woman, he said: ‘Same as me with long hair.’
Neither could Birmingham-based contestant Cheryl…although she was more than a little shocked by the watching crowd’s reaction when she plumped for ‘number three’.
Nearly 34 years later, Carter clearly thinks of his time on Blind Date fondly, even reappearing, this time wearing a more sober outfit, in 2013 on a celebration of Cilla Black’s career, hosted by the late Paul O’Grady, who also fronted a re-birth of the TV classic.
In 2024, his Instagram account is littered with images from his travels in South East Asia and his X bio sees him describing himself as an: ‘International Traveller, film maker for YouTube .Cook, Artist. Dj. and all round top banana.’
The former dater now travels the world, sharing his adventures with fans on social media.
THE ONLY CONTESTANT EVER TO WIN A DATE TWICE
Jon Wiltshire, then just 20, impressed Cilla first time around with his unique leather hat – covering his billiard ball-smooth bonce – in 1996.
However, his date didn’t feel the same as the show’s host, branding him a ‘complete nerd’.
When the celebration show aired in 2013, the 5′ 5″ dater was back in the chair…and won the chance of a romantic tete-a-tete again.
Jon Wiltshire (pictured in 1996) can hold claim to a unique title…being the only contestant to win a date more than once. He appeared in a show celebrating Cilla Black’s career in 2013 and found himself behind the screen of love once more
Still partial to unique headwear, Wiltshire describes himself now as a writer and lecturer – as well as the founder of children’s art childcare company Art Camp
Clearly a fan of popular television shows, he also cooked up a storm on Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me.
Now working as a children’s author, artist and lecturer and living in Leeds, the quirky three-time television star also has his own YouTube channel.
He’s the founder and director of Art Camp, a successful children’s art childcare company in Yorkshire that’s been running since 2019.
1989: SINGER WHO SHOWED OFF HER VOCAL TALENTS
Girl can sing! Claudia Patrice became memorable for belting out lines during her appearance on the 1989 show
Claudia’s moment in the Blind Date spotlight – and her amazing voice – has helped her carve out a jet-setting singing career
The glamorous singer has since worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Kylie Minogue and Chaka Khan
Now based in Dubai, the one-time dater works as a singer/songwriter and producer according to her Instagram profile
Singer Claudia Patrice from Macclesfield was determined to use her 1989 appearance to show off her pipes and sang her way through much of the show.
She was the show’s first black contestant – and proved a huge hit with viewers.
She’s still singing and lists an illustrious set of names she’s worked with on her website including Kylie Minogue, Chaka Khan and Jocelyn Brown.
Now based in Dubai, Patrice works as a singer/songwriter and producer – while performing at concerts around the world.
1995: THE TRENDY VICAR FROM BOLTON AND THE KISSOGRAM
Perhaps not the first place a vicar might look for love, Simon Gatenby unsurprisingly didn’t find it in a London television studio.
What he did find was ex-kissogram Polly Anderton – who turned into a lasting friend.
Vicar Simon Gatenby appeared on the show hoping for romance; he found a long-term friendship with former kissogram Polly Anderton
The Reverend Simon Gateby has been at the same Manchester church since 1993
In 2015, Gatensby shared that he had chatted to his one-time date Polly after they heard the news that the show’s host Cilla Black had died
The trendy man of god continues to wear the dog collar and once described himself on X as a lover of; family (enthusiastically), God (doggedly), soul & funk (passionately), Bolton Wanderers (religiously), malt whiskey (experimentally) & life generally.
When Cilla Black died in August 2015, he tweeted that he’d been in touch with his former date, writing: ‘RIP Cilla! Polly and I had a good phone chat last night reminiscing!…”another make up job after the break”‘
Reverend Simon has been at the same church, on the fringes of Manchester, since 1993.
THE THREE COUPLES WHO MADE IT UP THE AISLE…THANKS TO BLIND DATE
Alex and Sue Tatham, both now 59, tied the knot in 1991 in front of millions of viewers after meeting on the classic dating programme hosted by Cilla Black in 1988.
The pair say they are still as happy as ever more than three decades later and have renewed their wedding vows at the church where they were wed in Walsall.
Alex & Sue Tatham on their wedding day with Cilla Black in 1991
The couple are pictured on Blind Date in 1989 when Alex picked ‘Number two Sue’
Reminiscing about the magical day when he and Sue became ‘Britain’s first reality TV star couple’ Alex described his wife was ‘as beautiful as ever.’
The couple, who now live in Streatham Hill in London and have two children said they occasionally still trot down memory lane to watch the moment they met.
Sue said: ‘I remember the TV show of course and we often watch it back all these years later.
‘I was one of the three people hoping to be chosen and my legs were shaking.
The couple are pictured renewing their vows at the church where they were wed in 1991
‘We had to sit on these high stools and there was this big booming voice coming from the other side of the screen, which sounded charming and when the screen was removed my initial reaction was ‘box ticked’ – he was quite fun and he enjoyed my answers so I knew we’d have a good time on the date.
‘When Alex asked me to marry him he also asked me to move to London and I said yes to both questions.
‘We have been blissfully happy and raised two wonderful children in Emily and Charlie who both got married themselves this year in beautiful ceremonies.’
Lillian Morris and David Fenson tied the knot in 1994 in Tiverton, Devon
Devon couple Lillian Morris and David Fenson wasted no time in getting spliced after meeting on the show – they were engaged within 12 days
Four months later the couple said I do, with Cilla once again donning her finery to attend
OAPs Lillian and David Fensom got engaged after only 12 days – and married just four months later.
And the show’s host was, once again in attendance, buying another hat, this time in forest green satin, to attend the nuptials in the couple’s native Devon.
Paul Pratt, 43, and Anna Azonwanna, 42, from Wanstead, north-east London, met after both going on the hit ITV show 22 years ago…
Paul plucked up the courage to propose to Anna on the programme five years later and the couple jetted off to Barbados 12 months after to wed – and Cilla even attended as the guest of honour.
The pair were both struggling students when they answered the show’s call for new contestants in early 1993.
Paul Pratt and Anna Azonwanna got together after meeting on ITV’s Blind Date in 1993 and married five year’s later
Southampton marketing student Paul decided to put himself forward alone – and Anna agreed to try out with friends.
They both sailed through the auditions – with Anna pretending to be a clown and a ringmaster to impress ITV bosses – and were placed on the stand-by list.
When they appeared on the show Anna, who was studying business administration at Luton University (now Bedford) was the question master while Paul was one of three potential dates.
But he managed to get Anna interested when he cheekily claimed that he would be ‘a tiger because I always catch what I aim for’ when she asked what animal he would be.
