I went on First Dates and it was an enormous mistake – bosses tried to punish me and my match was such a catastrophe I attempted to flee the restaurant through the meal

During 2016 – a tumultuous year both politically and personally for Nigel Jones, he gave in to a ‘mood of madness’ and signed up for Channel 4 dating show First Dates. 

The journalist, then 65, who before starring in the hit programme revealed he had never watched it, had recently split from his partner of 18 years and was ready for a fresh start.

He admitted he wasn’t looking for the love of his life, explaining his motive was ‘more akin to taking a leap in the dark for the sheer hell of it – like signing up to a parachuting course or a bungee jumping weekend.’

And so he made his way to the First Dates restaurant in London where he was guided over to the bar by French Maitre d’ Fred Sirieix to meet his blind date, Veronica. 

But things started off terribly for the writer and quickly got worse.

Nigel Jones he gave in to a ‘mood of madness’ and signed up for Channel 4 dating show First Dates in 2016

But after arriving at the First Dates restaurant in London where he was guided over to the bar by French Maitre d’ Fred Sirieix to meet his blind date, Veronica, the writer said things quickly went down hill

Nigel explained that the ‘poor lady’ at the bar who looked up at him hopefully was at least a decade older than him despite outlining a preference for someone the same age or younger

Nigel explained that the ‘poor lady’ at the bar who looked up at him hopefully was at least a decade older than him despite outlining a preference for someone the same age or younger. 

After his stint on the show, he told The Spectator: ‘As for mutual attraction, I felt an affinity with the Prince Regent, who on first meeting his arranged bride, Caroline of Brunswick, asked an aide, ‘Harris, pray fetch me a glass of brandy – I am not well.”

And it wasn’t just the physical attraction that failed to spark, the journalist explained conversation also got off to a slow start as the two had little in common.

Nigel, a staunch Brexiter and former UKIP parliamentary candidate struggled to come to terms with Veronica’s polar opposite view.

The dating hopeful, who refused to reveal her age on the show and instead said ‘age is just a number,’ had been a Conservative councillor but had voted to remain during the 2016 referendum. 

Despite their political differences they seemed more in tune romantically with Veronica telling the show she was looking for someone romantic and ‘clued up’ on world affairs.

Nigel presented himself as an old-fashioned romantic, comparing himself to the poet Lord Byron, but added he hoped he wasn’t a ‘romantic s**t.’ 

But despite their similarities, Nigel found the whole date extremely uncomfortable with slow conversation and poor meal choices.

And it wasn’t just the physical attraction that failed to spark, the journalist explained conversation also got off to a slow start as the two had little in common

But despite their similarities, Nigel found the whole date so uncomfortable with slow conversation and poor meal choices he tried to flee the restauarant before being coaxed back 

The failed politician chastised himself after for opting for Moules Mariniere to start followed by the place which left him picking bones out of his teeth, making it difficult to maintain polite conversation.

After escaping halfway through dinner and dashing to the toilet, he told crew members he wanted the date to end immediately.

But staff encouraged him to return to the table and complete his date, which led Nigel to flee the restaurant, stalking out across the square in front of St Paul’s Cathedral.

He was promptly chased down by a young member of the crew who pleaded with him to return to, at the very least, avoid embarrassing Veronica – and he did, finishing his meal with a coffee.

He said: ‘Against my better judgement, my gentlemanly upbringing prevailed against common sense, and I allowed myself to be led back: a lamb to the slaughterhouse.’

During the interview process after where he was joined by Veronica, Nigel bit his tongue because he ‘didn’t want to hurt her’ and politely declined a second date despite Veronica being keen. 

Following his stint on the show, the author revealed he was furious with the producers of the show for ‘having deliberately paired me with a partner unsuitable in every way’ and felt he had been punished for his personal views. 

The author confessed to his date during the show that he and his previous partner had ‘grown apart politically’ and had told him he was no longer right for her. 

He revealed after that his personal experiences had made the unsuccessful date all the more frustrating. 

He added that he felt those who had interviewed for the dating show had mixed ‘fire and gunpowder, hoping that the resulting explosion would make good telly’ and he made sure to make his feelings known. 

But he also confessed that he didn’t understand women.

Nigel’s experience with the show ended on bad terms after his attempt to pull the plug on the episode failed.

The author tried to contact Channel 4 to cancel his episode ‘pleading the adverse effect that broadcasting it would have on my mental health’ – and his new girlfriend but they refused. 

Instead they offered a session with programme’s consultant psychiatrist but Nigel declined and he watched, along with his family, the cringe worthy date through his fingers when it aired.