First Dates, the popular Channel 4 series, has been a platform for singletons to find love and future partners for a decade now. The show has given us unforgettable moments, disastrous dates, marriages, and even children. However, one constant throughout the series has been its staff.
The team of bartenders and waiters, led by Maitre d' Fred Siriex, have gained fame over the years due to their awkward reactions and humorous insights into the dates. With cameras covering every nook and cranny of the restaurant, including cameras in the toilets, not even the staff can avoid being filmed. They are often spotted whispering in the kitchen when they notice a date going south or standing awkwardly with the card machine as they wait to see who will foot the bill.
Fred and his team will return to our screens in a brand new series of First Dates, welcoming more lonely hearts to the luxurious Botanist Bar and Restaurant in Bath. Alongside Fred, bartender Merlin Griffiths and waitress Cici Coleman will be back, joined by waiting staff including Aoife Smyth, Kofi Yeboah-Mensah, Francesca Martusciello and Jamie McCleave. But what happens to the First Dates staff when the cameras stop rolling? Let's take a peek into the private lives of the First Dates stars.
Fred is the maître d'hotel and the first friendly face that anyone entering the restaurant or hotel sees. The 52-year-old initially trained to work in front of house at a Michelin-starred restaurant in France before moving to London..